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

Budlum

Maryland

4.85/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This stout pours very thick, nearing a maple syrup texture. A tall, dense, deep brown head forms while pouring. The body of this stout is dense and about as black as it gets. Head retention is excellent. This is what premium stout look like.

A short burst of sharp, roasted barley flavors hit the nose before a sweet rush takes over. Smells of licorice, tobacco, brown sugar, prunes, nutmeg, hops and espresso appear in a complete display of power. Alcohol is notable on the nose but it provides just enough strength to tingle the nose without overpowering the senses. Excellent all around.

A sweet rush of chocolate, espresso and candied sugars lead the flavors of this beer with authority. A blend of dark fruits and faint spices are joined by a powerful, charred and roasted barley flavor backed by a strong hop presence. An alcohol presence is provided by a mild burn. The finish is long, epic actually. The strong hop flavors and charred barley mixed with pipe tobacco seem to hold forever. This is a top notch stout.

The mouthfeel is very luxurious and the body is quite thick. Mild carbonation is present but this beer is just a little too oily to be perfect. Overall, the mouthfeel is still supreme.

Drinkability is very good for a stout with this level of flavor. The strong flavors and long finish should make this a slow sipper but this beer just disappears from the glass. If you find this beer, buy a lot.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2007 01:08:01 | More by Budlum

timbro81

Oklahoma

4.85/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours out like used motor oil. <goosebumps> Massive fluffy dark tan head that clinges to the glass as it travels down the glass. Smells of deep dark chocolate followed by a good does of bitter hops for balance. Feels super silky in the mouth, like a melted chocolate bar, wow! Starts out chocolatey that turns into deep roasted malt flavors which then magically transition to a nice hop bitterness. A slight smokiness to it mixed in there too. Aftertaste is slightly boozey. I want to drink this beer till my ears bleed.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2008 06:26:53 | More by timbro81

CDBeerDisappear

Ohio

4.85/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours black, almost completely opaque, with a tan foamy head and great retention. The draft is very similar to the bottled, so, if you can only get the bottled, don't feel like you are missing anything. Aroma of sweet dark fruit, prunes raisins, currants and chocolate – smells delicious. Plus, the taste delivers what the aroma promises. Sweet but not too sweet, mouthfeel is full and rich, carbonation is rather light. Great drinkability. How could anyone not like this beer?

I think Jason and Todd got an out of date sample of this beer because it really is great. Bell's is a great brewery (you know that) and this is a great beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2008 23:42:22 | More by CDBeerDisappear

kzoobrew

Michigan

4.85/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle batch 8183 bottled October 07.

Pours like used motor oil. This stuff is thick and black. Very little head, cap may be a better term. A small mocha colored cap vanishes quickly.

Smell, like the rest of this brew, is big. Big roasted malt, coffee and molasses. Faint chocolate aroma sneaks through but it overwhelmed by the stronger scents.

The is a sweetness to this brew, blends well with the roasted malt. A slightly burnt coffee and dark chocolate taste tie in very well.

Mouthfeel is big but exceptionally smooth for the abv. Heavy slightly oily finish. Almost creamy.

Beers this big are not something to sit down with a sixer of. But for what it is, I can drink the hell out of it.

Growing up in Kalamazoo, Bell's has always been a favorite of mine. Expedition has always been slightly feared, too big, too much like motor oil. It is a big beer which does require a more experienced palate. First time I have had this brew in years, absolutely fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2008 02:23:06 | More by kzoobrew

divecj5

South Carolina

4.85/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a nice molten black with a minimal amount of tan head. Very little lacing as a result. Great aroma with great roasted and smokey tones. Incredibly smooth on the palate. Complex character that has hints of chocolate, very little bitterness, and doesn't leave your mouth feeling dry as saw dust like a lot of other heavy, imperial stouts. Definitely a beer to sit back and savor.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2009 15:02:20 | More by divecj5

Greencoat

Ohio

4.85/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Re-review. I found a six pack of 5 year old Expedition Stout on the shelves of a tiny deli. No regrets.

