Bells Kalamazoo Stout

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Stout
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

This one was also brought to me via trade from Mr. Atalla...THANKS AGAIN!!! Dark brown/bordering black with a small cinnamon-colored head, the aroma and taste have bold coffee, chocolate, licorice, and toffee characteristics. Very velvety on the tongue, I wouldn’t mind a second. This is probably a top 15-20 stout...but I guess I’m a tough critic!!!

bottle, batch 7475. pours pretty much opaque black, with a thinnish light brown head that fades to a film. strong smell of coffee and roasted malts, backed up by notes of cocoa, molasses, and raisins. more roasty coffee in the taste, a bit of bread, some black cherry, and more coffee. the flavor lasts forever. pleasant coffee bitter palate that lasts forever with a hint of light sweetness in the beginning. creamy, silky mouthfeel, with a medium to full body. this stuff is terrific. i can’t get enough.

Strong scent with chocolate and molasses as well as a slight burbon smell as well. Appearance is as dark as the night itself. One of the best stouts I have ever had. Very smooth going down with a warming aftertaste.

Bottle from hopdog. More or less black. No head. Chocolate, licorice, and a minute amount of sweet roast in the aroma. Sweet licorice blends with light roast and a little chocolate. Also, some dark fruit. Dates, plums, black cherries. Rather fruity actually. As it warms, caramel malts and roast blend to create a nice smooth balance. Full bodied with medium carbonation. Pretty nice.

Bottle, batch 8205 on 1/15/08. Hoppier than I remember. Licorice and wood come through. Mouthfeel is quite thick, a bit too sticky though. 7/4/7/3/15-3.7 Bottle, batch 8205 on 3/25/08. Aroma is good but kinda of boring and tending towards sweet stout land. Flavor is full and roasted, with a licorice finish. Still a decent amount of hops mixing intriguingly w/ the bitterness from the dark malt. This doesn’t blow me away, but I still love it. 7/4/8/4/16-3.9

Pours a dense, opaque molasses color. Brown head quickly dissipates, leaving a persistent ring. Aroma is of dark chocolate and coffee. The taste is a sweet expresso flavor, with chocolate. Some roasted bitterness. Mouthfeel is thick, slightly stick, with some tingling carbonation. A very nice sweet stout.

Bottle courtesy of styles. I sure wish I had this one readily available as it just seems like a quintessential stout. Coffee and chocolate present in the aroma. Rich and creamy malt flavor with just enough carbonation. Just lovely.

12 oz bottle. Dark brown with a fluffy tan head. Nose of coffee, figs and licorice. Medium body with a tang. Taste is coffee, a touch of cocoa, smoke and licorice. Finishes with dry burnt sugar.