Bells Expedition Stout

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: MAR 13, 2012 Bottle acquired via trade with Ty. I had this beer once before from Eric and I was unsure how to rate it. It is really a great beer. Pours a dark black with a awesome brown head. The flavor is really complex: a hoppy bite, alcohol, burnt malts, sweet and dark fruit, coffee, chocolate, industrial sludge and various mineral deposits. Warm and inviting. The body is great: thick and rich, but also smooth. A great balance overall. Awesome. Re-rate: bottle thanks to John. Batch 8145, brewed in September 2007, drank August 2009. Pours that amazing picture of a dark crude oil color with a thick and mouthwatering brown head. I love this beer! A full flavor of so many dark fruits, lots of coffee hides in the background. Vanilla and ripe citrus hops come to the fore as well. Amazing. Especially considering that I can trade for this beer easily. Just as good as anything else. Smooth and creamy. Re-rate: another bottle thanks to John. Batch 7740 bottled December 19, 2006 drank October 2009. It’s amazing how the aroma wafts out of the bottle, it hits me with an intensity; I know this beer, and I love it. Rich and fruity, not much of a hop presence. Perfect. A perfect mouthfeel and appearance. What can I say? Please Bells, never stop making this, and never change it. Batch 7817, packaged February 1st 2007, drank December 2009. Just lovely as always. Massive oil can like deep dark flavors. This aroma is ingrained into my memory, when I breath in the Expedition goodness I feel great. Amazing beer every time you try it. Re-rate: batch 9459 bottled Nov 19, 2009- drank 1/31/10- so very fresh. Sweeter, hops are present for sure. Juicier and slightly hot. Different than the older vintages I’ve had, very good. So much dark fruit. Amazing. Batch 8729 Sept 2008 drank July 2010. Two years of age. What a wonderful colored head, so dark and unusual. Lovely. Thick oily dark fruits, no one does this except Bells. Hail! Batch 9971, just over two months old. This beer needs a bit more time to reach its full potential. Still, robust, fruity and lots of hops. Smoky almost, which isn’t something I always notice. Brown sugar comes out too. Batch 10105: From Dec 2010, drank June 2011. Amazing, this is the best fresh batch I’ve had, huge fruit, very rich. Cherries layered into a dark chocolate cake. Lovely. Batch 6811bottled on my birthday April 26 2005, seven years old. A more subdued nose with a smaller head. Light oxidation but overall very rich and robust, as good as always. Very mature and sherry like at times. Some warmth. Superb. Drank March 2012.

Pours a thick black with small tan head. Dryish stout. Alcohol is hidden well. Chocolate and some smoked malts, but I don’t detect the complexity that others are raving about.

Bottle from Pizzeria Paradiso in Georgetown. Pours opaque black with nice tan head and lace. Aromas of Rum plum figs liq roast. Full body, light medium carbonation. A pleasureable experience. Piney hops lightly balance the big complex body and you just want more.

35,5 cl bottle @ home. Rated on 06.11.2011
Aroma was not what I expected – a bit weird with cocoa powder and hints of smoke. Flavour has ash, salmiac and some cocoa powder. A disappointment, but good still. Maybe a bad bottle?

Well, This one is a Keeper. Very nicely done RIS, could of scored even higher if the bottle was allowed to age a bit. as the alcohol was a tad upfront yet. Im going to get my hands on more and cellar it. A treat!

12 oz. bottle batch # 10105. Originally bottled Dec. 2010. Pours a thick, oily black with virtually no head. Aroma is chocolate, dark fruit, coffee and just a hint of booze. Tastes like dark chocolate. Slightly bitter finish. Worth the 100 point rating.

12oz bottle. deep deep brown in appearance, looks black in your glass. frothy tan head sitting on top. aroma is of roasted malt, dark fruits, dark chocolate, and coffee bean. taste is almost overwhelming on your tongue. lots of flavors here; roasted coffee, chocolate dominate. smooth, slightly bitter finish. full bodied liquid, pretty complex. good stuff here!

Bottle. Caramel smell. Black with brown head. Some alcohol burn but nice. I would love to have these aged. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

jet black color, dark khaki head, aroma of bitter chocolate, fresh coffee, vanilla, booze, flavors of bitter sweet chocolate, coffee, vanilla, pine, roasted marshmallows, dark fruits, booze, dry bitter coffee finish, thick silky, creamy texture, nose is not to exciting but the taste is great and complex, incredible brew

Bottle purchased at the source. Pour is dark almost opaque colour like a pitch cola colour with a creamy tan head and dollops of lacing. Smells like subtle malt and sugary cream. Tastes quite sweet malt, bitter on the tongue. caramel, sugar, sugar, sugar. However there is this slight taste of aspirin in there too. Good stuff.

Glad I didn’t rate this the first time I tried it, because it’s way better than my memory serves me. 12 ounce bottle poured into a snifter. Nearly black in color, with the aroma being the setback to a higher score. Tastes of hops lead to a bittersweet chocolate finish. Amazing creaminess and mouthfeel. Just put two in the cellar for a couple years, can’t wait to see how they turn out.