Bell's Kalamazoo Stout - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

memphischas

Tennessee

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Has a dark brownish-black color. Dark like used motor oil. Good retention and lacing.

Smells like malt and licorice.

Tastes dark-chocolatey with a touch of anise..

Very light carbonation and thick mouthfeel, smooth. For as dark as it is, it is a "lighter" stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 03:40:11 | More by memphischas

TheSixthRing

California

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Appearance - Pours midnight black with a mocha colored finger width head. Fair retention, leaving a broken layer of microbubbles on the surface. Small, spotty lacing with fair retention.

Smell - Plenty of layered chocolate character; milk, touches of baker's and a bit of fudge. Hints of roast.

Taste - Doesn't live up to the aroma, unfortunately, but far from disappointing. Moderate roast and chocolate flavors, offset by light anise character. Touches on smoke. The Result is a sweet, very approachable stout.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full body, with moderate carbonation. Remarkable smoothness, which might be this beer's best trait.

Overall - A solid, near exceptional American stout. More sweet than roasty, with great smoothness and a remarkably drinkable body. As much as I'm enjoying it, it's strangely one of those remarkable beers that I wouldn't miss if I never had it again, mostly due to cost, availability, and the quality of other stouts more readily available, me thinks.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 06:37:06 | More by TheSixthRing

Brabander

Netherlands

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Got this bottle in a trade with Cristopher. He got Westvleteren from me and i got some of the brews out of his region. This was one of them.

To start with; i had some high expectation but this beers let me down a bit at the first sip. But then i looked at the ABV and i understood why. The beer is too low on ABV to become a real stout.

Poured in my Struise small chalice the beer starts good. Pitch dark fluid with a very nive head. After some time very nice lacing in the glass. The smell is kind of fresh with some hints of coffee, not much though.

Taste is is ok but with the lack of alcohol the beer missen that something.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 20:17:00 | More by Brabander

Alextricity

Michigan

3.55/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle dated 12/10/12. Poured into a shaker pint. Consumed at about cellar temperature.

Appearance: Pours with about a finger of a brown head that doesn't last long. Very dark with a bit of ruby on the edges. Your typical stout, really.

Smell: A bit sweeter than the taste, and even some dark fruits. Plenty of chocolate and coffee, and any other sort of word that's used to describe most stouts -- it's here in Kalamazoo Stout.

Taste/feel: Throw out the dark fruits and some of the sweetness, the taste is much more of roasty malts, with traces of coffee and chocolate as well. A stout that's not powerfully flavorful, so it's really quite easy drinking. The feel is about middle of the road -- it's pretty lightly carbonated, and the beer's not thick or thin.

Kalamazoo Stout is a solid Bell's beer. I'm not a big fan of stouts, but this one's fine and good. It's not super big, roasty, and thick like some other stouts out there (or Imperial Stouts, of course), but that's not a bad thing. Not extremely memorable, but still a good one. Definitely overrated, though, in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 23:29:04 | More by Alextricity

Jacurdy60

Alabama

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A-Pours the typical impermeable black color of a stout with a creamy one finger toffee colored head with good retention. Foam coats the entire glass as I sip and leaves small patches of foam behind. Foam cascades slowly down the glass when i stir.

S-Roasted malts, toasted nuts, burnt oaky smell with touches of sweet licorice. I'm also picking up traces of a rubbery phenolic smell in the back of the nose.

T & MF-Toasted nuts and roasted malts make up the front of the taste as it fades into a bittersweet finish of licorice and a burnt oaked finish. Pretty tasty. Mouthfeel is thick but is crisp on the swallow but not too overcarbonated. Very satisfying as the thickness of a stout is present but is balanced well with a crisp finish

O-So far, my favorite Bell's brew. It's the only one that exceeded my expectations. Subtle, but the flavors all make a good presence. The body is thick and chewy but it finishes crisp. Very satisfying brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 23:11:54 | More by Jacurdy60

Kelsiemoeller

Michigan

3.28/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: dark brown in color, nearly black with a tiny pinky finger mocha colored head. Head retention and lacing are minimal to non-existent.

