Bells Java Stout

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Stout
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Serve in English pint

Bottle received in a trade, thank you so much but I’m at a loss who so kindly included this one in a trade. Pours black as pitch with a smallish tan head. Aroma is huge fresh roasted coffee, very rich and inviting. Flavor is roasted coffee, caramel, chocolate malt some slight dark fruit in the finish. Very creamy mouth feel and overall a very nice stout. An enjoyable second to the first stout of the evening, Peche Mortel.

UPDATED: MAY 21, 2009 I can’t describe beer like everyone else here, but I’ll sum up my feelings: delicious, dark brew with an extra caramelized head, with a wonderful dark taste leaving a hint of coffee. My kind of stout!

Bottle. Poured black with thin dark brown head. Nose is thick with coffee and sweet alcohol. Delicious. Medium bodied, very present coffee and some smokey chocolate notes. As it warms the coffee flavor gets pretty intense. Finish is dry. Yum.

Batch 8315, packaged Feb 5, 2008. Dark not quite opaque brown. Dense rich mocha head eventually collapses to a thin layer. Unmistakeable coffee aroma, coffee and cream, rich, roasty, cohesive. Very soft and creamy texture. High quality latte, but not espresso based, if that’s fair to say. Light/medium milky sweetness. Light/medium bitterness of part roasted coffee bean, part roasted barley. To compare/contrast this with some other coffee stouts I’ve tried, far less astringent than Founders Breakfast Stout, like drinking heavily creamed coffee vs straight dark roast. Less roast than Peche Mortel and shorter finish. This is such an easy drinking beer, very recommendable, although to be fair, the first half of the bottle is better than the second half as the bitterness does build up.

pours a deep black with a thin and creamy mocha head. outstanding aroma of dark roasted coffee with a subtle milk chocolate backing. flavor has tons of coffee, some burnt toffee, and a hint of dark fruit. i wish the chocolate wasnt lost in the flavor. mouthfeel is thick and creamy with a roasted coffee finish. very nice stout...the only thing it lacks is a bit more flavor complexity as it is a bit one dimensional and head retention was poor.

Found some old notes. (6/30/07). Bottle. Pours a rich coffee color. Nose is full of roasted malts a little coffee. Flavors are also very malty with a slight coffee. Wonder if this bottle is not as fresh as it should be or if that is just the beer. Still a good drink.

Bottle. Pours a black color with a decent head. Aroma is roasted malts and coffee. Taste is similar to the aroma. Very drinkable beer.

Bottle from California bottles. Has a moderate amount of roast black malt and scent of coffee bean but overall aroma is average and not substantial enough for satisfaction. Stout, however, pours a deep blackness with a thin layer of film. The flavor is a rich and robust blend of coffee bean and lives up to the title and description of the beer. Lovely aftertaste finish of dark black coffee and just the most minor reminder of half and half or sweet flavored creamer.