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

jreitman

California

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Now I finally know what all the fuss was about (all thanks to cokes). Poured a jet black with a rich cocoa colored head. Rich smell of coffee and cocoa. Many other smells were in there but my stuffy nose could not quite identify them. Flavor is full of chocolate and coffee with a very nice sweetness. Bitterness was high but kept in check by the malts. Mouthfeel was thick and mouth-coating. Finished dry and quite bitter as the hops really show themselves. On my list of top 5 Stouts. Easily competes with Storm King and Pike XXXXX.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2003 09:58:19 | More by jreitman

kbub6f

New York

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Side-by-side tasting with North Coast Old Rasputin (because I drink a lot of Raspy and it always makes me happy).

I didn't have the carbonation problem some have mentioned. The head was small, but it didn't take any extra coaxing to get one. Dark brown and a little noisy, too. There is a strong roasty edge to the nose. It's almost nutty. There's also chocolate and maybe a little smoke. The beer starts strong, thick and chocolatey. It's very buttery (like a dollop of butter melted into it). The middle is thick, thick, malty, choco, sweet, buttery. A strong alcohol finish seems almost toxic.

So how does it compare to my standard Rasputin? It's thicker, maltier and more buttery. Much less hoppy and bitter. Stronger than Raspy, quite a bit more intense. Very rich. So they're different, but each one impresses me as I switch between them. I'm going to ding Expedition on drinkability because for me the richness gets almost cloying (I said "almost"). But for that, it would beat Rasputin, I think.

Thanks Al. I think I owe you.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2004 01:36:00 | More by kbub6f

GuinnessSmurf

Missouri

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I'm pretty sure that a beer doesn't get any darker than this. This beer looks so good that I fear it - (fear that a 6pk was not enough). A low ring of thick condensed head circles the glass.

The smell is has cocoa malts, alcohol, and scotch.

The taste is amazing - very full bodied. The pallette is massaged with coffee, butter, dark bitter chocolate, toffee and a dark alcohol flavor. Yum.

Drinking this beer is like pounding a pint of super rich icecream. You know that you shouldn't but there is no way you are going to stop short of finishing it.

Every sip was as good as it gets.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2004 19:02:34 | More by GuinnessSmurf

orbitalr0x

Illinois

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Ahhh...another Russian Imperial Stout that I have been longing after....pours from the bottle amazingly thick and syrupy, like I just let the old oil flow while I was doing an oil change on my car. A nice creamy dark tan head develops and then slowly fades to a ring with spotty lacing on the glass. I think this brew actually absorbs light. Awesome. First smell brings intensly rich, dark chocolate, molasses, roasted/toasted malts, hints of coffee with a heaping helping of dark fruits..a bit vinous. Fucking decadent...a punch in the nose...the aromas coming off this brew are big and in your face....killer.

First sip brings a tidal wave of roasted, slightly burnt maltiness upfront along with a nice helping of chocolate, dark molasses, and dark, vinous fruits. I'm getting some good pine hoppy bitterness on the way down along with hints of coffee. Incredibly well put together and a joy to drink. Alcohol is nearly non existant in the taste. Simply an amazing imperial stout.

Mouthfeel is big, thick and creamy. Give this to people who say Guinness is a meal in a glass and watch them shit their pants in astonishment. As for me....this is how I like my Russian Imperial Stout...huge. Obviously...this is not a session brew by any means..but it is an incredibly tasty treat that no one should miss out on. Cheers to Bell's for producing one of the best brews I've had the chance to sample!!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2005 04:00:44 | More by orbitalr0x

karst

Missouri

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The vintage port of American stout. Suited for November storms on Lake Michigan when your shipload of Edmund Fitzgerald goes down and trips across Indianna only to find Dark Lord missing.

I stare at an empty pint glass with lace on the far side and a gelatinous mucus on the near side and a bottom covering of crankcase drippings. This "sleeper" is packaged with little fanfare (no red wax or other B.S.) I pull one of the 6 bottles that were refrigeratered at Brown Derby # 24 AKA "Party Central" and pour its coal lumpy contents out of its 12 oz bottle.

A vigorous pour yields an excellent Stout head of one finger that is foamy and chocolate brown. Aromas of bittersweet chocolate dark roasted coffee and nearly burnt molasses arise as the head slowly becomes a covering of thinner frouth. Flaovrs abound and offer up more bittersweet choc. coffee molasses along with burnt wood and roasted malt and dark fruits. Knowing I will adjust to its huge flavors, I settle in to enjoy a super heavy weight body with a true chewy Mouthfeel. The drying bitterness of the finish and all those dark roasted flavors clinging as an aftertaste are outstanding.

