Bells Kalamazoo Stout

[Batch 8606 - bottled July 8th 2008] Pours a lighter shade of dark brown with a large fluffy tan head. Fantastic fresh aroma of bakers chocolate, vanilla, coffee beans, and roast. Yummy flavor, like Expedition light. Notes of coffee, roast, chocolate and oatmeal like sweetness. Not too bitter, not too sweet, but just right. Very easy drinking stout that isn’t too light like sooo many regular stouts. [7.6.09 - batch 8606] still drinking fine 2 days from a year old... fantastic!

12 oz bottle. Finally got to try this tonight. This may be the perfect session stout. Pours dark brown with red tint around the edges and nice thick tan head.. Aroma is roasted malt, molasses, coffee, chocolate and a touch of caramel. Flavor is smooth and creamy with roasted malt, molasses, caramel and chocolate. Nice creamy mouthfeel.Expectations were high and this beer delivered.

Poured like black from the tap with a light tan head. Strong coffee aroma and mild coffee flavor with a faint addition of cocoa and licorice.

So, as I sit back in my lazy boy and partake of this fine stout while posting my second review to RateBeer, I can’t help but look back in wonder at the amazing amount of change I have made in my life in 7 months. Wow.
The stout itself is excellent. Pours a dark brown, almost black, with a small bit of foam which settles out fairly quickly. It goes down smooth, not heavy at all, leaving a slight brussels lace trail on my Guinness glass (sorry Guinness) between sips. I can definitely taste hints of coffee and dark chocolate, along with licorice. Very faint, but it is there indeed. I am not a licorice fan, in fact, I rather dun like it, which is why I was hesitant for so long to try the Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout which is made with licorice. I should know better by now - all good beers deserve a fair try. The first sips right out of the fridge where cool, which slightly masked the spectrum of flavor, but as the stout warmed a bit, more of the licorice and dark chocolate come into play. I definitely recommend giving the Kalamazoo Stout a few minutes to warm before having a quaff.

[rerate]Wow, this beer is awesome. I really under-appreciated this beer the first time I had it in 2008. So smooth and rich in flavor. Unique chocolate and roasted malt combination. Definitely one of my new stand-by stouts.

[July 30, 2008]
Bottle. Dark black with a small brown head. Great looking stout. Aroma is rich roasted malt and coffee. Flavor is bitter sweet with chocolate and roasted malt. Strong in flavors with a nice smooth finish. [8.5.7.4.15]

Bottle. Black with a small tan head. Average aroma, coffee, chocolate. Flavor is a bland sweetness and mild bitterness. Smooth, little carbonation. For a stout this is very good but it tries to be an imperial as well so my judgment falls into that category. By all means a very good stout but less than unimpressive when compared to imperial stouts.

From a 12 ounce bottle brought back from NC by Margaret--Poured a deep black-brown body with a beautiful gray-brown head. Thick, roasty, nutty, complex and creamy as a stout should be. Licorice and molasses finished across the back of the tongue as this beer happily made its way down to my belly.

Pours dark black with a tight tan head. Aroma is chocolate, molasses, light coffee and burnt bitterness. Flavour is sweet in the front, big roast malt, burnt bitterness through the end that mellows as you drink. I get no hint of brewers licorice. Well brewed and well balanced but, I agree with a couple raters below. I am not as big on this stout as most people seems to be. Though it’s a very decent brew.