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

dirtylou

Washington

4.53/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz single from Riley's, Batch 7061...an old favorite

appearance: for the style, this is perfection...Bell's stouts are all beautiful looking beers. this pours near black, with dark brown highlights...a beautiful and thick tan/khaki head with rim lacing

smell: coffee, sweet dark chocolate, toast malts...quite heavy on the espresso...incredibly impressive

taste: God, this stuff is even better than I remembered. This stuff is by far the cream of the milk/sweet stout class. Beautiful smooth dark chocolate on the tongue, nice coffee/espresso roastiness, some fresh hops, some dark fruit, some nice oats...just wonderful

mouthfeel: super creamy, medium bodied

drinkability: incredible

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2005 00:57:45 | More by dirtylou

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle(room temp) a pitch black with a medium sized head of foam that dissipated slowly.

The smell is all roasty and malty sweet. Nice.

The taste is yummy.... Great roastiness up front offset by a sweet malty, almost chocolate milky flavour that has me saying, Milk stouts are good. :^)

Bottom line: This is quite the different stout and one I favour...I recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2006 00:31:46 | More by Bitterbill

cokes

Wisconsin

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

Blackish, skirted by ruby but never losing its menace nor its depth.

The head is brown.

Nose of coffee shops, bakeries, and auto garages.

Begins with a greasy roastedness, leading into peanut butter. Hugely yeasty with bread hues that range from rye to sourdough. Dries out and become increasingly dirty and gritty. Charcoal. Mud. Soiled, charred wood. Coffee reforms at the end, doused with liberal cream. Hopping is insignificant.

Near full-bodied and coating. Limited carbonation.

Nice.
Stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2004 07:39:03 | More by cokes

Tone

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark black. 1/4 inch head with slight retention and lsight lacing. Smells of a dark rich malt and sweetness. Fits the style of a Milk/Sweet Stout. Mouth feel is sharp and slighty thick. There's a high carbonation level and an associated bitterness. Tastes very rich, of a strong malt, some roasted malt as well, and there's a slight hop bitterness. Overall, a very good rich stout - definitely couldn't drink more than a couple of these.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2009 18:31:45 | More by Tone

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.48/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I'm astounded at the fact that I haven't reviewed this yet. Bottled 28th October 2011

Pouring black with dark brown highlights, this beer is capped with a creamy brown head with great retention and some lacing. The nose is pretty excellent. An excellent blend of roast, dark chocolate syrup, a blend of grainy bitterness and licorice, this is pretty excellent. Lactose sweetness is also present, as is some molasses. Exceptional balance IMO.

The palate opens with a wonderful blend of licorice, dark chocolate and an aggressive yet restrained roast. Fruity mid-palate with some dried figs, along with an excellent creaminess. Dries up on the finish with a rather exceptional balance of roast, licorice, dark chocolate and just enough sweetness to balance them all out, this is really nice. Medium-light in body with moderate but creamy carbonation, this feels really really good on the palate. Among the best stouts there is, highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 02:10:59 | More by DefenCorps

twiggamortis420

Texas

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

Black as night. Rich tan head that fades rapidly but leaves a nice clingy collar.

Sweet chocolate dominates the nose. I think I smell the licorice, but that could be in my head after reading the label. Rich maltyness and hints of honey are also evident in the smell.

Taste is much more complex as espresso nutty notes, subtle hops and toffee flavors blend nicely with the ever present chocolate/cocoa character. Sweetness and licorice flavors come out to play as the beer warms up a bit. Bitter, dry finish.

Overall, a pretty good stout with some complexity and uniqueness. I would definitely buy this again!

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2008 04:48:02 | More by twiggamortis420

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint. 6.0% ABV, Batch #9801 (July 4, 2010).

I know I got a bottle from Gormanb (thank you!) but I'm also pretty sure the other bottle I have I either bought or got from sweemzander. Then again, he shares enough beer anyway, so thanks Sweem!

A - The tall and quiet pour shows it's viscosity as does the light-engulfing black color. A dense one-finger tan head rests on top gently and settles to a wispy layer with thick lace clinging to the glass.

S - Dusty, dry cocoa is sprinkled lightly over the top of some bittersweet chocolate chunks. Predominantly roasted malt but not bitter or harsh. Smooth, robust nose. A faint hop aroma gives it a good balance.

T - And...I was wrong. Dry, dusty cocoa is all over the tongue with an equally bold, cold coffee bitterness. Very roasted.

M - Smooth as can be and thick and rich but interestingly enough, carbonation also dances all over the tongue if you let it rest in your mouth momentarily. Full-bodied and destructive to the tongue, not only with the carbonation, but also with the very dry bitterness on the finish.