A - Motor oil pour with a chocolate milk colored head. Slight legs on the glass. Absolutely gorgeous.

S - A world of difference from a fresh bottle. All alcoholic heat is muted, and instead milk chocolate, molasses, and fig dominate. Wonderful sherry notes that are only achievable with age.

T - Holy moly. The taste follows the nose. The tannic, angular bitterness from the fresh bottle is nowhere to be found. Everything has been brought together in a glorious state of absolution. Bravo.

M - Chewier than a wookie. Alcoholic burn is non-existent. Extremely creamy.

O - I don't alway rate beers absurdly high, but when I do - they deserve it. Apparently 5 years of being ignored does this ale great justice. Now if I can make it to 10...

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 06:52:35 | More by Greencoat

watsonmd

Georgia

4.84/5  rDev +15%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: black, thick, dark brown tight bubbled head.

S: toffe, coffee, oak, stone fruit

T: upfront roasty malt, coffee and chocolate, with a "cough syrupy" after taste on the first sip, but not so much after that. Perhaps the ABV?

M: Thick, syrupy, smooth and creamy.

O: Excellent. Not a Black Note, but still an excellent Bell's!

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 17:39:22 | More by watsonmd

StevieW

Florida

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle. Nothing on the opening, not even a whisper. I've heard the reports, read the reviews about the lack of carbonation, is it flat ? is it made that way ? That's subject to debate I guess. But, it doesn't bother me.
Murky darker than the inside of a stovepipe. Thick and dense. Flat, viscous, full fledged motor oil viscosity. Slick is an understatement. Nearly molasses like, much like Utopias MII without the maple syrup and vanilla, or the alcohol burn. A few bubbles cling together on the side of glass, like the Chess team at the homecoming dance, they never make it alone, nor do they create any action. Smell is an earthy full combination of burnt fruits, figs, plums, and maybe some carmel apples. Initial taste is full of roasted bitter malt. Bitterness, beyond regular coffee, this is burnt espresso, the Starbucks guy run amok.
Hints of chocolate malt, extremely smooth. Some hops whisper by, lots of them, cascade, who knows, theres a bunch. Then after the flavors slip a highly charged shot of hop bitterness. Striking, and attacks the inside of the mouth, puckering.
Flat, lifeless carbonation, any glass swills yeild only the smallest, individual bubbles. High alcohol leaves no trace either feel or taste wise. Just a sublte belly warming comfort it. Slick, with a resiny hop induced, Celebration Ale stickiness to it. The ultimate experience beer, or after dinner beer. I almost want to visit the North again in the winter to truly experience this one. Maybe not, I'll just turn the AC down low and enjoy this one.
What an experience...again earns my highest compliment......Magic in a glass !

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2003 18:44:18 | More by StevieW

Px2GrafX

Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

presentation: 12oz. bottle with a simple cream colored label with blue borders. the bell's logo heads the top of the label. below the logo is an illustration of a styalized map symbol. on the back of the bottle is bell's interpretation of their ris.

appearance: pours a jet black with a very dark brown 1 inch head into a snifter glass. nice rolling head to start that quickly dropped to a thin patchy cap after a couple of minutes. excellent lacing down the glass.

smell: rediculously strong sweet chocolate aroma. there is also molasses, currants, espresso and plums. one of the most aromatic brews i've ever experienced.

taste: chocolate mocha espresso. burnt mollasses and dark fruit. plums, prunes, raisins and currants. extremely flavorful malts. very dessert-like and warming, right down to the ever-so light hop bitter finish. aftertaste is bitter-sweet dark chocolate and burnt malts.

mouthfeel: so thick, creamy and chewey. heavy body. beautifully smooth. i love it. carbonation is a tad light. only thing keeping it from getting a 5.

drinkability: man, the drinkability is good considering. 11% abv, and super thick. but the flavors and aromas tempt you during every pause between sips. very intoxicating, however.

overall: the best beer i've had to date. near perfect on almost every cylinder. i love north coast's old rasputin, and stone's ris, but this beer has just a couple more qualities that i enjoy. i can't imagine this getting much better, but i'm laying down a couple just to see. highly recommended. i have received this from patyoda and skyhand, so a huge thanks goes out to both.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2005 05:15:12 | More by Px2GrafX

nriech

Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Thick, completely black, little bit of med brown head. If there were any bubbles there, they were eaten by the thickness of this brew.

