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

martyl1000

Wisconsin

4.7/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I seriously have to upgrade my previous 3.75 rating from last summer. Perhaps that bottle at the Come Back In (Madison) last June was oxidized and old. Even more likely, I simply drank it too cold. Whatever the case, the specimen I'm now this moment holding in my hand is fabulous.

The aroma is still remarkably weak. All I get in the nose is a woody alcohol. I mean it. But the flavor, wow, that's a different story. Incredibly complex. The flavors oscillate between bitter and sweet: burnt coffee and milk chocolate, black licorice and caramel, honey-baked ham and broken raisin. Wait, that last pair are both sweet.

A fullish-bodied, slick-viscous texture like warm maple syrup. Yet that creaminess is leavened by a mild to moderate carbonation, even as the pour in this tulip glass has risen to room temperature.

Update: several hours later, I'm getting the aroma, now, from the mouth of the empty bottle. Orange peel, black pepper, black cherry juice, unripe tomato, and dopplebock malt.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 04:47:51 | More by martyl1000

sniper061

New York

4.7/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance-This beer is ridiculously dark. I held it to a light and nothing comes through. With that being said it has a wonderful thick brown head that seems to hold on forever.

Aroma-This beer is filled with rich roasted malt and chocolate with a finish of licorice and a bite of coffee.

Taste- This beer delivers everything the aroma offers and more. Roasted malt and chocolate form the base taste, with bitter spice and caramel blending in the middle. Finishes with a fairly strong and bitter coffee taste while holding onto the base flavors.

Mouthfeel-This beer is thick, but still incredibly smooth. Surprisingly drinkable considering the thickness of the brew along with the high abv

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 18:43:59 | More by sniper061

dbrauneis

New Jersey

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

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with some light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall dense and creamy mocha head that slowly reduces to a half finger thick layer covering the entire surface of the beer with a slightly thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of dark roasted malts, chocolate, dark fruits, licorice, coffee, and some hops.

T: Strong flavors of roasted malts with bittersweet chocolate, coffee, and dark fruit sweetness. Fairly strong flavors of hops that impart a moderate amount of lingering bitterness. Light to moderate flavors of alcohol in the finish.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Moderate amounts of alcohol heat in the finish.

O: I wish that the alcohol was a little more well hidden in this beer - there are some very nice aspects to this beer and it would likely mellow out a bit with age. Not the easiest beer to drink, definitely requires some slow sipping over quite a bit of time.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 23:00:58 | More by dbrauneis

Dave1999

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours pure black with a small tan head which lasts a little while.

The smell is sweet roasted malts, chocolate and coffee. It's a bit on the subtle side but nice none the less. Although as it warms up you get a definite whiff of alcohol.

The taste is milk chocolate up front and dark fruits with a bitter coffee taste at the end. The bitterness is quite harsh at the start but mellows as the beer warms up.

The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with low carbonation.

This is very tasty beer the mouthfeel is great and the chocolate taste is great, there's just a little too much bitterness. Although as the beer warms it tastes better and the bitterness dies down. You can't taste 10.5% abv at all.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 00:57:00 | More by Dave1999

Pinknuggets

Vermont

1.35/5  rDev -67.9%
look: 4 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Bottle to hfs sniffer

A: very dark basically black small thin mocha head that dispates quickly and stays in a thin ring

S: reaks of alcohol and rotting fruit like some sort of fig extremely off putting one of the worst smells for a beer I've seen

T: follows the nose with a weird taste that is really off putting could not finish

M:thin not smooth can't really stand to drink it

O:this is officially the worst is I have ever tasted total drain pour couldn't even get half way through I'm real disappointed I had bigger expectations from what is heard from bells

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 02:18:09 | More by Pinknuggets

4thelvofbeer

Virginia

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

It has been a while since I reviewed a beer, but wanted to review Expedition because I liked it so much and think that some recent reviews of it are (way, way) off base. Expedition is a very nice stout with a lot of flavor combos going on. Solid high marks across the board for this beer as one of my favorite winter seasonal stouts. Appearance and taste are all right on, deep black with a nice mocha head...love to look at this beer each time I pour one! Mouthfeel is truly smooth and I think they hint of bitterness is nice in this stout. Overall, one of my favorites from Bells.

I have about a case of this set aside and can't wait to continue drinking them over the next fews years....they should age great!