Smell: Smells of roasted malts, and a hint of coffee and chocolate when sniffing.

Taste: Roasted malts, hint of coffee and chocolate.

Mouthfeel: Light body with an average amount of carbonation.

Overall: A good, light beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 18:19:20 | More by Kelsiemoeller

Thaddeus

Michigan

4.16/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Dark chocolate with an ample light brown head.

Aroma & Taste: Had a big chocolate and toffee aroma. The beer was heavy and full bodied with a long finish. The chocolate and toffee mashed well over slight molasses and spice undertones. The long finish added to the enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 15:45:42 | More by Thaddeus

noahallington

Michigan

4.6/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Aromas of coffee and chocolate enticed as a thick, foamy head formed on the thick, dark black beer. The taste is very roasted malty and sweet, with notes of coffee and chocolate. The aftertaste is pleasantly sweet. This stout was so sweet to me that I could see myself drinking this as a digestif/dessert type beer. But the roasty stoutness complements the sweetness well.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 23:22:45 | More by noahallington

ShreddedThumb

Michigan

4.31/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This particular beer has been staring at me on the grocery store shelf for quite some time (specifically last October 29th, when I turned 21), and I figure it's time to finally try Kalamazoo Stout.

The Dorm Room Review

Serving type: bottle.
Poured into a blue Solo cup. Glassware cleaning is cumbersome in a dorm.

Appearance: Very dark brown, almost black. There's a quite impressive head, and I noted it's expansion by counting grooves in the solo cup. The light brown head appears creamy throughout the experience.

Smell: Pleasant licorice wafts into my nose. Roasty, coffee notes.

Taste: The roasted taste is immediately apparent. Some licorice flavor in the back of my tongue, but it's roast, roast, roast. At 6% ABV, the alcohol is naturally masked by the very enjoyable, full-bodied tastes. There's no watery or weak flavors here.

Mouthfeel: It feels like a thin layer of coffee and licorice coats my mouth. A miasma of subdued roasted notes float around pleasantly. Not too heavy, and the alcohol is not present.

Overall: I am very glad that I finally tried this stout. Admittedly, I initially predicting this beer to suffer from common stout complaints (watery, thin-bodied, etc); however, this is easily one of the best stouts at this price point, and given its easy-drinking and enjoyable qualities, Kalamazoo Stout should never be overlooked.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 01:21:05 | More by ShreddedThumb

timn

Kentucky

4.63/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours black as night, with a very small amount of brown foam on top. The head is thin, but has a nice, appetizing mocha color.

S: The licorice comes through above all else, along with some hints of raisin.

T: Hits with an immediate burnt, smoky wood flavor, with a hint of the licorice. The licorice actually is less prominent than in the smell, but melds nicely with the smoky flavor. Ends with a bit of coffee acidity.

M: On the thicker side of medium, but very nice mouthfeel. Creamy, smooth, great all around.

O: Teriffic. The nice smoky wood flavor is wonderful up front, and the licorice adds a nice touch. This almost reminds me of Dogfish Head's Chicory Stout, only better and more regularly drinkable. I really enjoyed this one, and will definitely be buying again.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 02:25:48 | More by timn

kangarooAdam59

Maine

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Thanx Shamrock071521

Packaged 11/26/12:

Into a pint glass:

A: dark black body with a light brown one finger head that concaves to a lumpy film and leaving some thick foamy lacing clinging to the sides of the glass

S: dry roasty coffee, slight licorice, perhaps a bit of bourbon and chocolate

T: slightly sweet and somewhat bitter - balanced very well between the previously mentioned flavors, dry sweet aftertaste and finish

M: medium, sessionable, adequately carbonated

O: I would say very good for the style and am really liking the licorice that comes out, I'm glad to see it held up since November until now, I would definitely have this one again

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 20:03:45 | More by kangarooAdam59

Durtdiggler

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle with 2/15/13 date into snifter glass.

Pours dark black as night and settles with nice creamy, light brown head quickly leaving some thin lacing on the glass.