Smell: Dark fruits, heavily roasted malts, a bit of hops and vanilla. Alcohol is present in the smell along with some sweetness. Very nice.

Taste: Shamalamadingdong, this is truly an awesome beer! Dark semi-sweet chocolate mixed with rasins and hop then meld with hops and a nice warming of the palate from the alcohol. Coffee seems to linger later as the warming continues. Almost like one of those fancy coffee cordials, but without all the sugar. Not quite like and RIS I have had before.

Mouthfeel: Very sticky. I could see this being very harsh to the light beer drinkers. Unless you like your beer to hang out and have a party in your mouth for a while, steer away from this one. I liked it though!

Drinkability: Only one for a night is all I need. Maybe one a week would be about right. Any more and you might ruin your pallate. Very assaulting but in a good way. Will keep me coming back for more.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2007 19:45:06 | More by nriech

daaru

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

this is a monstrous stout. monstrously good, that is--almost selling me on the $12.99/6 pk price. almost. pours dark, dark, dark, with a thin amber head. wonderful fruity nose, and once it gets on the palate it just keeps going and going and going. plum, chocolate, leather, blackberries. wonderful mouthfeel, and at 10.5% alcohol, dangerously drinkable. get some tonight.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2008 17:29:30 | More by daaru

dogfishlove120

Connecticut

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours black with a burnt sugar caramel colored head. Smells raisin and plum mixed with alcohol. Taste is bitter chocolate, burnt sugar,alcohol and cofee, hints of raisin also apparent. The alcohol in this imp undoubtedly wishes to make its presence noted. A fine Imperial stout and a new top 10 for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2008 23:52:45 | More by dogfishlove120

turnblom79

Indiana

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

One of my first forays in to RIS as a newbie to crafts trying to develop my palate. I was that this beer was good enough to pour over ice cream because of its chocolate and coffee tones, and I was not let down. Excellent stout, great rich flavor. The texture was slightly syrupy and felt very pleasant. Looking forward to more from Bells.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2009 05:21:58 | More by turnblom79

elgiacomo

Georgia

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12oz bottle, batch 9459, bottled Nov 19, 2009. Over a year old. Served cellar temp in a New Belgium globe/snifter. I've enjoyed this a few times in its youth but wanted to wait to review til it was over a year old.

Pours black with a two finger brown head that leaves some pretty lacing and holds a small cap.

Aroma is rich roasted malts, chocolate, anise, coffee, vanilla, dark fruits of plums, figs, cherries, and raisins, some alcohol. Great strength.

Flavor is also very rich much like the aroma with chocolate, coffee, dark roasted malts, cherries, plums, figs, raisins, vanilla, there is still a noticeable alcohol bite/burn which is to be expected for the ABV but I thought it would have diminished more over a year's time. Still, can't really fault a big Imperial Stout for being a touch hot.

Mouthfeel is full, creamy, medium carbonation.

A world-class Imperial Stout for sure, so very rich and decadent. Can't wait to try some of the 2010 batch.

EDIT: By FAR my favorite non-barrel aged Imperial Stout. Just can't get enough of this magical brew. Numerous batches, numerous years at a variety of ages and they're all fantastic in their own way. Age certainly benefits this one as well and I can't wait to try some extended aging well beyond 2 years on this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 04:08:11 | More by elgiacomo

Avagadro

New Jersey

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Pours with the same consistency as motor oil into my CCB snifter. Its ominous viscosity is matched by this brew's black body. It's head is fleeting, but is of a chocolate color.