Viscosity finally drops back into the liquid state as the CO2 drops with about a third of the pour remaining. Thick, gellatious material stays near the bottom.

Best stop here - what ever happen to this year's Dark Lord?

Who cares take the Expedition!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2005 17:05:24 | More by karst

UncleFlip

Alabama

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Nice looking in the glass, though rather short head. What head there is, tends to be sort of a dark coofee-with-cream colour, and is gone in modest stretch. Holdng this one up to the light, I'm seeing nothing. VERY dark...OK, wait...there's a little ruby fringe...Nothing like a really black beer. :)

It smells like the first beer I ever made....very heavy and thick dark molasses aroma, with a hoppy nose under. There's even a *slight* hint of cedar in there.. It's very nice.

Wow....sweet and smoky all at the same time. Nice pungency on this. There's definitely a boatload of roasted malt there...and the alcohol is not overly apparent, but is there, particulary on the end and the aftertaste. There's a great chocolatey quality right in the middle. The hops are there, but aren't overbearing or distracting.

This one isn't too thick or 'gritty' as sme stouts have been. It's definitley 40-weight, but is very smooth. You don't feel you need a hammer and chisel to serve this one.

Yowsa. Shake your groove thing. Get down, and then get back up again. This one could be my standard session stout, if i could get it around here. VERY drinkable, and could keep me happy all night long. Pardon the crudeness, but keep me in a supply of this, and I'm your bitch.

Be well
-UF

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2005 04:35:34 | More by UncleFlip

KarlHungus

Minnesota

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This brew pours a motor oil black color. The head is brown with a with crown. The aroma is of chocolate, cream, crackers, butter, with Bell's house aroma peaking slightly though. The taste is chocolate, and club crackers, with some really nice bitterness in the finish. The bitterness slowly fades during the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is perfect for an imperial stout; full bodied with just enough carbonation to make things interesting. Overall, this is the best impy I have had to date.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2005 01:22:04 | More by KarlHungus

Shultzerdugen

Missouri

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12 oz. brown bottle.

Pours inky black/brown capped by a large tan head with dark brown threads though it. As the beer went down in the glass it left small globules of chunky goodness.

Aroma is dark chocolate, espresso, molasses, vanilla, and a hint of raisins.

The body is full to the extreme, but still creamy from carbonation and the ample head. Roasted malts come right out front, followed by a juicy center, finished with coffee and dark chocolate notes carried through from the nose and a molasses sweetness . Alcohol is superbly hidden.

I savored a six pack I bought in March for nine months, and the beer seemed to hold its character brilliantly. So damned good.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2005 00:02:59 | More by Shultzerdugen

Bonhoeffer

Alabama

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

One of the best beers i've ever had. All that's good about the style, with boat loads of chocolate character. The smell was unbelievable. Just had to sit and take it in for a while.

Flavor was intense and fantastic. Complex. Perfectly balanced. Thick. Just enough sweetness. Just enough hops. I don't even know where it all comes from. As a homebrewer i can't imagine how i'd even begin to try to create something like this.

Lost just a touch on drinkability because it's so overwhelming. But in a good way.

Must have more.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2006 19:16:59 | More by Bonhoeffer

beveragecaptain

New Jersey

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle. Expedition Stout chugs out of the bottle into my glass, a thick black color with a small brown head. Winey grape aroma, but that is just the start. Lots of chocolate, roasted coffee, and hops. The hop aroma is very much present, but not overwhelming as it is in other stouts such as Bell's batch 7000. The flavor is silky smooth chocolate, coffee, and hops. Sweet at first, but not cloying. Some cherry flavor. The finish is very bitter. Mouthfeel is full. Just enough carbonation. Drinkability is outstanding. How can this be 11.5%? This is one of the two or three best stouts I've ever had, and possibly the best.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2006 03:42:42 | More by beveragecaptain

trep

West Virginia

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewing this live from my computer desk.

Pours from the 12 oz'r as viscous and black as motor oil. 1" chocolate colored head that fades into a thin layer of brown bubbles. Oh, if only all beers looked this mouth-watering.

Smells like chocolate chip cookies dipped in alcohol. A warm cookiedough smell to it with subtle hints of dark, rich fruits.