D - Very good across the board but just a little to roasted for me, the finish has a bit of brutality to it. One is enough to damage the tongue from sampling another beer. Great stout though.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 12:25:44 | More by BeerFMAndy

francisweizen

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First of all, thanks to Sakaroo for the sample. This beer is simply brtilliant. After my first few encounters with this style, I thought I did not like this stlye at all...BOY! was i wrong! This beer pours a dark black colour, as dark as night, with a nice frothy white head on top of the liquid. This beer has wonderful aromas of bitter chocolate, dark fruits, malts, roasted tones, and even caramel. This reminds me of a beer version of a starbucks caramel frappucino!!! This beer tastes like it smells which is an absolutlely wonderful thing. The mouthfeel is just right: not too thick, not too thin, making this a very drinkable session stout.
This brewery rocks!
I need more of there beers...help me!
cheers!,
F.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2003 06:41:12 | More by francisweizen

nickfl

Florida

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - One and a half fingers of dark brown head on top of an opaque, black body. The head settles pretty quickly, but leaves good lace behind.

S - Strong dark chocolate and coffee aromas backed up by caramel malt.

T - Lots of nutty chocolate up front followed by mild, smooth sweetness. Roasty flavors come to the front in the finish along with mild malt bitterness.

M - Moderately thick body and medium-low carbonation, with a sweet finish.

D - An enjoyable and reasonably complex beer. Pretty drinkable, but with this level of sweetness I wouldn't want more than one. The chocolate notes in the flavor and aroma are particularly nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2008 05:34:50 | More by nickfl

tpd975

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Deep black in color with a nice espresso head that fades to a nice ring atop the glass.

S: Nice malty brew. There are definite Coffee, Chocolate, and Caramel aromas here.

T: I like this one, not the best of the Bell's bunch but good nonetheless. Has a nice smokiness to it. I can taste hazelnuts, chocolate, dark roasted coffee, and charcoal.

M: It's an easy drinker. Medium in body, but goes down ever so smooth.

D: This beer is very sessionable for a stout. I could drink it morning, noon, or night.

Overall: Good brew. I like some of Bell's other stouts better, but this is the only one currently available in Florida. It's an easy drinking stout that I can get my hands on which scores it extra points. It is complex in taste and I love the added smoke in there. There is no easier drinking stout around. Bell's in my opinion is one of the top 5 brewers around and this is one of the reasons why. Please I am begging you bring your entire line to the sunshine state.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2007 19:04:58 | More by tpd975

smakawhat

Maryland

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

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

Big three to four finger light cocoa brown head with good retention, nice cap on this. Body is dark walnut brown with just a hint of red. A little soapy but manages a nice ice cream chunk while drinking.

Smell is a good mix of first chocolate then roast coffee. Good and simple, real solid. Chewy grain texture.

Taste is slight prickly licorice, and milk chocolate ovaltine finish. Just right on the wetness scale it seems, so easy drinking.

Overall solid good light stout, very nice and enjoyable easy drinking, good flavor and feel.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 21:31:43 | More by smakawhat

FosterJM

California

3.58/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

894th Review on BA
Bottle to Snifter
12 oz

2011 Bottle

App- A very deep rich brown with garnet edges. A nice fizzy 1-1/2 finger fast receding khaki colored head. Very little in way of cling or lace.

Smell- Roast, Soy, Chocolate, Nuts. A lot crammed into a little bottle and a bit boozy.

Taste- A nice bit of that licorice flavor with a little burnt malt and some dark chocolate. A little grainular but still pretty tasty.

Mouth- A bubbly spritzy medium body with a paired fizzy carbonation level.

Drink- I like the use of the licorice in this bottle the format works well as I don't think I could do a whole bomber or 750 of this stout.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 02:57:50 | More by FosterJM

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a pint glass, the beer pours dark, dark brown with some reddish tints when held up to the light. There's also about an inch creamy tan head, and a lot of lacing remains on the glass. It smells like roasted malt, semi-sweet chocolate, caramel and some coffee. It tastes like dark chocolate and a bit of coffee, and there's a good roasted flavor too. The start is a little bitter, then the sweetness hits and then finishes bitter again with a lingering bitter aftertaste. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, with a good body to it. The Kalamazoo Stout is a very good beer, I'd definitely buy more of this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2006 22:39:43 | More by bluejacket74

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.63/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed on 5/16/08. Bottle. Pours black with a beautiful dark brown head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma and flavor strongly of coffee, some roast, and chocolate. The palate was a little thin despite the big flavors in the beer. Some sweet richness in the finish, but not enough. The palate gets weaker as you continue to drink. This is just a weaker version of Expedition. It is good, but I am shocked that it is the #3 stout, as I would rate many other stouts over it.
8/5/7/3/14 (3.7/5)

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2008 02:56:45 | More by LilBeerDoctor

dgilks

Australia

2.85/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Very dark brown with a slightly orange highlight. Small tan head. Poor head retention.

Earthy with a spritzy, spicy alcohol note. For me there is a fair amount of sweet, fusel alcohols here. Not great.

Sweet malt with a touch of chocolate. Fusel alcohols. Not good.

Medium-thin body with moderate carbonation. Okay.

For me there is something wrong here. The alcohol note is slightly acetone like and fusel-y. Further, the malt character doesn't have the chocolately, coffee, roasty note expected of the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 05:10:09 | More by dgilks

hopdog

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle.