S: Deep notes of molasses, licorice, and chocolate are upfront and well balanced. No one aroma pushes the other out of the way; they simply jive together.

T: Big, rich, and delicious. This brew is semi-sweet, with bold molasses, bitter espresso, and black chocolate in the forefront. As the initial blast of flavor fades, subtle flavors of creme brulee and dulce de leche occupy the palate until you are ready for another onslaught of flavor.

M: Fuller-than-full body, chewy texture, sticky finish, and little in the way of CO2.

O: How it has taken me this long to review one of my favorite RISs, I cannot say. This is easily one of the most underrated examples of the style. Is it because it is too available, too commonplace? This brew is as delicious as many of the sought-after rarities, but doesn't get the credit. All I have to say is that this is a damn fine beer, and, Jason, shame on you.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2011 23:53:08 | More by Avagadro

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Surly Darkness chalice. 2011 Bottle with a date of 11/01/11.

Appearance: Pours dark black with no other noticeable colors. Decent three finger deep tan head that slowly fades into a thin tan layer. Lots of lacing around the glass.

Smell: Big dark aroma of roasted caramel and toffee malts. Lots of chocolate with some hints of coffee, vanilla, and creamy milk. Also some dark fruity raisins and figs. Some hints of molasses and syrup. Smells very rich and creamy.

Taste: Like the smell leads, a big roasty chocolate filled taste. Dark roasted caramel and toffee malts with a bready toast taste that lingers in the finish. Lots of chocolate with notes of coffee, cream, milk, and vanilla. Some good hints of dark fruits including raisins, figs, and dark cherry. Also a little molasses and sugary syrup. Some earthy hops in the finish. Very tasty.

Mouthfeel: Thick and full bodied with a lower level of carbonation. Sticky and creamy. A little alcohol heat but still fairly smooth.

Overall: A great stout. One of the better Russian Imperial Stouts out there. Tastes great fresh to me. It will be interesting to see what some age will do.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 07:58:02 | More by MattyG85

proc

Michigan

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Re-rate 1/15/03: What an intense beer. It breaks all rules and it will break your spirit if you aren't ready for it. Pours out to the darkest of dark. Picture being in a pitch black room with no lights. No head to speak of visible. Initial aroma is that of fruit, coffee and molasses. Taste is a veritable explosion starting with plums and raisins and ending with a wonderful hop bite. A beer to sip and enjoy not pound. A beer for serious beer drinkers who have developed thier palates. Excellent.

Original Rating 4/3/02: Out-freakin' standing. Wonderful beer. Dark as the darkest night, with an alcohol presence that lets you know you are going to be warmed up. Very full flavored, with malt that creeps up on you as the beer warms in the glass to the point that you sit back and say..."Wow". Not a beer that you just open and throw back, but one in which you chill out and enjoy. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2002 09:23:04 | More by proc

aaronh

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

After several beer expeditions over the previous few months, the time has come for an Expedition beer. Once it is time to embark, I remove the beer from the fridge. I gradually leverage the bottle cap open. It turns over with little protest, yet seems strangely silent. As I gradually start the pour, something seems amiss. I push the accelerator and roughly finish the pour. Oh no! Do I have a flat?! Something's not right! I stop, and gaze at the level of liquid in the glass. A fine bead of bubbles rings the glass, as a few larger bubbles surface on one side. I tentatively raise the glass and give it a slight swirl. A small ring of very fine carbonation surfaces. Phew! Maybe a little low on air, but not a flat. Probably due to the cooler temperatures at the start of the trip. I decide it's time to move on.

As I settle in for the journey, I roll down the windows a bit to partake of the wonderful scents of nature. Black chocolate, plums, molasses, and toasted marshmallows are on the breeze. Did someone have a campfire with smores nearby? Then I notice a hint of alcohol in the air as well. Maybe it’s just me; I’ve been known to think of alcohol of all sorts, and at the strangest times.
As I travel to an unknown place (as most of my expeditions start), I take a look in my stash to see what there might be to eat. Ahh, one of my favorites, dark chocolate. Mmmmmm. I love these treats that are chewy with all kinds of taste! That smoky roasted marshmallow pops back into my mind again, so I reach back into the bag to find all kinds of dark, ripe fruits.

