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

SadMachine

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

'09 bottle acquired in an IP trade w/ Ahappyhiker2, thanks man!

A- Poured into Stone IRS snifter. Pours pitch black, viscous, and with a thick light-brown head that has incredible retention (especially w/ the age), and leaves generous lacing.

S- Surprising start to the nose as it is reminiscent of a bourbon barrel aged stout with lots of booze and a bit of vanilla. Dark bitter chocolate, Belgian candi-sugar, molasses, brown sugar, and dark alcohol soaked fruits are also perceived.

T- There are huge chocolate flavors right off the bat, both dark/bitter and sweet/milk. There is a healthy dose of roasted malt/coffee in the mix, particularly in the finish. There is also a distinct vinous flavor in the finish.

M- The mouthfeel is thick, viscous, and creamy with nearly no perceivable carbonation. It is less boozy than expected from the nose, which is a positive.

O- I have not had this fresh, but this is drinking fantastic with ~3.5 years on it! I would have been happier if some more of the complexity in the nose came through in the flavor, but it still tastes superb!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 04:20:00 | More by SadMachine

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. Acquired as an extra in a trade from ? I forget!

A-Pours a jet black body with a beautiful dark brown head that reduces to a bubbly film and leaves thick lacing.

S- Milk chocolate and cream, rich cocoa, vanilla fudge.

T- Roasted malt, rich milk chocolate, fresh coffee beans, bittersweet chocolate on the finish that lingers and leaves an excellent roasty aftertaste.

M- Rich and creamy, thick with low carbonation. Like drinking a beer milkshake.

One of the best stouts I've tasted and definitely a benchmark of the stye. Rich, creamy, and delicious.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 02:48:53 | More by gcamparone

downeyj4

Michigan

4.65/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is probably one of my favorite imperial stouts. It really has everything that you would want in an imperial stout, but isn't thick like oil sludge. All of the flavors balance out well. It has a great amount of roastiness and bitterness, but still finishes nicely. It surprised me when I found out the ABV, or else I would've had a few more pints.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2013 05:31:49 | More by downeyj4

Broman

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance- Black as night. Virtually no head. What was atop disappears quickly.

Smell- Nice firm malty aroma. Notes of chocolate and what seems to be coffee are prevalent. Not overpowering, but still a very inviting smell.

Taste- Heavy malts and chocolate consume the mouth. Unexpected and welcome bitterness are noted as well. Slight alcohol tate is noticeable and lingers through the aftertaste. Upon belching the chocolate malts return.

Mouthfeel- Slight carbonation is noticed. Medium to heavy body on the palet. The longer it rests on the tongue the more prevalent the alcohol becomes. No immediate or straightforward flavors.

Overall- Great stout. Easy to drink and enjoy, the alcohol bite reminds you not to enjoy to many. Basic and straightforward with its flavor and not overwhelming. Enjoyable and tasty up to two, but time to switch after that.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 05:12:24 | More by Broman

Sunn

Iowa

4.7/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

I'm new to the craft beer scene. I started with stouts and got sick of them. I switched to IPAs and got sick of them. When I first had this beer I was so sick of stouts I'd rather drink real motor oil than this Castrol impersonator.

BUT! After a multi-month binge on IPAs I burnt myself out. I looked into my fridge to see a few Expedition Stouts left. My brain compartments told me to drink it and I did. And it tasted DAMN good.

I'm really glad I held onto this beer and gave it another shot. It's INSANELY roasty at the beginning, but you're soon greeted by this silky smooth dark fruit flavor that balances the beer out extremely well. I feel like Barry White should be playing in the background while I write this review.

This beer's sexy. Yeeeaaah.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 02:12:24 | More by Sunn

hoosiersapper27

Indiana

4.34/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance- Black as black can be, 1 finger head that disappears quickly, but there is a ring of foam where the head was.

Smell- Dark fruits with a slight berry smell. Caramel and malt.