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 12:44:47 | More by 4thelvofbeer

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I wanted to like this beer, I really did but there really isn't much to get excited about. I don't get the hipe.
Pours thick and deeply brown with a desent size head which to it's credit is thick like a milk shake. The aroma is pretty much roasted malts deeply roasted at that. You get sutle hints of chocolate and coffee but you must dig for them.
Taste is like the nose well roasted or burnt malts with underlying alcohol.
Feels thick on the palette with a corse ashen feel. Finishes dry and bitter.
Lacks in depth of flavor and character.
I really don't think it's worthy of all the hipe and in fact think it's a violation.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 11:55:24 | More by micromaniac129

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-black with a nice dark tan head

S-really dark semi-sweet chocolate. reminds me of the little morsels. it has a decent strength. smells quite powerful.

T-comes in with a good and sweet taste of dark semi-sweet baking chocolate. its quite a warm taste. it tastes like a strong RIS. the after-taste is matching with just a slight grassiness and dark roasted aspect to it. it has a certain bitterness to it as well. a very thorough RIS, very representative of the style.

M-heavy body. medium creamy carbonation with a dry finish

O-this along with the Rasputin, i think, are the quintessential russian imperial stouts. they're full of a good strong dark roasted flavor, and they're not afraid to show some warmth along with bitterness. both are fairly slow drinkers, even for the style. even the 12 oz i wouldn't mind just sharing with a friend. i'd say this one is a bit more even, with a louder touch on the cocoa. definitely worth taking a snab, though there are many other stouts i'd much rather have. its a tough category though, so for the price...this isn't bad.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 01:41:33 | More by AdamBear

tdm168

North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - black and as thick as oil with a thick, short cap of brown head that sits atop this brew forever

S - licorice, dark fruit, coffee, roasted malts

T - big roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, faint dark fruit, very bitter

M - full bodied, warm, smooth, perfectly carbonated and oily

This is a really solid beer. The bitterness is a bit intense and detracts from the rest of the flavors. The overall flavor profile is impressive. Rich, chocolate, roasty, bitter coffee, underlying dark fruit -- really enjoyable. I would have this again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 01:25:18 | More by tdm168

DonDirkA

Arizona

4.68/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is my first Expedition in about 2 years and I remember it being one of the best stouts I've had so I'm excited. Pours pitch black with a rich, chocolate head that settles down to a cm or so and leaves a lot of lacing. The nose is so rich its crazy. Dark chocolate, coffee, booze, roast, slight char, a bit more chocolate, some prunes and a hint of raisins. The taste isn't as hot as I was expecting, though it does light a bit of a flame deep down in your gut. Booze, raw cocoa, coffee, prunes, dark fruit, brown sugar, molasses, chocolate, roasted malts and maybe some figs in the back. Its full bodied with a thick, chewy mouthfeel. This is exactly what the body and mouth of a stout should be. I am super excited to try one every year for the next 5 years. At least I know I'll have one cellared away for a cold night every winter until 2017.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 06:42:13 | More by DonDirkA

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

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

12oz bottle into a snifter

A: Pours pitch black with two fingers of the thickest tan head I've ever seen.

S: Roasted malts are most prominent in the aroma, but I get a nice amount of dark fruits just behind them - lots of prunes and raisins. I also get a good amount of malted milk balls and a bit of milk chocolate.

T: Roasted malts pair with a balanced milk and dark chocolate as well as some caramel sweetness. Everything is so well balanced together - the bitterness from the roasted malts and dark chocolate pair very well with the caramel and milk chocolate sweetness. Dark fruits add some complexity in the background.

M: Medium to thick body with very creamy carbonation.

O: So complex, so well balanced. This is a great Russian Imperial Stout. I get all the flavors I want melded together into one of the best stouts I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 04:24:02 | More by coreyfmcdonald

andrewjraab

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - BLACK velvet, and syrupy. This is dark as night and has a nice brown head that quickly settles but maintains a small ring throughout.

S - Coffee, caramel, vanilla. Deep multi-faceted smells with this brew. Highly complex and the more it warms the smell even changes a bit. Some faint toasted malts.

T - Again highly complex and robust. This is a heavy beer that is definitely a sipper. This is like setting out on a journey to eat a slice of bacon, but ending up having a whole pig end up on your lap. Semi sweet chocolate notes, caramel, finishes extremely dry and bitter. Something a little off with the finish and has a weird yeast flavor that is just a little off balance.

O - This is solid, but not as much as it was hyped. I'd love to try to cellar one and try it in a few years. This is most definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 03:29:51 | More by andrewjraab

kojevergas

California

3.08/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

It's my birthday! Best before date 10/02/17. 10.50% ABV confirmed. 355ml brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a New Blegium goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are through the roof given this beer's reputation. Acquired for $7.99 at a local beer store.

