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

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

KingEdward

North Carolina

4.26/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

The color is black with a light brown head. The head didn't last long but, left a foamy ring. The smell is of dark roasted coffee, bitter chocolate, dark fruit and caramel. The taste is of dark fruit, bitter chocolate, and licorice. The mouth feel is thick, chewy, velvet, and has nice carbonation. Very good stout!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 22:44:50 | More by KingEdward

elNopalero

Texas

4.7/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Had on tap while visiting the hometown. Always a treat!

This pours a thick rich creamy chocolate color with a tight cocoa lace.

It has a smooth chocolate roast aroma to it. Flavor is wonderful—dark cocoa, dark roast—big, rich, and smooth. Great finish. As enjoyable as I remembered!

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2013 10:02:10 | More by elNopalero

Justin23060

Virginia

4.4/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

A - Black with chestnut edges. Fluffy light brown head took its time diminishing and clung well.

S - Roast sweet choc. malt.

T - Roasty chocolate again, with some nice slight nuttiness and smoke. I'm having trouble finding the brewers licorice advertised on the bottle. Not a problem though because everything else seems to be going right here and it's complex enough without it. Starts slightly sweet but ends dry with the perfect amount of linger.

M - Medium body with some mid to soft carb.

O - Well done indeed. Great example of the style. This is a must try. I will definitely be seeking this out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 05:37:13 | More by Justin23060

Steamer

Missouri

3.7/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a goblet. Dark Brown with a thin beige head. Espresso, burnt sugar, molasses smell. Flavor: Smoke, bitter chocolate, a bit of a metallic after taste. Full bodied, dryer than most stouts but the dryness compliments the taste. Overall: A nice change up. If you are looking for a bit more hops in your stout, this one may be right up your alley.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 05:00:09 | More by Steamer

patpbr

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark giving way to a nice brown head. The smell is strong of coffee some caramel. Taste is roast, toasty with a strong flavor, coffee, chocolate, hint of vanilla. A creamy and thick mouth feel with interesting bitterness. This here is a robust porter

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 02:12:11 | More by patpbr

brod25

New York

4.23/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into snifter with a 1 finger tan head which quickly dissipated leaving slight lacing. Beer is very dark colored. Aroma filled with roasted malts, vanilla and toffee. Great roasted flavor with hints of dark chocolate and coffee. Beer finished bitter with notes of hops and licorice. Medium body, less heavy than I expected based on the appearance. Moderate amount of carbonation, could be slightly creamier. Overall a great beer with lots of flavor. This is the first Bell's that I've had, looking forward to trying more!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 04:22:25 | More by brod25

Robalypse

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance:
Syrupy, dark brown body with a prominent, malty, chest nut colored head.

Smell:
Faint hints of malt and licorice.

Mouthfeel:
Medium-heavy with noticeable carbonation and plenty of fizz going down. Doesn’t feel heavy like the coloration and consistency might suggest.

Taste:
Definitely a very slight licorice taste up front with a bit of grain, almost a hint of rye. Nothing very strong or dominating stands out, but a very sharp, tasty beer in its relative simplicity.

Overall:
This a great, quality tasting stout, especially given the good price I picked a bottle up for on a whim. Often it seems stouts can be a little heavy on coffee or chocolatey tastes, but there was none of that noticeable to me in this beer which works to its benefit. Because of its fairly low profile, but all around crisp and relatively mild flavor, it’s definitely something I could drink with some regularity. I will certainly be purchasing it again in greater quantity in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 02:31:40 | More by Robalypse

neverenoughhops

California

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a-beautiful black pour with short-lasting caramel head. fine bubbles, but quick to collapse. almost no lacing.

s-enticing roasted malts and sweet cocoa.

t-bitter dark chocolate and macadamia nuts. sweeter upfront and more coffee and balancing bitterness on the finish.

m-well carbonated and a bit more body than i was expecting. swishing it shifted the taste more toward coffee and macadamia.

o-a very good stout, and a shame i cannot get this and other bell's beer in california. i'll continue to buy this when i can.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 05:50:37 | More by neverenoughhops

minterro

Michigan

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

I have had this one a few times, but have never gotten around to formally rating it. Poured into snifter.

A&S: Very sweet roasty maltyness to it. Jet black colored beer. Tan foamy head forms nicely in the snifter at about 2 fingers but then dies surprisingly fast.

T&M:Very roasty and toasty. I would say a bit over bitter in the finish, its also very dry. Body is surprisingly more thick then most American Stouts i've tried in the past. Bits of sharp bitterness.

Overall: I thought it was pretty good, especially for the price.. I think it was on sale at Meijers for $8.50. I would say its way better then the majority of easy to get bell's beer (excluding hopslam, two hearted, and expedition).