Taste-Dark fruits, caramel, malt, hops backbone, port or a dark wine, alcohol but not like liquor.

Mouth feel- Thick and heavy good carbonation not chewy to me.

Overall- BIG BEER not for the weak or fainthearted. Somehow this beer is reminding me of Guulden Draak, I believe its the dark fruits.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 00:06:06 | More by hoosiersapper27

AdamF625

Massachusetts

4.69/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A- black with a thin brown head
S- coffee and chocolate syrup
T-coffee, bitter dark chocolate, molasses, alcohol, sweet fruit flavors
M- creamy, thick, and viscous. low carbonation
O- you can't forget this brew its so thick and sticky the taste stays on your palate for days.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 00:45:42 | More by AdamF625

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.64/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

12oz bottle, batch 9971, bottled September 13, 2010. So, clocking in at about 2.5 years old

A - pitch black, pour produces about 1.5 inches of toffee colored foam. Dissipates pretty quickly, leaves a fair amount of lacing on the sides.

S - wow. Molasses, vanilla, coffee, milk chocolate. One of the best smelling stouts I've had. Beats out a lot of the BA stouts. Killer.

T - doesn't let me down after the nose. Molasses again, big time. Vanilla. Milk chocolate. There is just the right amount of bitter chocolate at the end. TASTY.

M - creamy, thicker side of medium feel, lower carbonation. Really nice.

O - I have to say, I'm surprised at how good this is. I've never had it fresh, but I can't imagine that this hasn't gotten better with age. I've got another 2010 that I'll sit on for just a bit longer just to see what happens. Bells killed this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 03:00:21 | More by Beerandboards

4amepiphany

Illinois

4.88/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I was told this ages very well, but I really wanted to try one fresh. Then that turned into me drinking three fresh. Then I had to get another 6 pack to age. If it tastes this good fresh, I'm willing to wait! Beautiful color, the flavors increase in complexity as it warms up. Oily and thick, which I prefer. I really enjoy this stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 05:55:16 | More by 4amepiphany

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.49/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from a 12oz bottle into a Grey Sail pint.

Appearance- So black. Very little mocha head. Some lacing.

Smell- Booze, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, sweet malts.

Taste- Bitter chocolate, coffee, dark chocolate malts, some light vanilla, mild hop bitterness. Finishes bitter, which is great because it had a very sweet smell. No booze which is astounding.

Mouthfeel- Quite viscous. Very smooth. No heat. Coats the mouth.

Overall- Damn fine bitter RIS. Another good one from Bells!

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 02:28:14 | More by Seanniek91

LCB_Hostage

Pennsylvania

2.99/5  rDev -29%
look: 4.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Came across this on the beer menu at a restaurant last night and was excited to give it a try. Bell's distribution around us is spotty at best, but I did see a couple Six-packs of this in a bottle shop recently and almost picked one up. The $20 price tag was a bit high for the moment, though so I held off. Now very glad that I did.

Served on tap into a tulip

A: Deep, dark black. Little to no head by the time it arrived at the table. No lacing to speak of.

S: Less than I would have expected. Alcohol was very present as was roasted grains and some sweet fruit. A bit of chocolate lingered, too.

T: Again, not quite what I was anticipating. Almost cloyingly sweet and relatively smooth upfront with some alcohol warming on the way down, but not that much given the 10%+ ABV. I guess I'd say this was very well balanced, because no individual flavor stood out (unless you consider sugary sweetness a flavor). It did leave a trace of rather unpleasant bitterness on the back of the tongue -- not in a hoppy way, but more in a "something burnt" way.

M: The only word I could think of as I was drinking this was "oily." I expected a syrupy character from a RIS, but this just coated everything and wouldn't come off.

