Bells Porter

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Porter
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Serve in English pint, Stem glass

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Bottle. Pours black with light tan head. Nose of roasted chocolate malts, licorice and coffee. Taste of roasted chocolate malts, cocoa, coffee and licorice. Medium body. Smooth.

Exceptional black color with ruby highlights at a bare minimum around the edges. Decent tan head, which was more than adequate, but didn’t quite have the retention I was hoping for. Still way above average in appearance. Dark malt, coffee and a fragrance of fresh rye bread. Tad bit of a roasted walnut coming through in the nose also. Smells pretty good. A bit of chocolate to round out the smell. The taste brought about a roasted coffee with chocolate smatterings to bring around a small amount of sweetness. The dry breadiness is an appealing taste. A fraction of alcohol warmth comes in the aftertaste. Small amount of bitterness is welcome. Medium mouthfeel. Very dry, smooth and mostly creamy. Definitely covers the palate well. I think this is a very, very solid Porter. I like it. Warming and inviting. Porters are quickly becoming a favorite type of brew of mine and this is one I will have to revert back to on occasion.

I got a bad one - porter is supposed to be sour? Oops....I’ll have to try it again later from another place.

UPDATED: DEC 18, 2010 Bottle. A - Deep brown color with deep ruby hues. A bit above average size, foamy, sticky, fairly dense, off-white/light tan colored head. Average retention with a nice layer of lace left. S - Roasted malt and coffee are very strong. Some bittersweet chocolate, roasted nut, hints of tart fruitiness, and a little grainy aroma. T - Roasted malt and coffee provide a lot of the flavor. Earthy, roasted nut, and spicy flavors as well. A slight bitter finish and a little smoke. Slight tart dark fruit is present, but it provides less fruitiness and more tartness that is an undertone to the earthy/nutty flavors. M - Medium body with a touch above average carbonation. Quite smooth and creamy. D - Went down very easy and would happily drink another one. Plenty of flavor and a little complex with a number of flavors that make me coming back for more. Notes: A solid porter. Plenty of roasted flavors, but also a strong nutty/earthy/spicy flavor. What I expect and enjoy in a porter is well presented in this beer. Definitely worth a try.

Bottle. 12 oz. Split with Vin. Pours a dark, hazy amber brown with a thin, spidery-laced white thin white head. Aroma of milk, oatmeal, chocolate, slight smoke, almonds and some very subtle bitterness in the finish. Medium bodied with a moderately bitter, soft, well-rounded palate. Roasted coffee hints carry through the finish. Very good porter.

Pours a very brown-black opague. Aroma is very sweet, smelling of chocolate. Taste is malty, with sweet chocolate, and a long finish. Somewhat fizzy. A pretty decent porter, but Edmund Fitzgerald still my favorite.

12 oz. bottle. Pours black with medium dark tan head. The smell is hefty roasted malts, with notes of burnt toast, caramel, coffee and bitter chocolate. There are also hints of saltwater and spices. The flavor is well balanced sweetness and bitterness, with a surprising sour flavor. The palate is smooth and thick, and slightly acidic. An unusual porter, and very tasty.

Bottle. Pours nice and dark with a mocha head. Not much lacing. Aroma of roasted malts and chocolate. Some coffee but very very faint. Taste is fairly flat. Somewhat bland. A bit of roasted malt, some underlying coffee. A bit of caramel and chocolate. I wish this was more in your face with the flavor, or maybe I just needed a fresher bottle.

Thanks to RBlaszak for sending this bottle as an extra. The beer pours a dark brown color with a tan head. There are some red highlights at the bottom of the beer. The aroma is classic porter. I get a lot of roasted malt as well as some chocolate and coffee. The flavor is great. I get roasted malt with a lot of milk and dark chocolate. There is also some coffee, but it is hidden behind the other flavors. There is some bitterness from the malt. Medium to thick mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

aroma- coffee, roasted malt, rye, dark caramel, bread, sugar. pours opaque muddy brown with some off white head. taste is coffee, oatmeal, roasted malt, bread, lightly sweet, slick bitter finish. palate is light in body, slick, with light carbonation.