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 02:23:49 | More by minterro

AlphaRanger

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Black. Mocha head about 2 fingers worth with fairly good retention

S- Molasses, toffee, vanilla, roasted malt, chocoolate. This beer smelled amazing!! I could define several different notes. Everything melds together nicely.

T- Roasted, slightbitterness from the presence of some hops lingering around. Vanilla, coffee, and a bitter hoppy earthiness.

M- On par for this style. Average carbonation lent a nice smooth and creamy flavor. Doesn't not feel "heavy" at all. Nice bitter finish.

O- A very good stout. A great combination of sweetness and hop bitterness along with notes of vanilla, chocolate, coffee. Several beers from this brewery do not disappoint. I can't wait to sample some of the other stouts in the lineup.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 18:13:45 | More by AlphaRanger

champ103

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I got this review completely wrong the first time around, maybe a bad bottle? A much needed update:

A: Same pour, nearly opaque black. A one finger tan head forms, and recedes to a ring. Plenty of sticky lace is left behind.
S: Big roasted malt in the nose. Toasted bread and biscuit. Roasted coffee and bitter chocolate.
T: A great roasted malt character. Warm baked bread, roasted coffee and bakers chocolate. Excellent.
M/D: A medium to full body. Good carbonation. Creamy and smooth. So easy and to drink. All day with this.

Yep this is an excellent regular stout. Well done and highly recommended.

Original review 12-23-2009
A: Pours a nearly opaque black with a little bit of brown around the edges. A small tan had forms, and leaves some light lace.
S: Musky and dank. Acidic and astringent. Not much else. Some light roasted malt and chocolate.
T: Roasted malt and bitter chocolate. Semi astringent and sharp. Not much here.
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. Not hard to drink. I can quaff a few of these with ease.

Not bad. A little on the bland side. An average stout. Worth a try, but nothing all that special.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 00:31:19 | More by champ103

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep black color with a thick, fluffy coffee colored head with very good retention.

The scent is of chocolate malt, notes of coffee and some caramel.

The taste is mainly of roasted chocolate malt, burnt coffee, and some notes of licorice.

Full body, very smooth and creamy, low carbonation.

I would say this was a slightly above average stout, it could have been more flavorful but overall not bad.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 20:39:24 | More by BeerCon5

tectactoe

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours an intense dark-brown, basically black with some deep ruby tips around only the edges of the beer. Leathery tan head, cloudy and fluffy atop the brew; lasts for quite a while but doesn't leave much lacing. Aroma on this beer is huge - deep, dark fruits, boozy raisins and dates, dark chocolate fudge, black licorice, heavy, roasted malts. Very intoxicating, it smells delicious. The taste is full steam ahead with black licorice alongside some sweetness in the form of booze-soaked dates and grapes. The malt is roasted to hell and is very tasty, leaving a huge toasty flavor along all sides of the palate. Mouth is slightly creamy but a bit more thin than expected from the initial pour. Touch of bitterness in the aftertaste, but the bitter notes seem to come more from the bitter, unsweet coffee flavors than hops - the hops go fairly unnoticed here. Mouth is also left with a slightly woody char that fades out nicely. Low side of the carbonation scale.

Overall, this is a solid stout that is packed with a huge aroma and a huge flavor, especially for being only 6% ABV. The body could stand to be a bit thicker and creamier, but this is still something that is very drinkable and very flavorful, all the way up and down.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 12:32:13 | More by tectactoe

AmitC

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter from a 12 oz bottle.

About one finger thick brown- dark tan colored head with a good standing. Forms a thin layer in some time. Very dark brown color while pouring, pitch black and dark inside the glass. Opaque. Excellent lacing on the sides.

Aroma :Roasted malts, some toffee and chocolate. No coffee is present. Some hops. Very typical aroma, not something that is strong on the nose.

Taste: Slight bitterness upfront, derived from roasted malts and some hops may be. Bitter dry finish. Sweetness is non-existent. Some chocolate and toffee is observed while coffee flavor is totally absent. Hops are felt and that is good. A burnt up aftertaste, that is too much once you are done with the bottle. Brings the rating down to 4 from 4.5.

Mouth feel: Medium to slightly full. Surprisingly smooth to drink. Quite quaffable. Moderate carbonation. Roasted malts derived astringency, that is overpowering after the finish.

Style Rate: 4
Personal Rate: 4

Commendable brew. I have an expedition waiting in the fridge, expectations from which have increased.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 17:40:43 | More by AmitC

Mavigo

Michigan

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

Big fan of Bell's, pure Michigan man. Love porters so I am really looking forward to this, poured it into a pint.