The first sip coats your mouth with melted dark german chocolate as a plethora of flavors make themselves known. Chocolate chip cookie taste as stated before, plenty of alcohol but isn't over-bearing. Has a rich winey taste of a red wine with some prune and dark cherries to round it out. Finishes very smoothly for a stout with this kind of power. Wow.

What a great beer. I would've given it solid 5's except for the drinkability gets a little rough as it warms. The alcohol becomes more present however, still not overpowering. A perfect example of an Imperial Stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2006 04:39:05 | More by trep

stuckonhops

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I had heard about this beer and was told i should try it and also was recommended by many people. I decided to see if it would live up to expectations. Which it did and also surpassed mine so so much.

A-- EXTREMELY dark. Not a speckle of light passes through. The head has to be formed manualy during the pour. Be careful though, on my first pour i tried to induce head and it grew VERY slow but made almost my whole pint glass foamy.(rookie mistake i guess). The head is a definet cocoa color, looks like cocoa foam to say the least.

S-- smells of roasted malts and coffee. also hints of chocolate and maybe fig? definetly an alcohol smell but not at all overwhelming as in some ALES.

T-- WOW WOW WOW. as i said it is amazing. first sip you taste alcohol with roasted malts and a semi-sweet cocoa finish. as you go on the alcohol COMPLETELY diminishes fairly quickly. After that it becomes a battle between the fig and chocolate with hops setting in. I have been so amazed with the way all the flavors play against each other in such harmony its ridiculus.

M-- very thick and coats the mouth and tounge with so many flavors i think you bite lemon and this beer would still shine through. very nice.

D-- another one to be careful with. after the first one you may be inclined to keep going. but trust me, pace yourself more than a nascar driver this one will take you for a ride...

One of the best beers i have ever had. At least in the stout category. I highly recommend this one to anyone. I dont care if they only like BMC or not. This one can turn heads 360degrees

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2007 03:40:22 | More by stuckonhops

rye726

Colorado

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12oz '07 poured into a goblet at 50F.

Certainly a beautifull beer. The color is a dark black with brown hues. A nice espresso head settles to a very thin cover.

The nose is of choclate, dark fruits, coffee, oats, molasses and roasty malts.

Quite tasty, a wonderful mixture of choclate, coffee, toffee, molasses and sweet malts.

It has a full body and texture that silks over the tounge. Very drinkable for a big RIS and one of the best around.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2007 05:41:14 | More by rye726

Dansting

Kansas

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle. Poured a brownish-black color with a medium brown head. Nice lacing. Aroma is a nice roasted malt with a pleasant chocolate hint to it. Mouthfeel is about perfect. Flavor is rich with a chocolate and roasted malt taste. Aftertaste has a hint of coffee to it. A very special brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2007 04:16:57 | More by Dansting

david131

Michigan

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

One amazing beer. This bottle was two years old and I decided to open it for my birthday.

A- Absolutely pitch black with only the slightest hints of light making it through the edges. The head that forms is brown and very thick looking. It settles down to some beautiful caramel swirls and a ring around the top. It doesn't get any better than this.

S- Extremely complex with lots of chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, some vanilla, cherries, and a good amount of sweetness. It has a wonderful aged quality to it. Delicious.

T- Very complex with a lot of the same features as the aroma. Very smooth and the alcohol is incredibly well hidden. This beer gets way better with some age on it.

M- Silky smooth and very full-bodied. You cannot ask for anything better.

D- Dangerously drinkable. This beer is incredible with some time to mellow and blend. This is how American style Russian Imperial Stouts should be.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2008 02:22:31 | More by david131

treyrab

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass

First off, I want to say I have no idea how this beer is only #100...

A: Blackest of blacks with the creamiest 1" head that dissipates slowly. This one laces and leaves a sticky resin on the sides of the glass!

S: From the smell I wasn't sure this was going to be as good as it truly was. Very rich with coffee and black malt, along with dark fruits and alcohol.

T: Wow. That is all I can say. One of the richest RIS I have had to date - almost comparable to Abyss. Very complex with cherry, black malt, coffee, dark fruits, and tons of chocolate. Slight alcohol on the finish, but nothing that is distracting.

Overall, this rivals the Abyss for most flavor and body for a RIS. One of the most richest brews I have ever had!

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2008 01:39:24 | More by treyrab

Damian

Massachusetts

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Drank from a 12 fl oz/355 ml bottle
Batch 8728
Served in a snifter
Acquired in a trade with Popkas

The beer poured an oily, viscous, absolute pitch black with a creamy, near one-finger head of reddish-tinged, saddle brown froth. Rather quickly, the head faded to a thin yet clingy ring. Spotty drops of lacing trickled down the glass with each sip.

