Bells Kalamazoo Stout

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Stout
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

11/2009 Batch 9210 Pours very dark brown with a bubbly tan head. Smells like a mix of fresh roasted coffee and molasses. Has a silky cream flavor immediately balanced by coffee, dark chocolate, and molasses.

Apparently I forgot this one, so this is actually from a couple weeks ago. Pours pitch black with a thick, chocolaty head. Aroma of sweet caramel, coffee, and very earthy tones. Wonder taste of dark chocolate, strong coffee with caramel, and has a thick mouthfeel. Finishes sweet with a hint of bitterness. Guinness lover’s eat (drink?) your heart out.

Very complex stout, full of flavor that few can get. Surprised it is not considered an imperial, but non the less very tasty. My palate for stouts is not what it should be, as my rating shows. This was not what I was expectin, the pour was black, the black licorice stood out in flavor, not a big fan. Also seemed to be bitter in my opinion.

Poured from bottle into Nonic Imperial Pint. Black, completely opaque, thin head that dissipates. Would have scored higher if better head retention. Aroma of roasted malts, chocolate and licorice. More bitter than I would expect from a Sweet Stout, and only slightly sweet. Bitterness seems to come from both hops and heavily roasted malts. Coffee, chocolate and licorice flavors. Full-bodied, exceedingly smooth, relatively low carbonation. Between the smoothness and fantastic taste, this is one of the most drinkable stouts. Not sure if this is an English Sweet Stout or an American Stout. Doesn’t matter, as either way, this is the best non-Imperial Stout I have ever had.

Incredibly complex for a stout, with waves of sensational variations of palate - rich, creamy, chocolatey, caramel, etc. Absolutely delicious and top-notch. Wow. The sheer opaqueness of this dark brew is not the kind you’d be OK spilling on your white carpet. Really amazing and one of the best stouts I’ve had.

Tried a sample at Brewfest Tallahassee, and it was probably the best beer outside of the VIP section. A great example of a standard stout with coffee, chocolate, roast, and more.

I am a big stout fan and was heavily anticipating the entrance of Bell into my home state, Alabama, and I was honestly disappointed by this Bell creation. On the bright side, it had a nice texture, thick and creamy. However, it also did not taste very good. The coffee flavor was obvious and maybe a bit overdone; moreover, there was another flavor that I cannot identify and really did not enjoy. I don’t think I would drink this beer again.

Drank it with my wife, while eating a delicious Vosges Red Fire Chocolate Bar. Pours pitch black, medium bodied, nice roasted mouth feel, not sweet, rather dry with chocolate undertones.