After a while, I feel a need for a bit more sustenance. I take a big bite, and discover a bit of bitter spices in a thick molasses and chocolate sauce. I take a sip of coffee with a bit of whiskey to wash it down. Who put this sweet cream in my coffee! I can tell it's there by the way it coats my throat and has that silky feel to it.
I've gotten so wrapped up in all the different taste experiences on this expedition that I've forgotten where I'm going! Oh well, I don't mind. I'll make this a long trip, because who knows when I'll get another? But I could definitely take another one of these any time. What a great trip this is! Thanks to cretemixer for supplying the compass. This Expedition won't steer you wrong, although you may find yourself a bit lost. Lost to the world while you're enjoying the trip, and then again feeling lost when it's over, not knowing when you'll take another trip like this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2003 16:51:34 | More by aaronh

granger10

Wisconsin

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I dont see how it could get any better than this one! Amazing, a stout lovers wet dream. Very dark, very thick, very heavy to drink. Sweet malt flavors of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and thick fudge come to mind while drinking this however it is balanced out by a big bite of hop bitterness. One of my favorite beers of all time!

edit: This year's batch is well carbonated and has a beautiful head! The flavors are even better, all BA's need to get a sixer of the 03 es.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2003 04:50:22 | More by granger10

GreatPondBrewer

Oregon

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This beer could be the be all end all for me. A huge thanks goes out to nomad for this one.

Poured the viscous black of some place in the heavens where starlight has never penetrated. Pearched atop what I could only call dark matter was a regal crown the shade and consistancy of a coffee milkshake.

Smelled divine with rich notes of figs, other assorted dry fruits and port which morphed into rolling waves of brown sugar, massive esters and the darkest of dark chocolates.

Tasted something akin to the ambrosia of the Olympian gods. It started out with a rum soaked, chocolate covered cherry flavor, which moved seamlessly into a deep roasty espresso vying for time with bitter grains and slight resinous hops. As it moved back down my throat it changed once again to more bitter chocolate notes and a dry smokey finish. Only in the back of my mind did the alcohol ever even remotely show itself. The mouthfeel was the consistancy of carbonated motor oil.

Since it is 11.5% I had to drink this slow, which was fine with me as it gave me time to savor each and every sip. This is a beer to take in on a cold winters night in front of a fire with one or two close friends and a fine conversation. Thanks damon this made my week

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2004 18:06:29 | More by GreatPondBrewer

TastyTaste

Minnesota

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slick motor oil jet black into a Schell's snifter. Smells richly of black coffee and bitter chocolate. Alcohol is present but not prevelent. Taste is full of rich coffee and dark chocolate flavors. The taste is excellent, however, not acidic, whatsoever. Hops bitterness combined with the high ABV makes this awesome beer what it is. Probably the best Imp Stout I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2004 19:40:15 | More by TastyTaste

mntlover

Tennessee

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a black on black with a dark tan head that falls to a ring with clumps of foam floating in the middle, some light spotty lace not bad for 11.5% brew.
Aroma is lots roasted malt nutty chocolate mixed with nice expresso and citrus grassy mix of hops brought forth by light alcohol presence.
Taste is creamy and dreamy chocolate mixed with some nuts that lasts for a while, Then some bitter coffee like flavors appear and hops pick up on them and add there own bitterness to the coffee and intensify then drop off. Finish is lightly hoppy and sweet at the same time, chocolate flavors reappear at the end. This is a very complex very nice Impy Stout. No real alcohol in the taste, except for hints in the finish, but it does warm the body.
Mouthfeel is very full, creamy very nice, almost think you could cut out chunks with a knife.
Drinkability is great goes down quick for a big beer finished by the time it took to type down my thoughts. This will be on my list of beers to pick up when I make to a store up north. Very grateful to merlin48 for the chance to sample this masterpiece, one of many great brews he has provided me with.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2004 17:52:15 | More by mntlover