Served straight from the refrigerator but allowed to warm considerably over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

As I poured, I noticed it wasn't generating a head, so I really amped up the vigor.

A: Pours a quarter finger beautiful rich tan colour head of decent cream, good thickness, and awful retention - which is fairly excusable given the ABV, but I've seen other beers handle more than this without issue. Colour is a solid black. Not quite jet black, but dark as hell. Nontransparent and opaque, as it should be. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Coffee, chocolate, dark malts, cream, chocolate malt, caramel, roast, a bit of alcohol, and even a hint of toffee. Well balanced but not clearly focused. I'm getting excited for it. A mild strength aroma. Doesn't beat you over the head like many beers in the style.

T: Coffee, roast, intriguing chocolate, espresso, background floral hops, cacao, malty sweetness, hints of smoke, caramel, raisin, and a bit of dark fruit (maybe plum). Malty sweetness increases as it warms. No note seems particularly dominant, which is actually sort of a problem here. Without focus, it becomes messier. That's not to say it's imbalanced; the balance is only slightly off in that the flavours are too sweet. I imagine this would fade with time. I get molasses and licorice when I look for them. The flavour doesn't blow me away like I expected. It's actually somewhat disappointing. I don't get any yeast, but a bit of alcohol on the finish. There's a medicinal chocolate-covered raspberry note buried in the finish as well. It's certainly got body. I get more and more licorice as it warms. I despise licorice. Also, more raisin comes through along with the dark fruit - the best aspect of this beer. It's like the bastard child of a quad and an imperial stout, but far less enjoyable than that sounds.

The booze really warms the stomach - a bit too much.

Mf: Far too sticky for the style. Also chewy like licorice. Too smooth and wet. Outright wrong for the style; it should be coarse, dry and creamy. I'm unimpressed. This needs some work. It does have *some* dryness from the roast, but nowhere near enough. Undercarbonated.

Dr: Drinkable for the high ABV, but underwhelming within the style. I like the experimentation, but there are far better imperial stouts at this price point. I honestly wouldn't get this again unless it was aged or on draught. They need to tone down the sweetness and fix the mouthfeel. It does hide its ABV well in the taste, but not so much in terms of heat. I look forward to trying more Bell's, but this was a huge disappointment.

C+

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 02:28:15 | More by kojevergas

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

4.88/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

355ml bottle poured into a 16oz tulip. 2012 Bottle.

A - Pours a viscous black oil with a dense brown head on top; dark as hell. Despite the hard pour, the head remained small. Eventually it settles down to a thin skiff leaving slight bits of sticky lace. Looks like a fine stout, with excellent label design to boot.

S - Roasted malt, anise, cocoa, earthy hops and booze. A coffee presence looms in the background, with lots of roasty qualities upfront. There's a big resinous character here that I love. Definitely a greater focus on more abrasive aromas rather than residual boozy sweetness, which to me is ideal for the style. Smells awesome.

T - Absolutely delicious. Everything a big stout should be. Massive base of roasty malt fills the palate immediately, slowly giving way to subtle notes of anise, cocoa, and earthy wood. Finishes with a mixture resinous hops, boozy sweetness, and an assertive blast of espresso. As it warms slight bits of sweetness begin to poke through. Caramelized sugar, bourbon vanilla, dark fruits, and smoky flavors make their way across the palate. Finishes a touch warm, but I don't mind. This is a profile the matches up against the finest stouts I've tried.

M - Remarkably dense and viscous, incredibly creamy and smooth, with an understated carbonation of fine bubbles that lends itself to preserving the creamy texture of the brew. Sticky on the lips, with a mild alcoholic tinge to the finish. Awesome mouthfeel, that compliments the profile beautifully.

D - Certainly one of the finest beers I've ever tried. The profile is a perfect meld of roasty, hoppy and sweet. Insanely drinkable at nearly 11.00% ABV. Absolutely world class beer overall. If it were readily available to me I would have a cellar full of it.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 06:36:26 | More by Converge

yamar68

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Ominous black coffee body topped with a thick pillow of dense medium brown head that slowly fades to a solid cap, laces nicely.

Molasses, dark chocolate, raisin, boozy maple syrup qualities, hot cocoa... evolving with warmth.

Bitter coffee and chocolate, boozy figs or dates, the bitterness fades from sweet earthiness to alcohol, great flavors but a poor finish I think.