The aroma was huge. Quite sweet overall. Milk chocolate and brown sugar notes were instantly detectable. Roasted malts came through strong. Slight char. Woody and a bit boozy with port-like accents.

The flavor profile was spectacular, and similar to the aroma in many ways. Lots of sweet malts and brown sugar up front. Roasty. Woody and slightly oaky. Coffee and maple syrup were quite noticeable in the center. The coffee flavor could be likened to that of coffee ice cream. Both milk and dark chocolate notes were apparent as well. Espresso came through strong on the finish, along with a touch of char and a pinch of piney hops. A bit smoky. Some bourbon notes appeared as well. The hops definitely showed their head more in the lingering aftertaste. Overall, an incredibly well balanced brew.

The mouthfeel was uber thick, viscous and oily. Super rich and creamy. Chewy. The residual sugars in the liquid left a sticky coating on my lips.

This beer was remarkably drinkable for a 10.5% ABV Russian imperial stout. While the flavor profile was so intense, it was also super mellow, smooth and well rounded. Perhaps the year of aging helped in this regard.

Bell's Expedition Stout is a world-class beer that unfortunately does not garner the attention on BA that it deserves. If you have not yet had the opportunity to try this, definitely seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2010 23:47:29 | More by Damian

Murph

Arizona

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

Pours a midnight black with a decent brown head that leaves a great lace all the way down the glass. Smell is of dark chocolate, slightly bitter coffee, raisins, dark fruit and some light toffee as well. Sweet chocolatey goodness starts off this brew with some slight warming alcohol in the background. Raisins and some other sweet, dark fruits are then brought in with a slightly bitter coffee finish. Extremely creamy and smooth, this brew is amazingly drinkable for its 10% abv. The alcohol is barely perceived and then only in its warming effects. This is one great beer, not quite a Storm King, but damn close. I am going to have to get some of this to sip on this winter.
A big thanks to Deuce for the sample.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2002 12:10:07 | More by Murph

Lupe

New York

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

First off, this is a HUGE beer.

Pours thick and nearly black with some ruby highlights. Small, tight brown head with nice lacing. Aromas of dark chocolate, roasted malt, and dark fruit dominate with alcohol in the backround. Full bodied, mouthfeel is smooth and thick. Many flavor hit you, this is a complex brew. Present are flavors of roasted and burnt grain, dark chocolate, licorice, espresso, raisin and other dark fruit, a dose of hops and alcohol. Slightly bitter, but more of a burnt type of bitterness than from hops. Sit back and sip this one, a big brew and a real belly warmer. Relax by the fire and enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2003 09:32:30 | More by Lupe

AtLagerHeads

Ohio

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

Wow! I've been waiting to get my hands on this beer for some time because it's from a neighboring state and has legendary reviews and ratings. Everything I've read has been impressive and so is this beer. It is without question one of the most full-bodied beers I can imagine being brewed. My first bottle poured an absolutley non-light-transmitting black with a quarter inch head that lingered for about one minute and one sip. The head was thick, creamy, and dark tan to light brown in color. The lacing was light and not clingy but lasted throughout the glass. Expect to pay $2.50 to $3 a glass at the beverage outlet.

This is a full night's beer. The taste overwhelms the taste buds and it has an immediate impact on the senses. I found the aroma to be on the light side initially, but very rich and caramelly. As the glass warmed the aromas strengthened and became much more pronounced. The taste is very full; again it overwhelms the senses with its complex blend of tastes that start somewhat sweet at the front, but end very bitter at the back. The aftertaste starts very bitter but begins to mellow to a bit of a tangy licorice spiciness as the bitters lighten. To call this a creamy, full-bodied beer is indeed an understatement. This is really rich stuff and not to be taken lightly. Wear a seatbelt and designate a driver before you sample this baby! Wow #2!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2003 17:27:33 | More by AtLagerHeads

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

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

12oz. amber bottle with no freshness dating (as if it matters). 6 months in my fridge and it has called to me every day.

Appearance: The very essence of black with this beauty. Poured a Grand Canyon-deep black with no even the faintest hint of light making its way through the edges of the glass. A wispy-thin layer of dark tan-colored head paints a new picture on the top of the beer after each sip.