O: I guess I'm just not in Bell's target audience. This is the second highly acclaimed Bell's beer (the other being 2-hearted) that seem seriously over-hyped to me. This wasn't a bad beer by any circumstances, but neither was it something that lived up to its reputation or pricetag. I know that "balance" is supposed to be a sign of superior brewing skill, but to me, if NOTHING stands out about a beer, it's balanced to the point of being boring. And I would have to say that for me, Expedition Stout was an $8 glass of Meh. Oh well, different brews for different crews.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2013 15:32:53 | More by LCB_Hostage

Maxwell

Massachusetts

4.19/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The beer pours dark and sludgy, like motor oil. A head forms of dark tan, almost chocolate brown, tiny bubbles that are very closely knit together and fade away quick, as might be expected at 10.5% alcohol. The beer’s lacing is nearly nonexistent due to the alcohol, but does live a few thin spots and some slight legs from the alcohol. The beer’s body is too dark to properly gauge. On the nose, this beer is thick with raisiny and plum malts, almost quad-like in intensity. Beneath the raisin sits a healthy cocoa smell that plays beside roasted coffee malts and thick creamy dark chocolate. The smell is boozy sweet, and stings the nostrils just enough to let us know there is thick sweet alcohol in this. On the tongue, the beer tastes thickly of bitter coffee roast with a light sweetness at the back of the tongue. The beer’s flavors begin with chewy thick almost raisiny sweet malts that move swiftly into chocolate and then into thick roasted smoky malts that bring lovely RIS flavors. The sweet malts briefly touch on a cloying level of sweetness, but are swiftly washed away by the bitter roast of the malts. The finish is fat with roasted coffee malts, char, and a slight sweet touch of raisin and dark fruit. The aftertaste is burnt char and light chocolate flavors. The alcohol of this beer, while briefly present with the cloying sweetness, is actually nicely hidden, and helps to mellow the bitter roast of the malts. In the mouth, the beer feels thick and chewy in body. The carbonation is light and nearly nonexistent on the tongue, leaving a thick creamy, velvet feel on the tongue. The mouth is left charred dry with saliva on the sides of the tongue from the light but not noticeable acidity. Overall, this is a lovely RIS. Great big flavors that are not overdoing it, and certainly seem ready to mellow into beautiful things with age. The raisiny sweetness is a little off putting at first, but works beautifully to prepare the tongue for the bitter roast of the middle and finish of the flavor. I’m excited to have tried this beer, and excited to see what it does with age. According to Bell’s this is one of the earliest examples of an American RIS, and I believe they did it beautifully. Try this beer for sure, and age it too, my bottle was a little less more than half a year old.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2013 20:21:53 | More by Maxwell

barczar

Kentucky

4.06/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque black with a dense, frothy quarter inch cocoa head that slowly dissipates, leaving minimal lacing.

Cocoa, hints of plastic, sorghum, roast malt, figs, and dark berries are fairly subtle in the aroma by the time I get to the fourth in the flight.

Dark cherries and roast malt dominate the initial sip, finishing fairly bitter with coffee grounds and a bit of acridness. Molasses sweetness, dark chocolate, and nutty, toasted malt add complexity at the base. Plums, figs, and soft raisins emerge later, along with booze.

Body is thick, creamy, and smooth, with low carbonation and significant alcohol warmth.

Dark fruit, chocolate, coffee, and roast malt are well represented, but drier and more bitter at the finish than I prefer. Think majority of the bitterness is hop derived. Fairly complex. The nutty malt saves it for me. Wish the aroma were more pronounced and the finish were less bitter.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2013 00:20:55 | More by barczar

Lognar

Illinois

4.74/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pour - A deep black brown with a finger of creamy mocha head. Pour it in a cappuccino cup and I would think I was having a cappuccino.

Nose - Tons of malty sweetness. Both baker's and milk chocolate. Roastiness. There are some notes of wood too. It's like booze soaked chocolate cake.

Taste - Again, lots of malty sweetness. Dark chocolate bitterness. Coffee roast and espresso. A bit of roasty earthy bitterness on the finish. Complex and subtle.