I'm excited to have a sixer of these to age, tons of flavor but just a tad hot if you ask me.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 23:20:38 | More by yamar68

mscudder

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a pint. Dated 8/28/12.

A - Pours a viscous black. A deep black with with a nice 2-finger dark-chocolate head. Creamy head lasts for ages, forcing me to slurp up some. Lacing is excellent.

S - Sweet chocolate, warm coffee, dark malts and a touch of licorice. Not the boldest, but certainly nice on the nose.

T - Big, bold complexity here! A great portion of dark chocolate intertwines with roasted coffee. Hops are definitely here, contributing a good deal of bitterness. I like the contrast, although I feel I would have preferred more sweetness and a bit more subdued hop profile.

M - Medium plus body with light carbonation. Creamy/chewy mouthfeel.

O - This beer is pretty damn awesome. The ABV is large and has a very, very small presence in the taste of this brew. I had this a few years back and wow did I hate it. My palette simply could not appreciate all the greatness going on in one bottle. I am greatly interested in aging one of these and seeing if it grows into something I would further love.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 03:14:53 | More by mscudder

ABisonEgo

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

'12 bottled on 10/02

Appearance - Black with ruby red highlights along the edges. 1 and a half finger beige head with lacing along the edges

Aroma - coffee, dark chocolate, dark fruits, a bit of hop character, though i cant really pinpoint the exact scent...maybe more of an earthiness

Taste - Very coffee and hop forward...almost astringent at first. Some dark fruit apparent towards the middle of the mouth, and bitterness on the finish. Almost a spicy, earthy finish...but very hoppy. While most imperial stouts rely on the hops for balance, this one is almost overtaken in the finish by the hops present.

Mouthfeel - Very creamy...which is pleasant. The beer finishes with a bitter tingle with a medium to full body. A little lighter than expected, but about ideal.

Overall - Great complexity on this one, however, Im a little turned off on how the hops overtake the beer. Its as if this one was meant to age, which there is nothing wrong with and it even says its worth aging on the bottle. If the hop character faded away a bit and the beer smoothed out, im sure this would be one amazing beer. Having said that, I guess its time to open my '09!!!

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 03:35:21 | More by ABisonEgo

Mavigo

Michigan

4.18/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this at the Red Haven in Okemos, a sort of Pure Michigan- haute cuisine hybrid restaurant, got this off tap and was served in a pint.

A: poured an opaque black with a quarter inch light-brown tan head that lasted like 10 minutes before shrinking but was basically present the whole time, had good amounts of lacing too.

S: smells woody, chocolatey, boozey, smoky

T: Tastes like chocolate, malty, a woody taste, strong booze, kind of bitter, its pretty thick, even kind of salty to me, taste some malts too

M: its a bit on the dry side, its thicker, lower levels of carbonation

O: Overall, I thought this was a stand up stout, it was pretty smooth and rich, agreed with me very well, tasted great with the steak I had.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2012 02:37:11 | More by Mavigo

gtermi

Texas

3.9/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Beer pours a nice dark body with a thin brown head that quickly fades.

S: The beer is very boozy and has a syrupy sweet smell. There is a little bit of chocolate, but other than that I am not getting too much more.

T: This beer is very sweet at first with a strong syrupy chocolate flavor. There is also a bit of roasted malt and strong booze.

M: The beer is very smooth and has only a tiny bit of crispness on the tip of the tongue. It also has a terrific full body.

O: This is a 2011 Bottle and it really has turned into a very boozy and syrupy beer. It has a nice flavor, but not as great as I was hoping.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 02:54:13 | More by gtermi

jtd1969

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Dark Brownish black with brownish head. Lots of lacing

S - Sweet vinegar,sugary malt

T - Roasty,sweet yet bitter tartiness. Unique in stout department.chocolate, some dark fruit

M - full bodied, rather boozy, medium carbonation

O - Imperial Stout no doubt, just not what I tend to lean toward. I recommend trying it as it may be to your liking. To me it is a decent stout, but not great...

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 00:48:32 | More by jtd1969

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 oz bottle into CBS snifter. Served at cellar temperature.

A) This is jet black and pours out like motor oil as expected. Nearly 2 fingers of milk chocolate head, with decent retention. This had good lacing and legs.

S) Dark malt + roast. This has some espresso bean, and a hint of dark fruit sweetness. There is a little booze, but at 10.5 % what do you expect.

T) Near the nose... Good amount of roast. A little dark chocolate, and dark fruit, mainly raisins. This definitely has some hops on the backend. Finishes up with roast, hops and alcohol warmth.

