Bells Kalamazoo Stout

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Stout
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

very dark black, with thin chocolate brown head. would have liked the head to fill more of the glass, maybe a poor pour. great lacing from the head tho! burst of creamy chocolate aroma. could have been smoother. taste is chocolate and roasted malt, maybe smoked? good tasting brew. maybe some burnt coffee towards the end. not bad, not as sweet as everyone made it out to be, but still very good.

Pours a thick oily black with a very thin but persistent tan head. The aroma is rich with molasses, slightly smokey burnt malts and a bit of chocolate. The flavor is awesome - sweet malty molasses, dark chocolate bitterness with the slightest hint of an alcoholic bite that leaves a little tingle on the tongue. All this coupled with a rich creamy mouthfeel makes for one of the best stouts I’ve ever tasted.

Pours almost completely opaque with minimal tan head. Aroma is light with sweet liquorish and malt. Good smoky flavor, with sting malt. Smooth rich feel that tingles the mouth. Very good stout without the typical tremendous bitter bite.

This is truly a great stout. I think I like this one better than its imperial cousin, Expedition. This has a much more restrained sweetness that isn’t as cloying to me. Pours black, with slight head, the fact that the head didn’t stick around was one of the only drawbacks to this great beer. Roasty malt flavors, the licorice really sticks around after the swallow. I stocked up on some Bell’s this weekend, and I hope they are all as good as this one.

Pours beautifully. Takes a bit of a firm pour to get a nice tan head (that sticks around). Totally opaque color. Mild nose. Slight malt. Touch of dust. Flavor is nice and malty, but lacks any outstanding character or flavor. I hate to hold this one up to it’s brother (Expedition Stout), but there just isn’t any unique character or depth that the Expedition Stout has. I know they are different styles, but the possibilities for both should be in the same ballpark I would imagine. There just isn’t any punch. It’s full, sure. But is it interesting? Sorry. No. It’s decent and well made, but when held against the rest, it just doesn’t keep it’s ground.

Pours very deep black with tan head. The head is very nice and fluffy and compliments the beer well; it also leaves an excellent lace. Smell is surprisingly fait put pleasant sweet ad malty. Taste is excellent, good sweet and dry balance. The licorice is pleasant and in no way overpowering. Very deeply roasty and malty, with a subdued but enjoyable hop presence. Strangely smooth for all the roasty and complex flavors. No doubt this is a big beer, but there is very little alcohol flavor and very it doesn’t have the typical biting harsh bitterness preset in many flavorful stouts, this is nice only to say that it is different, and hence refreshing. A different and welcome stout.

Pours a very thick black with a tan head. Has a sweet aroma, flavor has a noticeable black licorice presence accompanied by a chocolate malt flavor. Very good stout.

Nice chocolate flavor and a moderate smokey after. Its very smooth for a stout but still has outstanding flavor. Repeat buying and drinking will occur.