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

Jparker37

Wisconsin

3.03/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass. Bottled on 8/22/11

A - One finger thick dark brown head dissipates quickly but looks delicious. Very opaque black with no cling of lacing.

S - Awesome complex dark chocolate malt. More subtler coffee roastiness. I don't quite get the licorice yet. Very rich! Hint of smokey tobacco as it warms.

T - Not creamy nor sweet, but complex with coffee roast and dark chocolate. Finishes with a sharper roasty bitterness.

M - A thinner mouthfeel was unexpected. On the dry side for the style with little carbonation.

O - The licorice never really crossed my palate or was identified. I thought the smell was unmatched for a simple American stout but lacked depth in taste. Still very much enjoyed. I blame some of the quality on the store which I purchased this single beer from (world market) where this beer was stored warm for multiple months. I can easily get a six pack fresh which I will do and re-review.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 02:04:32 | More by Jparker37

dmamiano

West Virginia

3.05/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer poured a beautiful think egggshell colored head that left nice lacing on the glass as it was consumed.
The color was very typical of a stout, black with no light able to get through this beer. Mouth feel was very average, although highly carbonated.
As far as the taste of the beer itself, I found it very average at best for a stout. Had a fairly bitter finish with lingering flavors of coffee.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2007 02:56:35 | More by dmamiano

polisanl

Florida

3.08/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Dark in color with 2 fingers worth of tan head. Laced through out with a good amount of carbonation. Not much of a nose here. Flavor is robust. Lots of burnt malts and strong coffee. Heavier part of medium thickness in mouthfeel. Would definitely not be on the top of the stout style IMO.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 18:42:10 | More by polisanl

soilguy

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pint glass arrived with a nice, creamy, thick tan head. I must say that the appearance of that glass as the server brought it was the best part of the beer. A nice lace coated the glass from the top to the last drop. It has a slightly sweet, faintly licorice odor. It also had a fairly noticeable licorice flavor that I personally didn't care for. A nice roastiness tried to chase it away, and that is what saved the beer and made it drinkable. It did have a full, substantial mouthfeel. Overall, I thought it was adequate but unremarkable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2004 00:18:54 | More by soilguy

drinksandeats

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle purchased at Total Wine in Chantilly, VA.

Appearance: DARK! Brown bordering on black. Small amount of foam with large strong bubbles. Nice lacing. Tilted the glass to see the light shine through the beer; only a very small sliver of beer shone clear.

Aroma: Rich and thick. Mocha, earthy and full. No licorice.

Taste: Here I was hoping for the hint of brewer's licorice as promised on the bottle. I got just the slightest hint of it upon contact with my tongue before it was overpowered by a bitter coffee taste. Burnt and acidic. Not pleasant.

Mouthfeel: Slightly abrasive. Not creamy at all.

Drinkability: Not bad, not great, one was enough.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2008 01:52:45 | More by drinksandeats

SaCkErZ9

Florida

3.13/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dispensed from 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Huge, mocha head forms and stays around for a long time, leaving copious amounts of lace down the side of the glass. Pitch black, opaque colored beer.

Aroma is burnt grains, mustiness, and mettalic aromas close to battery acid. Not a lot of chocolate or coffee or anything else I usually find in stouts. Just smells like beer.

Bitter burnt grains with some minimal chocolate and coffee flavors. Mostly bready with a hint of smoke.

Not really a sweet or milk stout if you ask me. Certainly isnt sweet. Bitter flavors abound and the finish is bitter, borderline astringent. Drinkabilty is lower due to the bitterness of the beer overall and its astringency. Medium mouthfeel. Very Average Stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2007 18:21:39 | More by SaCkErZ9

midaszero

Washington

3.13/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Batch 8432

A - Opaque brown with one finger of coffee head and good lacing

S - Raw chocolate and licorice kind of faint

T - Faint chocolate and licorice taste with a little bit of sweetness

M - Light medium body with medium high carbonation

D - good to session but not something to really seek out

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2008 19:33:54 | More by midaszero

mwilbur

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from 12 oz bottle into imperial stout glass.
A: Black with 1/2 inch dark tan head that quickly dissipates.
S: Slightly odd bready yeast aroma with roasted malt.
T: Oddly, taste is dominated by grain notes: wheat, rye, etc. Some dark roasted malt. I get no cream...which is odd for a purported milk stout. Unsatisfying, acidic, and dry finish.
M: Light body...uninspiring.
D: One is enough for this average brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2008 22:10:04 | More by mwilbur

caresville

New Jersey

3.15/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

a- pours jet black with a huge fluffy tan head that subsides quickly. nice lacing throughout pint glass, overall quite appealing.

s- smells sweet. coffee, chocolate, vanilla, molasses, brown sugar.

t&m- very thin, not overpowering. thats not necessarily a bad thing though. licorice pulls through, hints of dark dried fruits (plums, raisins, prunes, etc.) and chocolate chips. surprisingly no coffee taste is present on this one. nothing really stands out with this one.

d- velvety and smooth. easy drinking, but just not my style of stout. i like em big and real thick ;)

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2010 08:27:56 | More by caresville

davidbowers13

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter.

