Bells Kalamazoo Stout

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Stout
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Dark, little to no head. Fresh smell, not dank, a nice change. Chocolate,mmmm... nice taste...malt meets you then hops greets you. Even, not too watery on the palate. No bad aftertaste. No infighting, nothing cloys...very dynamic as a whole with no overpowering ingredients. Well played. A little salt..maybe from the licorice.

First off, I have to complain about the label... WTF is that hideous graphic, a portrait of a charred corpse?!? I’m not sqeamish, but It’s shockingly offensive enough to demote the beer’s appearance by a point. Exiting the bottle in an oily brown stream, the stout settles in my glass with absolute opaque, brown-fringed inkyness. Gazillions of tiny, tiny bubbles muster merely a ring of dark tan foam and scattered speckles of lace. A surprisingly plain nose exhibits gentle nutty, coppery, and leafy vegetal scents. A bit raisiny as well?? The flavor evokes half-burnt fireplace logs and the daintiest hints of granola and honey... like the aroma, it is dark, rough, and dimensionless. Thick, creamy, mousselike mouthfeel is shattered by chalky, scouring velcro tannins, and ends up feeling like a mouthful of fiberglas insulation. The finish flashes with brief, tinny tartness before settling into a permanent charcoal and salty parmesan rind aftertaste. To summarize: harsh and jagged... a beer as linear, acrid and muddy as chewing dry ground coffee beans... or the ashes from a cheap "sweet" cigar. In a year or two it might mellow to palatability, but will never be remotely enjoyable or complex. I’m completely pissed at this f*cking waste of my money !

Help this one up to a spot light. Dark carmel color to one quarter inch, giving way to inky darkness. Actual frown head. Smell of my grandma’s dark brown molasses bread and black licorice. Very smooth and creamy with a flavor that is lighter than expected, without licorice but with the coffee, molasses and chocolate one would expect. A slightly watery finish, does not really detract, if anything gets you ready for another slip. Very drinkable. Maybe a good one to serve to those who don’t "like dark beer."

Nice brown head. Onyx color. Roasted aroma. Really a great brew. Definitely getting the licorice. Some coffee as well. Kind of wish I was drinking an Expedition though, but I guess the 6% is a little more reasonable.

Wow i thought this was an imp. stout. Tons of flavor.. no licorice though. Chocolate mostly with coffee and molases. Slightly bitter and a long finish. A bit of a band aid aftertaste.

One of the smoothest stouts that I have had. Pours a brown head and dark body. Chocolate and coffee in the nose, with some doughy notes. Palate is lighter than most stouts, with a slight but lasting finish. Very pleasant to drink.

Dark black appearance, subtle flavors of chocolate and coffee Easy and smooth to drink

Dark brownish black appearance. Smallish tan head that settles quickly to a thin layer, leaving some lacing. Aroma is almost all roasted coffee malt with a bit of bitterness. Flavor is roasted malt, with coffee, a little chocolate, and some licorice. Finish is nicely dry, with bitterness but not much of the floral hoppiness you get in Bell’s Expedition. Has a pleasant lingering coffee aftertaste. Relatively straightforward but solid stout.