M) Close to full bodied... Hell, I'll just get off the fence and call it full bodied. The carbonation was light. This was very smooth and creamy from a feel standpoint, however, my score came down a notch due to an aftertaste that I found a bit to bitter and boozy.

O) This is a highly enjoyable sipper. I'm really interested to try this with some age on it. Definitely a RIS that is worth a try. Glad to recommend.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 03:07:18 | More by RoamingGnome

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

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

12 Oz bottle poured into a snifter

Dated 8/28/12 so only a month and a half olf

A- Pours motor oil black with a one finger brown head, some alcohol legs and surprising head retention.

S- Roasted chocolate is the strongest smell in this beer. Smells well hoppend and quite bitter. A really smooth smelling beer.

T- Roasted malts up front, there is dark roasted notes that linger like char and some lighter notes that are reminiscent to caramel and toffee. The chocolate in this beer is quite prevalent and really rounds out the beer as a whole. It's a bitter stout but not as bitter as a Yeti or other hop forward stouts. There is a slight fruitiness from the hops but I think that will fade fast with age. A smooth and well rounded array of flavors.

M- This is obviously a big beer and it drinks like a big beer. Very syrupy and high in alcohol feel. It is however a smooth and well rounded Stout.

O- This is a fantastic stout, Its on par with Stone IRS and Old Rasputin. I cant wait to see how the rest of mine fare with a little bit of age.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 01:51:29 | More by TwelveOunces

menkros

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a black motor oil. Smells of sweet dark fruit. The taste is unexpected and welcome, coffee undertones. Absolutely wonderful. 1 year old beer that pours dark brown, medium fine head, a good looking stout. Aroma up front is malty dark fruit with strong alcohol, the roasted malts come in at the end. Taste is a huge mouthfeel, this is a big ass beer, malty, alcohol, some sharpness which is a warming alcohol. With hop flavor as well. Roasted malts which go very well with chocolate desserts. I have this as a desert beer with chocolate ice cream or desserts often. try this with Ben and Jerry’s New York Super fudge chunk. Great beer one of the top ten I have had made in the US if not the world.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 05:00:04 | More by menkros

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 9971, bottled 13 September 2010.

Pours black in the glass, with two fingers of deep coffee-brown head. Good retention, decent lacing.

Smells of rich dark chocolate, a touch of smoke, and deep roasted wood. Great depth and complexity, but with light sugary notes as well. Yum.

Tastes is rich as well, though not quite as complex as the smell. Chocolate dominates as well, followed by coffee, then a distinct hop bitterness that persists through the finish.

Mouthfeel is big, full, and heavy. Like chewing a chocolate cookie. One of the sludgier beers that I've had, and it works. Could use a touch more carbonation, but with the age, I really can't complain about that.

A very tasty, very rich imperial stout. I like this beer, a lot. Chocolate-forward, and sludgy, with the smell as the highlight. Yum.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 03:16:53 | More by zeledonia

davey101

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

09/19/2011 vintage. 12 oz bottle into a DFH signature glass. Reviewed on 08-27-2012. Thanks a ton apocolypsezombie!

A - Pitch black body with a two finger high mocha head. Super sticky lacing and retention. 4.0/5

S - Charred malts, milk chocolate, and some faint ripe dark fruit notes. Somewhat simple. 3.5/5

T - Very roasty with some sweeter notes of chocolate and coffee. Aftertaste is a tad bitter with a warming alcohol presence. Again, rather simple. 3.5/5

M - Pretty amazing mouth feel. Super thick and silky with decent carbonation. Sticky and coating which really works with the basic flavor profile. 4.5/5

O - A very standard but delicious RIS. The flavor and nose are somewhat boring for the style but the mouth feel is one of the best I've had. Excellent beer. 4.0/5

Batch 9512 - December 18, 2009. 12 oz bottle into a tulip glass. Reviewed on 10-05-2012. Thanks to Rempo for this killer extra.

A - Same as the 2011

S - Seems a bit less roasty than the fresher bottle. Ripe dark fruits, chocolate, espresso beans, light smoke and a touch of booze. Excellent aroma. 4.5/5

T - Dark fruits and milk chocolate. Some coffee and hop bitterness. Really rich and smooth. 4.0/5

M - Again, just excellent. Super thick and coating as all hell. 4.5/5

O - Age did some pretty amazing things to this beer. Much more layered and well rounded. Super solid RIS. 4.0/5

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 01:31:15 | More by davey101