A - Pitch black. Moderate to vigorous pour yielded one to 2 fingers of tan head.

S - Black licorice, coffee, chocolate and roasted malts.

T - Coffee and licorice dominate the front. The finish is smooth, but not much there. Kind of one dimensional.

M - Very thin for a stout. It leaves a coating, but not a overly powerful one.

O - Overall a good to average beer. A little one dimensional, but enjoyable. Not sure I'll rush back to it any time soon.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 01:55:47 | More by davidbowers13

dejrrma

Georgia

3.18/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

a- pours black, little head that quickly dissipates. looks pretty still in the class.

s- hints of licorice, coffee, and cherry. cannot really smell much else.

t- like it smells. there's a slight hoppy taste, but that's quickly overpowered by stale licorice. The rest of the flavors a bit muddled.

m- under-carbonated and extremely thin. This stout is very, very runny.

o- not really a fan, and I wouldn't purchase again. It doesn't taste too bad, just average.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 19:32:45 | More by dejrrma

greenbeaner

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle, no freshness date, very dark brown, almost pitch plack. Huuuge dark frothy head, 3 or 4 fingers, but it fades to 1 finger pretty quick... leaves behind a chunky foam around the glass. This head is pretty ridiculous.

Fairly weak on the nose, there are hints of roasted espresso and malt, and some yeast as well. A bit of hop.

Taste is smooth and malt and cream up front. Strong flavor of bold coffee and vanilla and just a hint of liquorice. There is quite a large hoppy bite near the finish. Flavors are a bit unbalanced however, and it leaves you feeling like something is missing.

Medium bodied, slippery cream in the mouth. Leaves your mouth feeling slick and wet.

It's not that I didn't enjoy this beer, it was tasty and satisfying...but, overall it's quite a bit unbalanced in my opinion, and feels like there are some flavors that could be there but aren't being let shine through due to the imbalances. I kept noticing myself thinking I was about to taste something that never actually came. Still though, not too bad overall... would I buy it again? Probably not.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2007 02:13:53 | More by greenbeaner

younger35

Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Received this brew from ClockworksOrange (along with about 143 other extras) and from TheodorHerzl. Bells is a great brewery and I haven't had a bad brew yet, I'm certain this will be no exception. Drank from my Sam Adams pint glass.

Appearance- Pours a dark brownish/black with hues of crimson around the edges. Great two finder dark tan head that leaves a thick cap and collar with loads of frothy, sticky lacing.
Smell- Loads of big bold coffee and espresso. Slightly sweet with a milk chocolaty presence and a little bit of very feint black licorice (although I might be stretching it a bit).
Taste- Very roasted with a super charred start and an extremely potent shot of espresso. Very slightly sweet with fudge brownie like character and a whipping cream vanilla smoothness. Bits of dark fruits show that there is some hop presence but not really all that much. Finishes with a semi lingering bitterness although I think it's more from the roasted malts than the hops.
Mouthfeel- Thick and rich with a super smooth feel and light prickly carbonation.
Drinkability- Not a bad brew but overall as much as I love my dark beers this one just wasn't what I was looking for. I don't think the flavors meld very well and something just seems misplaced. The best part of this brew is the mouthfeel. Thanks again to ClockworksOrange and TheodorHerzl!

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2008 19:39:20 | More by younger35

vfgccp

New York

3.2/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A – Dark, almost black, with thin brown highlights around the edge of the glass. Trace amount of off-white head.

S – Hammy smoke, and mahogany wood.

T – Definitely get the salty, ham-like smoke from the nose up front. Burt toast and bitter roast coffee catch up to the smoke mid profile, and a dark, woody note rounds out the backend.

M – Thin, just a shade away from watery. Light roast character to the finish.

O – Roaster than I typically like in the style, and I feel like the smoke note is a little unbalanced, but not a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 22:24:35 | More by vfgccp

winomark

Missouri

3.23/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pithc black, witha slightly frothy brown head.

Aroma: Mild nose, with slight coffee and smoky tones.

Taste: Slightly meaty nad smoky. Rich and flavorful. Dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Coating up-front, but dry and slightly short on the finish.

Drinkability: A good, solid stout. Could drink this one wuite often.

Tasted blind at the Saint Loius BA tasting 12/14/03

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2004 06:29:31 | More by winomark

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It pours opaque black with a very generous, long-lasting sticky tan head in my fin du monde glass (great with stouts I find). Aroma displays very creamy malt, I could have believed this was a milk stout. Roasted chocolate and burnt coffee grains complement the sweetness. Very round and full mouthfeel, creamy. Particularly low carbonation. Alcohol hint accompanies the restrained bitterness in the finish-> alcool which I thought should not be felt at all in a 6.5% beer with all that roasted malt. Once again, this stout got this milky aspect that I came to dislike when combined with an almost still mouthfeel. It feels, not unlike a wine, just dead in the mouth despite all the licorice, molasses, chocolatey flavors from the dark malts. Well done, but still severly overrated to my tastes and definitely nowhere near as complex as expedition. Smooth, yet ultimately close, but no cigar.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2004 04:35:46 | More by Rastacouere

pvsob

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

-Appearance - It poured pitch black with a one inch head that quickly disappeared and left little lacing.