Mouthfeel - Thick, creamy, and silky.

Overall - Elegant is the word that comes to mind when I describe this. The aromas and flavors are subtle and play off of one another. This brew (with 4 months on it) was not nearly as in your face as other Russian imperials, and much sweeter as well. I had the same feel drinking this as I do when I have dessert at a good restaurant.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 05:20:25 | More by Lognar

ramay729

Michigan

4.09/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

3 month old bottle poured into snifter, bought an extra bottle to cellar until next year

A: Nice tan head that dissipates quickly, lacing on side of glass, deep black color with brown tinges on side of glass

S: Strong aroma of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, and caramel. Extremely strong smell and one of the best smelling beers I've experienced

T: Almost sweet taste, without a nice amount of bitterness for the style, deep roasted malt with espresso undertones, dark fruit notes expressed as well

M: Extremely creamy mouthfeel without a lot of carbonation, really enjoyable texture with a thick mouthfeel

O: One of the better Imperial Stouts that I have had, but not the best, looking forward to aging a bottle!

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 02:36:05 | More by ramay729

timc100

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

6 month old bottle

A: Pours close-to-oil black - thick, opaque. Really nice lightly burnt mocha head, very creamy - good lacing and retention.

A: Really hoppy and roasty, can definitely tell it's fresh. Grapefruit citrus and some pine, heavily roasted coffee and bitter chocolate.

T: Follows the nose well, but is more rich and intense. Big espresso and bitter dark chocolate notes, the hops are not as present and enhance the bitter stout characteristics. Very creamy and smooth. Almost an ash flavor on top of the roasted coffee. Fantastic tasting beer, can definitely imagine it settling and balancing with age.

P: Full and creamy. Very soft carbonation, syrupy smooth.

O: A fantastic fresh impy stout, can imagine it getting much better. Awesome beer

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 05:17:55 | More by timc100

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a Firestone snifter. Batch 10068, 12/17/2010.

Appearance - Inky viscous black that yields only the slightest tinge of brown at the edges. Not much of a head. Thin khaki collar around the edge with just a lonely dime-sized island of foam roaming the surface.

Smell - I can smell the molasses from the open bottle. Tons of molasses. A stronger sniff unveils booze, licorice, and ashy burnt malt.

Taste - Ridiculous molasses again. Really creamy in the middle with just a little bit of sweetness and then the onslaught begins. Licorice, dark fruits, the darkest chocolate. Burnt pieces of chocolate, really. Ashy and extremely bitter. Booze comes back at the last gasp and bites the throat.

Mouthfeel - Low carbonation, boozy, nearly acrid in its ashy bitterness. And yet it manages to be creamy and delicious.

Overall - Every complaint I have ever had about fresh Expedition Stout has turned into an attribute in this bottle. Two years has done this very well.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 00:57:33 | More by Alieniloquium

buck1futter

Illinois

4.88/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2011 Vintage- Bottle- Also had on tap 2 weeks ago at the Bell's tap takeover, at The Olympic Tavern.

A- Typical stout, a little viscus, some ruby on the outer edges when shun under light. No head, this 2011.

S- One of the best smelling beers period, rich in caramel, prune, brown sugar, mead, malt , honey ham....ole man this is a treat.

T-A toasty and roasting, a little burn, with the bottle less heat that was on tap. More chocolate for the bottle, more towards the dark fruit while on tap. Creamy even. This sucker ages well. So much chocolate, delicious.

M-thick but easy to move around, carbonation still holding up well. really nice and velvet like even.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 01:43:38 | More by buck1futter

StJamesGate

New York

4.21/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Sepia film over that blackest beer I've ever seen.
Blackberry crumble, ash, and fish sauce on the nose - faintly. Warms to some BSDA fruit notes and peat smoke.
Molasses, cold espresso, prune juice, licorice hard candy, with undertones of dark baked pretzels, then gooey pine resin hops.
Christmas pudding finish and long tarry linger with some black malts and port-like cherry.
Full, viscous, smooth, round, chewy, oily, no heat.