A: Pours a deep dark black, almost opaque, with a short tan head along with some lacing.

S: Smells tremendous, chocolate, coffee, toffee, has some smoky and woody aromas, barley and malts.

T: Tastes incredible, its sweet but not overly sweet, its really smooth and rich, it has perfect balance of everything, tastes really chocolatey, malty, hints of coffee and toffee, really sweet, bits of barley and wheat as well.

M: Lower levels of carbonation, which is perfect for me, its really rich and thick, like syrup but not overdone, great flavor balance, it's a reward reach sip you take.

O: It's what I was expecting, I have been impressed with Bell's, a trend that is likely to continue, it wasn't too pricey either, and it was worth every penny and more. A must have.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 03:36:17 | More by Mavigo

suspect

New York

3.33/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle dated 8/2012 courtesy of RocPorterFanatic into a Central Waters Snifter.

A: Deep, dark, blackness. No light escapes. Aggressive pout leads to a hot cocoa colored one-finger head that slowly fades leaving thick slug trails.

S: Roasted chocolate malts, figs, a touch of smoke and some licorice.

T: Roasted malts really shine through and I'm picking up some smoke too...albeit subtle.

M: Medium bodied for a stout. Nicely carbonated.

O: Easy drinking, solid stout but something about the licorice and smoke turn me off.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 03:06:03 | More by suspect

TheDinger

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into snifter. This one has been chilling in the cellar for a while (10 months) and moved to the fridge a few weeks ago. Pour was a fairly uneventful motor oil with a tiny mocca head a minimal lacing and retention. Smell is of dark malts, burnt chocolate, coffee and some carmel. A decent smelling stout. Taste follows the nose, but I pick up more of the coffee and a slight metallic finish. Some chocolate and licorice come on at the end. It's a pretty bold tasting stout and a bit too much on the burnt end for me. Has a smoky quality as well. Feel is nice and creamy. Not a ton of carbonation and I do like the silk quality on the end. Overall- It's a pretty good stout that was enjoyable. The metallic finish was a bit disappointing and I wanted more of the chocolate and less of the burnt coffee. Better than average, but not one of the best i have had. Would like to try another that is more fresh. Will give this another shot. It's worth the try-

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 17:10:30 | More by TheDinger

Dave1999

Virginia

4.24/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours pure black with a nice head which lasts for almost the whole time.

The smell is milk chocolate and bitter malts.

The taste is milk chocolate and very slighty bitter coffee.

The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with low carbonation.

This a very good stout, the taste is spot on, I think this is one of the best non imperial stouts.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 23:34:04 | More by Dave1999

kojevergas

California

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a New Belgium goblet at me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Acquired at Ramirez Liquor. I've been quite underwhelmed by Bell's in the past, so I'm hoping this is the one that shows me how truly great they are. Bottled 09/26/12. 6.0% ABV confirmed.

Served after a period of rest from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Presentation: I dig the label and its artwork. Understated and classy.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger beautiful brown head of great thickness and cream, and good retention for the above average ABV. Body colour is a solid dark black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Nontransparent. Opaque.

Sm: Dark malts are dominant. Chocolate. Cream. I search for roast but struggle to find any. Licorice. A moderate strength aroma. Not real complex or subtle considering the style, but pretty good.

T: Creamy up front and on the finish, with a lightly roasted dark malt foundation. Minimal hop presence, if any. Little licorice; it's very restrained. No yeast or alcohol comes through. Hints of caramel. Chocolate. No real coffee or toffee notes. Roast is also underdone. Well malted. A tasty creamy stout. Impeccably balanced. Quite subtle for the style. It's amazing how much they've done here. This is fucking delicious.

Mf: Smooth and wet - overly so on both counts. Should be more dry and coarse. Feels more like a porter than a stout. Still, the creaminess is fantastic, and the thickness is good. Good carbonation as well. Nice presence on the palate. Suits the flavours nicely.

Dr: A fantastic stout from Bell's. I'm starting to understand the hype a little bit; I like this a lot more than the Expedition Stout. At a better price than it is as a SoCal import, I could definitely see myself picking this up regularly. It's pretty much everything I want out of the style. Obscenely drinkable; I could easily down this all night. One of the best American stouts I've ever had.

A

Gets better as it warms, but I'd still serve it chilled.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 03:24:52 | More by kojevergas

mikeborglum

Missouri

4.58/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours out a thick brown with tight, tiny-bubbled head; pitch black in color; faint smoke, a hint of licorice; a lot of roasted and charred burnt taste going on; A nice creamy smooth full body, coffee flavor with the presence of carbonation and alcohol. Finishes bittersweet with a long, lingering char flavor that keeps on coming.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 01:07:23 | More by mikeborglum