-Smell - Roasted malt, dark fruits, coffee, and some hints of chocolate.

-Taste - It was a tad bit more astringent than I was expecting, but there was some sweetness up front followed by some chocolate and coffee at the end.

-Mouthfeel - Medium to full with steady carbonation.

-Overall - The astringency of this brew hurt the taste and drinkability scores big time. I had a hard time isolating the characteristics of this beer during my tasting experience. I'll probably pick up one more six pack just to make sure I’m not missing anything. Looking at the other reviews of this beer, I must be missing something. Oh well, cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2006 01:48:02 | More by pvsob

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A - One finger worth of thick and frothy medium to dark brown head... Minimal retention gives way to a full inviting lace... An opaque flat black color... Sparse rapid paced carbonation can be seen streaking along the sides of the glass...

S - Fudge... Sugary iced coffee... Chocolate... Brown sugar... Molasses... Some faint roasted malts... Absolutely delectable nose...

T - Bitter old coffee... Roasted malts... A touch of chocolate... Burnt char characteristics... Licorice... A slight hop presence... Quite the opposite of what the nose lead alluded to and a rather odd mix of strong flavors...

M - Medium to full bodied yet light and fluffy to start... Dense... Slightly thin... Exceedingly burnt bitterness lingers...

D - This one was quite the mixed bag for me... The appearance and aroma were great, the taste was middle of the road but confusing, but it fell apart in terms of mouthfeel and drinkability... Overall I found this one rather unpleasant and slightly off putting...

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2010 01:48:35 | More by philbe311

rebel1771

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a pitch black with a brown head that sticks around a while.

S: Subtle aroma of chocolate, coffee, and a hint of licorice.

T: Strong flavor of cocoa powder along with a burned coffee flavor. I didn't really notice the licorice much at all.

O: This is a decent brew, definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 22:58:23 | More by rebel1771

Phocion

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle poured into a pint glass with a small but highly retentive frothy brown head sitting on top of a nearly pitch-black body. Thick, sticky lacing.

Aroma is full of roasted malts. Slight hints of acidity and anise, very nutty and full of dark chocolate and bitter coffee.

Flavor is coffee and bitter dark chocolate. Slight toffee flavor. Very bitter, almost charred finish.

Medium-bodied and medium carbonation. Surprisingly slick and oily.

Overall, too bitter. Not necessarily in a hoppy way, but more of a burnt manner. Mouthfeel is too oily. Not overwhelmingly impressed.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 21:58:30 | More by Phocion

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

jlh8643

Indiana

3.3/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into an Imperial pint glass. A very nice tan head sits on top of a near black body leaving fair lace on the sides of the glass. Dark coffee and roasted malts dominate the nose. Acrid and astringent, dark malts dominate the initial swallow. I can't find any lactic/milk sweetness. Full bodied and somewhat rich but I can't get around the roasted malt that sticks around to the end. Not a bad beer but not one that I would rank up near the top end either.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2006 02:01:54 | More by jlh8643

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A - Black brew with a large mocha brown head. Strong lacing in thick clumps.

S - Coffee and chocolate, faint licorice.

T - Coffee mostly. Faint licorice too. Aftertaste is mostly a faint chocolate malt.

M - Rather harsh, medium bodied, a tad drying.

D - Okay, I might have again, certainly worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2007 03:07:19 | More by mrasskicktastic

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Pitch black...a good size tan head that slowly fades into a nice cap...good lacing

S - You can smell those roasted malts

T - A deep...almost too deep...roasted malt flavor that lingers throughout your palate...a great coffee-like aftertaste...but nothing really special

M - A little thinner than I expected...smooth

D - This didn't knock my socks off...but it was nice to sit back at sip on

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2009 00:14:00 | More by thain709

marvin213

North Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I suppose stouts always look good to me--bold and black, like a manly cup of coffee. The head forms a little on the lighter (color) side, and the 2mm worth dissipates quickly. It's a Bell's stout, it's opaque, and it beckons....

The smell is interesting--a malty licorice. I'm more of a red Twizzler-type, but I'm curious about this sweet milk stout. Though the label doesn't identify any, I can't help but smell coffee. And licorice. Quite frankly, I prefer the smell of coffee over licorice. In this case, the licorice predominates.

Unfortunately, like the smell, I don't embrace the taste of licorice. I guess I'm more appreciative of fruit-type sweetness, but I'm not really feelin' this "sweet" stout. Where the smell is unique and intriguing as it piques curiousity, the taste leaves something to desire. It's better than average because it's neat, but below average when it comes to taste. I figure that balances out...

The mouthfeel is fairly light and I prefer it to the taste because I don't get that kinda nasty licorice aftertaste when I let the beverage simply rest in my mouth. I'm obviously not a big fan of this one, but I respect Bell's and enjoy stouts enough to appreciate the character this beer offers to a true beer advocate.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2009 01:26:39 | More by marvin213