BeerFink

Ohio

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Once liberated from the bottle, this stout sits black as a moonless night with a very thin brown head. Aroma has good strength, with smells of coffee, chocolate and malt. I also catch a whiff of raisins and caramel. Delightfully thick mouthfeel coats your mouth like cough syrup, and low carbonation does not offer much relief. Quite the big stout feeling - you almost have to chew it. The blend of malts is wonderful - slighty smokey roasted malts are huge in the beginning. Then you notice the dark fruits, I'm thinking cherry and raisin. Then come the glorious hops. Delightfully bitter citrous taste finishes as the stout coats your throat. The aftertaste is a damn near perfect blend of roasted malt and citrous hops, heightened by a warming alcohol taste. Possibly my favorite RIS now. Highly recommended for lovers of this style, but beware, this is one huge stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2005 22:26:41 | More by BeerFink

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Original review 5/27/03
Raising the bar (imo) on what a perfect representation of the style ought to be. In all fairness, I almost need to go back through my reviews and adjust any other stout ratings using this beer as the standard. Whew, what a sampling this turned out to be.

Pours a brownish-black with a mocha-brown head, very sticky creamy lace that ain't goin' nowhere! The aroma nearly qualifies as tasting it, it's that intense. Sweet espresso, heavily roasted malts, you can smell that much without trying. The look and smell absolutely give away what you're about to experience, no punches pulled.

The taste is Jurassic, nothing less. Huge, bold, dark roasted malts and espresso, coated with a sweet syrupiness. The taste kind of evolves into a bitter chocolate and charcoal finish completely off the scale.

The beer coats the mouth and is in no hurry to clear out. You can just sit and savor for a minute between each sip. High alcohol, for sure, but you won't need many of these to make it through the night.

I split one of these 3 ways, if I have one just to myself it will take an hour or more, there's just so much flavor, you dare not rush it and short circuit any taste along the way. Thank you, Kalamazoo!

***
Aged another 2 1/2 years to see what happens...

Appearance - pours an inky black with a trace of coca cola brown/red at the bottom edge of the glass. Very thick dark mocha bubbles form up a half-finger or so cap, receding to a thin but solid cover. Hasn't lost a step. 5.0

Aroma - the sweet roastiness, the syrupy coffee and espresso and bitter chocolate, what a great aroma. 5.0

Taste - heavy, charred malts, sweetness and bitter espresso bean. A touch of soy somewhere from mid-palate to swallow, followed by much charcoal and some late hop bitterness. The end tries to regain a little of the sweetness but the bolder side has stepped it up through the rest period and doesn't allow it to develop. Some fleeting bittersweet chocolate as the flavors dissipate, which takes a bit. Very late warming alcohol, often only felt down in the belly. Perhaps experience has tempered my palate or my tastes aren't quite as impressed or maybe the beer's best has waned, I don't know. It's not as memorable but for the smoky, burnt stout lovers out there, give this a shot after two to three years. 4.0

Mouthfeel - incredibly thick, the carbonation has held up well. It's still huge. 5.0

Drinkability - at this point, this is a tasty beer but not one I'd age again. 4.0

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2006 04:29:13 | More by brewdlyhooked13

badbeer

Iowa

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Very dark brown, almost black, pretty thick tan head leaving waves, yes waves of lacing on the glass. Chocolate aroma, only a faint coffee smell and a little bit of alcohol in the nose; a little more coffee roasted flavor and this would have had a five. Chocolate starts you off, leading you into a bit of coffee flavor mixed with some hopiness, then chocolate and coffee paired together with an alcohol warmth at the finish. A complete joyride the taste is. Thick, full bodied, little carbonation and seems to be perfect. Each drink is great and an all out experience of the senses, just a little short of perfect. With reviews varying in quality levels, I'm glad I picked up a good one. Scratch that, great one.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2006 06:31:52 | More by badbeer