Aroma is very dry medium roast coffee, can pick up the licorice but feels a bit more like bourbon and chocolate. The roast coffee stands out the most which which is how I think this style should be versus baltic porter.

Very roasty backed by big hop bitterness all balanced well, slightly sweet with cocoa and dried dark fruits. Flavor is very complex from start to finish.

Light medium mouthfeel. Extremely drinkable.

Alot of complex flavor without the the big alcohol volume. This beer fills the void in the quest for big stout like flavor that it might be a while before I pick up an Imperial stout again. I might have to try Founders side by side:). Bell's nailed it.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 22:44:21 | More by Durtdiggler

GoldHorde

Minnesota

4.14/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Bell's beers are always a sound purchase; like Founder's, they rarely disappoint. Bell's offering of Kalamazoo Stout is a little light in body (mouthfeel) for me BUT I do really like the introduction of licorice accent and aftertaste.

POURS/HEAD: Opaque black with a dense tan head.

AROMA: Didn't notice a licorice scent in the aroma; smell was sweet malt and burnt caramel.

TASTE: Sweet edge with a high-hat cymbal and reverb.

I'll have this again for further thoughts.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 03:41:19 | More by GoldHorde

Shuffledaddy

Arizona

3.89/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours about a finger width of head, mocha to tan in color. Smells of coffee, chocolate and licorice. Tastes of espresso, chicory, and licorice with just a bit of smoky peat. Mouthfeel is not very fizzy due to low carbonation, but rather thick and rich. Overall, a nice smoky stout. Can't go wrong with Bell's and this beer is no exception.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 10:31:43 | More by Shuffledaddy

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

3.56/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle cellared for two years at 42.5 degrees F.

A - Black as night with only wisps of head.

S - Roasted malts with a hinting of coffee.

T - Deep roastiness in the malts with a slight smokey taste and a tiny bit of nut. There is a small something in the flavor here that may not fit.

M - Medium to thick body with only a slight coarse feel.

~ I'm not sure the cellar did much if anything for this brew. That being said, I wouldn't shy away from it either.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 21:41:29 | More by cdkrenz

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is a deep, dark brown with a half inch of beige head. The aroma offers molasses, dark roast, black coffee. Malty with dark roasted coffee. Rich and slightly sweet, finishing bitter. Molasses with a touch of dark chocolate. Medium bodied with moderately low carbonation. Another solid offering from Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 23:31:28 | More by Huhzubendah

scratch69

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

I poured a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Black in color with a fingers worth of dark tan head. fair amount of lacing.

Smell- Aroma of roasted malt, cocoa, and coffee.

Taste- Roasted malt, coffee, and cocoa flavors with just a hint of licorice.

Mouthfeel- Full bodied with a light amount of carbonation. Very smooth and creamy with a slightly dry finish.

Overall- A great tasting stout. Not as big a licorice flavor as advertised but the other flavors were blended nicely.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 03:06:03 | More by scratch69

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A- Pitch black, thin tan head that leaves some decent lacing.

S- Roasted malts, chocolate malt, just a hint of coffee grounds.

T- Just as it smells; roasty, chocolatey, hints of coffee, almost a cream-like flavor as well. Excellent flavor for a 6% stout.

M- Medium-full bodied, medium carbonation, creamy feel.

O- Great stout, good mix of flavors, very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 03:02:34 | More by stephenjmoore

pizza

Minnesota

4.31/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

My first B.A. review..
I am generally a IPA type of guy.
I poured it out of a cold bottle immediately after buying.
Very dark color with a small, darker than normal head, looked swampy.
I immediately noticed the heavy stout smell.
Feels very smooth and thick in the mouth and throat, the thickness almost lingers in the throat, but not in a bad way.
Overall taste was great. I am a novice at explaining the different complexities within the taste, but I recommend this beer to anyone looking for a good stout.
Another great product from Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 01:59:06 | More by pizza

ksimons

New York

4.16/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A-pours almost black with a very thin layer of tan head that quickly disappears to leave a bit of lace around the edges

