Bells Rye Stout

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Stout
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Serve in English pint

Glad I finally got to try this one. Pitch black pour with a nice though small brown head. Aroma is strongly rye, bready, with nice stouty undertones. There is a lot of rye in the flavor, too, maybe too much so, that cover up the roastiness. Tastes a little "cold," for lack of a better term. Rich and creamy palate. I always love experimental brews like this. This one has a really unique taste.

Slightly more thin than other stouts in the series, it seems, though I don't know whether I trust my judgment on that because I assumed that these were all from the same stout base. More than rye, I pick up a vein of caraway and sesame seed in the roasted flavors, with the edge of tang/sour that I found in the Special Double Cream Stout. Not my favorite.

Long waited for them to make another batch! Bottle, batch 9370. Typical Bell’s stoutiness in the nose but this has much more pronounced coffee roast, light grain. Deep dark pour with a creamy, rocky light brown head. Creamy smooth feel (5/5 all the way), very luscious, taste is a sort of rounder Kalamazoo with a little more heft and a deeper malt complexity - lightly spicy rye, but very restrained, definitely more of an accent than the full monty. Light prunes, nuts, blackberries, and a slight herbal quality, in the vein of Jägermeister. Roast is backed way off from what was expected by the nose. Dry and tweaked lightly off of center, almost of lemon zest, with firm but low-level bitterness and a dash of coffee creamer. Beauty in subtlety.

UPDATED: JUL 6, 2007 Rerate, 07.04.07, 12oz bottle, 2002, courtesy of artusory. Thanks, Ryan! Pours a murky brown color with some tan particulates; medium tan head with good lacing. Toasted caramel and coffee in the aroma; some dark chocolate. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: plenty of roasted and toasty malts upfront, with some rye and milk chocolate; slightly creamy, with a light effervescence; quite nice. Medium, dry chocolate and grainy finish. 7.3.7.4.15=3.6

8.16.06: Dark brown cola appearance, minimal head. Enticing toasted nose, showing coffee and rye. Medium mouthfeel, with a bit of roasted malts and coffee. A sessionable, light and engaging stout. 7.3.6.3.14=3.3

12oz bottle shared by sliffy. Dark brown pour with a thin beige head. Aromas of roasted malt, tart fruit and bready malt. Creamy and roasty malt flavor with a tart berry finish. Not entirely sure about this one and I have to wonder whether it was better fresh. Still glad I got to try it though.

The beer pours to a black body with a creamy tan head. The aroma is quite vibrant and jumps out of the glass. Malty chocolate, rye bread, very unique and spicy. The flavor is a chocolatey dry stout that has some interesting spicyness to it. Glad to see that Bell’s brought this one back. The palate is drying, medium bodied, roasty.

12 oz bottle from the Binnys singles rack (Orland Park, IL). Pours a very dark hue, black with browner edges, a moderate light brown grainy head that dies to a decent layer, laces a bit. Dark, but thick and near opaque. Aromas are rye malts, a bit smokey, with roasted malts, a bit of caramel and rye sweetness, a touch of cocoa, faint coffee on the nose. Nice. Initial is lighter side of medium bodied, rye malts, caramel, light roast and toast, but instead suplemented with sweetness, lighter roast and toast, faint bitterness on the finish. Overall, a mellow sweetness and rye are the main elements, with some roast and toast coming in towards the back. Subtle, lighter/thinner. Not bad at all, a very drinkable beer.

UPDATED: AUG 6, 2007 2002, consumed summer ’07 Dark brown body with samll whispy tan head. The aroma is milk chocolate, light oxidation, rye and berries. The flavor is milk chocolate, toffee, light cherry, lightly spicey rye and a touch of sherry. Medium body is very soft with light carbonation. This has held up very well. 9/3/8/4/16 4.0

Re-release versionBlack body with small tan head. Quickly fading. The aroma is freshly roasted rye bread, chocolate, molases and a touch of espresso. The flavor is rich and roasted, lots of rye, molases, a bit of smoke, chocolate. The finish is bitter and slightly acidic, mouthfeel is thick and creamy, though carbonation is a touch too high. 8/4/8/4/15 3.9