Poured a dark black color with an averaged sized brown head. Aromas of chocolate, coffee and roasted malts. Tastes of roastiness, chocolate, and coffee I loved the chocolate presence in this one. Nice bitterness in the finish.

Notes from 7/18/05

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2008 20:47:18 | More by hopdog

AgentZero

Illinois

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

A - Black beer with a chocolate colored head that sat around for a little bit.

S - Chocolate, roast, cream, and a nice bit of roasted character. Little bit of molasses. Nice.

T - Taste is appropriately creamy with some good roast and burnt malts. Chocolate and coffee are appropriately bitter and not overly sweet. Out of all the beers I had at Bell's this day, this was one of the better ones.

M - Creamy, full bodied, good carbonation.

O - A pretty good beer, one of my favorite Bell's beers, and worth having again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2011 23:51:30 | More by AgentZero

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

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

355ml bottle poured into tulip 29/7/12

A not quite jet black with a large loose mocha head that retains very well and leaves several partial rings of lace

S fruity coco, faint smoke, nutty toffee and some faint molasses and chocolate covered raisins

T some coffee and char on top of what I smell, tastes great with more dark roasty complexity, for a 6%er its chalk full of flavor

M medium bodied, slightly creamy from the bubbles, long lingering aftertaste of burnt malt

O solid beer for sure, very dark roast, great taste and no issues in any other department

I'd be drinking this on a regular basis if it was available in my part of the world. went down easy even on a hot summer evening

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 03:32:20 | More by wordemupg

Brent

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another obsidian black brew from this brewery. Delightful softly sweet chocolate malt aroma. Smooth roasted malt flavor that finishes with a distinct coffee aromatic aftertaste. Light hopping shows up primarily in a slow, bitter finish at the back of the tongue. Overall, the body is fairly light, making this stout quite enjoyable even though it is not the dead of winter.
But who is this guy depicted in the etching portrait on the label? Bald but for unkempt hair on the sides and a wild beard. He seems to scowl - as though to say to a sales clerk: "What do you mean, out of stout? This can not be!"

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2003 06:58:31 | More by Brent

blackie

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

appearance: The pour creates a low beige head. The beer is very dark in color, with only a little brown light escaping from the edges of the vessel.

smell: Smells delicious. There's an interplay of roasted (coffee), smoky, chocolate, and dark sugar aromas that is satisfyingly complex. The aroma is not overly sweet, but just right. A light but obvious hop aroma is also found.

mouthfeel: The carbonation is medium, and the body is on the lighter side of the heavy range.

taste: A sweet chocolatiness dominates the flavor, but right behind it are plenty of roasted, smoky flavors to keep it interesting. Slight hop bitterness cleans up a little of the sweetness.

drinkability: A good beer, and too easy to drink.

Received a bottle from CRJMellor as part of SS '05. The batch ID# 7061 printed on the reverse lable indicates a bottling date of (not found in database).

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2006 04:41:05 | More by blackie

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

alexgash

Connecticut

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

This may be my 50th bottle of Kalamazoo Stout, but this is the first time I have sat down to review it formally. Inky dark brown to almost black, as always, with a thick, yet soft looking, cocoa brown head. Nose is chocolate powder, dark-roasted coffee, a little molasses, a hint of tobacco and vanilla, and an herbal hop edge. Toasted, nutty bitterness up front. Slightly numbing herbal hops in the background, with sweetening dark chocolate and earthy peat. Sugary mocha, with extra shots of espresso and caramel try to nullify the roasted herbal bitterness. Finish is long and chocolatey. Full-body for the strength, with a spritzy, bottle-conditioned feel. Excellent, as always. Here’s to the next 50!

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2006 18:14:51 | More by alexgash

GClarkage

California

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

04/18/05- Received as a gift from BA member Spinlock.

Presentation- 12oz bottle with no dates. Poured into my Reaper pint glass.

Appearance- Fairly black in color with a nice 1/2 inch head and average lacing.

Smell- Nice and sweet with a bit of roasted scent.

Taste- Yummy sweetness with a nice chocolate kick. Maybe a tiny bit of coffee and nicely rounded malt texture.

Mouthfeel- Mouthcoating chocolate as it warms. Lower carbonation.

Drinkability- One of the best stouts I have had. Creeping fairly close to Stone IRS. Wish I had easy access to these. I've been damn lucky with stouts and porters as of recent.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2005 03:42:42 | More by GClarkage

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours pitch black with lots of lace and a head that lasts all the way down. Very roasty, malty, dark fruit, coffee, cocoa aroma. Flavor is the same but much more intense. Carbonation is spot on. Finish is actually better than the taste. Gets rid of the dark fruit thing. Not into that so much. Solid stout character.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2007 01:53:48 | More by drpimento

tdm168

North Carolina

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

Pours pitch black with 1/4" of cappuccino head that has good retention. The nose has notes of roasted malts, coffee, and a hint of chocolate. The taste is smooth, rich roasted malts, mellow coffee, and faint chocolate in the finish. There are some faint hops in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, smooth, and well carbonated.

This is a solid stout. It's fairly simple and to the point, but the simplicity works here. I've had this one several times and will probably have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 21:11:07 | More by tdm168