S-lots of roasted malt, a bit of smoke, coffee, and a bit of molasses

T-taste is similar to the smell with a full roasted malt backbone, dark coffee, smoke, and sweet chocolate towards the middle as the beer warms

M-medium to full body, light carbonation, very smooth, a nice roasted flavor left

Overall I think this is a really good stout, really great balance of flavors and very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 23:32:53 | More by ksimons

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.16/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from bottle into a pint glass

Appearance –Poured a deep brown nearly black color with a two finger thick and creamy tan colored head. The head slowly fades leaving a fantastic level of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is heaviest of cocoa mixed with a burnt brown sugar sweetness. Other aromas of roasted malt and coffee combined with these aromas well creating an overall rather dark and sweet roasty aroma.

Taste – The flavors start out with sweeter chocolate and some vanilla and brown sugar. The flavor dries some more toward the middle as flavors of coffee and a light licorice come to the tongue. The flavors take the taste to its end where they are joined by a light earthy hop taste. When all combined the flavors leave a nice cocoa and roasted semi sweet flavor on the tongue with just the right amount of bitter from the coffee and the hop to balance it all out.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the slightly thicker side in terms of creaminess with a carbonation level that is medium. The thicker body is nice for the darker flavors of the brew while the moderate carbonation suits the abv. and the more bitter flavors well, keeping the brew very drinkable.

Overall – A tasty stout with a great drinkability and wonderful feel/flavor. A great roasty, but rather balanced stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 02:49:42 | More by Darkmagus82

screamking

Ohio

3.81/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into snifter.

Appearance-pours black with very light brown head that goes away quick. 3.75

Aroma-burnt coffee, small amount of licorice, bit of chocolate, more of a overall burnt smell then roasted. 3

Taste-roasted coffee, licorice is there but not as heavy as advertised, brown sugar, roasted malts. the opposite of the burnt smell, it has a roasted taste. 4

Feel- medium-light feel, coats clean, not to bitter, taste lingers well. 4.25

Overall- thank god the burnt smells I got weren't in the taste. This would make a wonderful session beer for stout lovers. Not the best stout out there but one that is above average for sure. Price is right for the flavor you get. This would be one I get again. 4

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 01:46:20 | More by screamking

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.6/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured jet black with a nice mocha colored head which fades after a minute or so leaving some pretty nice lacing.

S: I spy...licorice, oh yeah, coffee and chocolate with a nice but very subtle dark fruit note

T: I initially receive a prominent coffee and roast note and then whammy..that licorice kicks in and shines. Love it. Some chocolatey undertones as well, then you get a licorice and some dark fruits. A good blend and balance on flavor.

M: Medium-full to full body, creamy and smooth with a dry finish.

O: Outstanding single American stout! This beer is very robust and complex for a single 6 ABV stout. It has more depth and flavor than many Imperial Stouts I have had. The licorice is well balanced as is this beer in general. Slam dunk for Bells.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 17:26:46 | More by barleywinefiend

Judgie

Indiana

3.91/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a very cold bottle dated 7/10/12 into a Bell's snifter.

Poured black as night with no head to speak of. Nice oily brown lacing that slid back into the beer quickly.

Licorice smell was prominent with slight hint of some fruit like prune maybe.

Nice amount of bitterness surrounding licorice sweetness. Very tasty!

Mouthfeel was smooth but much thinner than expected from the color & oily appearance.

The taste impressed me enough to want to try another one poured a little more aggressively.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 22:30:18 | More by Judgie

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.06/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from a 12oz bottle into a Grey Sail pint.

Appearance- Pitch black with very small mocha head. Great looking stout.

Smell- Roasted malts, cocoa, very light sweet licorice. Thats about it.

Taste- A lot going on here. Bitter malty stout with a light toasted licorice flavor and sweet cocoa. Finishes licoricey.

Mouthfeel- Big, smooth stout with light carbonation. Because of the licorice, I'd like it to be thicker feeling though.

Overall- This is a unique stout that I'm glad I got to try.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 20:07:51 | More by Seanniek91