Smell: All sorts of lovliness going here. Bitter baking chocolate, roasted nuts, toffee, roasted coffee beans. Dancing around the edges are hints of daark fruit.

Taste: Holy shnikeys!! This is an incredible beer. The flavor washes all over your palate, soaking it in flavor. Freshly-roasted coffee with about 8 pounds of chocolate syrup added to it. Throw in a Heath bar for good measure. Slow roast this and you have a good idea of just how big this beer is. Finishes with a long-lasting bittersweet chocolate taste on the palate, reminding you of what has just traversed your mouth. Absolutely fantastic.

Mouthfeel: Lovingly coats your palate with thick and syrupy richness. Huge-bodied and the good carbonation really helps make this a bubbly-creamy brew.

Drinkability: Briefly...very. So very well-balanced and easy on the palate. I refuse to believe that this beer is 11.5% ABV. Almost no indication anywhere in the profile do I detect any alcohol. It just got better and better as it warmed. An excellent combination of flavors make for one of the best beers I had to date.

Notes: 11.5%? Are you *sure*?

Notes, part 2: Huge thanks to fellow BA PhantomVoDoo for this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2003 01:32:27 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

StuFox

New York

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

This is a beer so dark not even light can escape it's surface. The singularity of stouts. Delicious. The Expedition Stout has a crazy array of spices that are balanced very well against the maltiness. Any thicker and you would spread mustard on it and place ham and cheese between it. My whole dinner never went down so smooth. This is a great beer that all but has to be used as the measuring stick for other stouts of this league.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2004 18:21:15 | More by StuFox

DrJay

Massachusetts

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

Completely opaque, inky black with a rich mocha head. Carbonation was on the low side, resulting in a thin head of small bubbles. Plenty of lacing and good retention. Super malty aroma, licorice, roasted, chocolate, alcohol, dark fruits to the point of being vinous. Flavour starts with some dry roasted and sweet malt, then moves on to cocoa, a moderate bitterness with light hoppiness, and alcohol warmth. Long sweet finish with plenty of roasted malts. Heavy body, chewy and viscous, low carbonation, with the texture of heavy cream. Afterwards, I poured the dregs into my glass. They came out chocolatey brown and super thick, but very chocolatey and tasty. Wow. Lots of complexity and surprisingly drinkable, with the alcohol very well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2005 00:25:49 | More by DrJay

Morris729

Texas

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

I’ve been aging this one for some time but can’t bring myself to wait any longer. Pours a thick-as-motor-oil deep black ruby color with a very creamy brown head that continues to grow taller as the beer sits for quite some time before it eventually reverses direction and starts to recede. The nose is quite rich with notes of estery alcohol, dark cherries, roasted coffee beans, and unsweetened chocolate. The aromas continue to grow stronger and develop more complexity as the beer warms. Full-bodied, thick, and creamy in texture. Taste begins with sweet roasted malts, dark toffee, and molasses followed by some rather intense notes of burnt coffee that balance out the initial sweetness. Next up are some spicy bitter hops and a bit of smoky charcoal towards the finish. The smokiness remains in a lasting aftertaste on the back of the throat. Wow, every bit as good as I was hoping—a tremendous stout.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2005 22:48:12 | More by Morris729

jakester

Pennsylvania

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

I got this as a single from Union Jack's on the Manatawny. No date on the label, but it won't matter with this.

This looks like used motor oil when you pour it. Black and thick and opaque. A one finger head of brown foam forms on top, eventually dropping to a ring and a few islands. Lacing throughout.

This just smells so fantastic. Deep, dark chocolate, mocha coffee, dried prunes and dates, very fruity and aromatic. Herbal/grassy hops, and just a hint of alcohol. Wonderful!

OMG, my mouth is so full of flavors...Super rich mocha, ultra dark chocolate cake, like a coffee milkshake. The huge malt presence is expertly balanced by a perfect amount of bittering. Chocolate covered dates, molasses, with a touch of alcohol at the end. Hard to believe this is 11.5%. Roasted barley flavor is cleverly muted by everything else. WOW! Aftertaste is a very long warm molasses flavor.

Mouthfeel is unbelieveably rich, creamy and smooth. This must age for a long time. Big sweetness, but not even slightly cloying. Lips stick together from sugars. Nice little tug at the back of your throat from bitterness. Finish is long, dark, and sweet.

I don't remember having an RIS this good. This has to be one of the best out there. At 11.5%, however, this wil knock your dick in the dirt real quick, like.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2005 20:38:09 | More by jakester