Like the Ford of the same name: huge, oily, intimidating and unwieldy.

This is almost too big to enjoy. Every dark flavor of coffee, char and fruit is crammed in here but without the bitterness from either roast or hops to really tame the sweetness. i feel like this is a sugar headache waiting to happen.

Deep and dark, big and smooth, oh so black but maybe too sweet. I'd like to see this one with some age on it.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 11:28:50 | More by StJamesGate

MUSHROOMCLOUD

Texas

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

6 1/2 years after I received 2 bottles from mlh1227 - I cracked the second one.

Holy hell...this is still delicious. Not as hot as it was..still complex and rich. Bell's - great job on this one. Feel confident about putting this one away for 5+ years, no deterioration at all.

2006 review:

12oz. bottle from mlh1227. What a guy!!

A - 1 1/2" deep chocolate milk colored head that sits on top of a beer so black that no light will ever pass through. The head is dense and retains for a while at 1/2" before falling to a cap. Full sheet of tan lace clings to the backside of the pint glass.

S - Rich, roasted malt. Coffee. A little boozy (rum) aroma. Mild sweetness. Clay, dirt. Feed store smell -- oats, grains.

T - WOW! Thick with roasted malt. Bitter dark chocolate. Bourbon like heat in the finish. Raisins and rum. Coffee....strong ass coffee!!! Delicious and complex.

M - Huge, thick mouthfeel. Slick. Smooth drinking Imperial Stout. Long, long, long finish.

D - Great drinkability for any beer, let alone a RIS with 11.5% abv! Huge beer! Excellent. Thank you mlh1227 for the sample.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 23:48:10 | More by MUSHROOMCLOUD

Stevedore

Wisconsin

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

12oz bottle dated 12/27/12 poured into a Bell's tulip and quaffed today, 3/9/13. Review is based primarily on today's bottle but also uses notes from previous bottles from the same vintage which were consumed fresh.

Aroma: I definitely get the dark fruits- raisins, figs, cherry. It's definitely sweet smelling with quite a bit of heat on the nose. Really good smelling imperial stout- the ones I've been drinking are usually roasty and/or hoppy. But this is straight up dark fruit. Really a nice change of pace. (4)

Colour: Pours a dark dark dark jet black, looks great. It comes out with an absolutely beautiful 1cm dark brown head that dissipates within 30 seconds into absolutely nothing, leaving a very thin brown collar over an abyss of black beverage. The lacing is absolutely thick, and swirling agitates the collar and makes it even thicker. You can't do any better than this brew for its appearance! (5)

Flavour: When I first drank it fresh back in December, it tasted rather medicinal with a straight-up overdone cherry tartness- not complex at all and rather hard to drink. I didn't like it at the time but I decided to give it 3 months to see how it changes over time. And it would appear that just a bit of age really develops this beer. The heat has been covered up by a more complex flavor combining hints of the underlying roasty malt character with the dominant dark fruit flavours as described in the nose- raisins, cherry, figs that contribute quite a bit to the aftertaste. It's not boozy at all and has developed nicely in such a short amount of time. (4)

Mouthfeel: On the lighter side of a thick body. Decent carbonation. Goes down smoothly leaving a nice balanced finish that is neither wet or dry. The aftertaste is probably dominantly tart cherry that goes to town on your taste buds for quite a while afterwards. Not the thickest imperial stout but it's a very smooth quaff. (4)

Overall: It makes sense that this beer develops with some age on it as it would seem that Bell's intended it that way. I'm happy that I hung onto the six-pack I bought last December. I'll probably try it at 3-6 month intervals to see how it develops from here on. It's a nice change from the usual roasty and hoppy imperial stouts (e.g. Founders Imperial Stout, Plead the 5th, etc.), as the dark fruits are the strongest contributor to the flavour. (4)

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 18:43:43 | More by Stevedore

csrbv

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

A--Black with a nice tan head. Looks great!

S--All I get is a ton of smoke--not a fan of the smell.

T--Like burnt bitter chocolate and maybe burnt sugar--very bitter with other bold tastes, but not in a good way.

MF--OK full bodied.

O--I don't get this beer. Maybe I just had a bad 4 pack, but I would have to power though each one until the bitter, and I mean BITTER end. Each time I opened a new one, I would think maybe this time it would be better, but it was a disappointment each time. I'm sure that all the other people who have reviewed this as a 94 are right and I'm wrong.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 20:04:30 | More by csrbv

DrewV

New York

4.75/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottling date of 10/12.

What a brew! An overly aggressive pour may have robbed this one of some carbonation, as it's a bit flat, but every drop of the flavor remained. A bit restrained in the aroma compared to the flavor, but again that may be due to my clumsy pour. Ridiculously creamy with a thick, viscous mouthfeel. Heavy, dark roasted malts and chocolate flavors are supported by a serious amount of hop bitterness. The depth of flavor and balance is off the charts. Almost a meal all by itself. I've had some outstanding Impy stouts, but Expedition Stout is just dynamite and stands alone in the deep, dark, heavy-duty stout category. I envy those of you who have regular access to this gem. A solid A+ rated beer, no less.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 01:27:11 | More by DrewV

writerLJBerg

Oregon

4.39/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

2010 bottle from Pawel. Batch 10105. Thanks!

A; Black and lightless as a brick. Very dark mocha head that settles in at about an inch. Looks like motor oil.

N: Roasted malt, green hops, dark chocolate, dark cherry, prune. Has a pronounced dark fruit sweetness, particularly that of raisins. Lots of raisins. Truly a smell of dried grapes.

T: Deep rushes of dark chocolate. Leather and bark. Cedar, tobacco, raisins. Smoke and roast. Hops lend an earthy backbone with some leafy hints. Coffee overtones. Superb, and reminiscent of HotD Adam of all things.

M: Thick, coating, yet somehow, supremely drinkable.

O: This is just sublime. Really wise to store it for the extended aging and very much worthy of the high score. Might be my favorite non-BA stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 00:05:48 | More by writerLJBerg

PaterMorse

Indiana

3.36/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Very complex, very cool, very much WANTED to like it; but just registered a "miss" for me. At times felt like it was a chore to finish the next pour. And phenomenal as the appearance and aroma are, that's an insurmountable indictment for a beer.

A: Pours a gorgeous engine oil golden-black. Head is a stunner as well (milk-chocolate brown), but disappears way too fast -- leaving very little on the surface unless/until agitated. Nice crimson/brown/black hues remain.

S: Changes rapidly. A little chocolate, coffee on initial pour. Agitate it a bit and it's waffles & syrup. As it settles, earthy, roasty, boozy (but only slightly on the nose).

T: Unfortunately, what's only slight on the nose is a kapow on the taste buds. I felt like I'd chomped down on a cotton swab doused with rubbing alcohol. Taste smooths out over time (kind of)); but the alcohol lingers too long and is too in-your-face.

M: Big body, smooth. And though a diplomatic suggestion is that it "warms" as it goes down, a less diplomatic suggestion is that it burns your eyes.

O: Complex for sure; but just a tad over the top on the alcohol confrontation. In my estimation, Dark Horse's Plead the 5th is higher in ABV but an equal in complexity, mouthfeel & appearance and FAR superior in aroma, taste and drinkability.

Repeat? No, no reason. Not terrible by any means; but nothing so unique or good to warrant another round. Other RIS pours are more enjoyable and equally complex.

Ideal Setting To Have One On Hand? To clean any open wounds or accelerate fire-starting...

Two Word Description: Alcohol Swab

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 00:49:38 | More by PaterMorse