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

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle to snifter.

A - thickfreakness dark; mocha head; significant lacing and retention; also, dark

S - roasted malt; a bit of dark coffee; some slight sweetness via bakers chocolate; just a touch of leather

T - dark chocolate; dark coffee; some espresso; malty; sweet and syrupy; roasted/smokey; a decent amount of hop presence; maybe burnt maple syrup

M - obviously this beer is pretty heavy; full-bodied, but smoothly carbonated; creamy; alcohol heat present but not overwhelmingly so; pretty smooth overall

O - a damn tasty stout that packs a pretty serious punch of heat and roasted malt, coffee flavor; it's drinkable but will sit you down in a hurry because of that 10.5; there are some bitter chocolate notes present but the balance is there for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 01:45:55 | More by SkeeterBoganski

DevilsCups

New York

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

12oz bottle I've been sitting on for some time. Bottled 11/01/11.

A - Pitch black with a nice dark mocha head. Big legs, minimal lacing.

S - Sweet and roasted malts with some awesome milk chocolate notes. Slight bit of smoke. Smells fantastic.

T - Very roasted malts up front with dark chocolate and smokey notes in the finish. Hops are still hanging around, and pleasantly cut through the sweet malts used.

M - Coats pretty nicely. Carbonation is still pretty up there, but works. Leaves a nice smoky chocolate flavor in the mouth.

O - Fantastic. If this was a limited release 22oz every year, people would go nuts over it. Good on Bell's for doing this in sixxers. Fantastic beer. I got this as an extra in a trade, but it will be the main-piece in a future trade. Fits somewhere between Rasputin and Founders Imperial Stout flavor-wise.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 03:29:16 | More by DevilsCups

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a finger high dark tan head that has excellent retention properties and hardly died down and left lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: There are moderate aromas of roasted malts in the nose along wit some hints of licorice.
T: The taste is similar to the smell, although the licorice becomes more prominent as the beer warms up and lingers through the finish. A light to moderate of bitterness is present.
M: It feels a little more than medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonated. All of the roasted malts make the finish feel dry.
O: This beer is quite drinkable considering the strength because the alcohol is well hidden from the taste (provided you can get past the roastiness).

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 03:46:17 | More by metter98

BrownNut

Florida

3.78/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Oct 2, 2012 batch, drunk Dec 10, 2012. Bottle to tulip. Served cool.

A - 3.75 - Black. Rusty tan head that dissipates quickly. Want more.

S - 3.5 - The smell is fairly faint. What's there smells delicious, but it's just distant. Gentle chocolate malt, gentle hint of leather. There's a facet that reminds me a little of certain pumpkin ales, surprisingly. Almost some fruit, almost some liquor.

T - 3.75 - Strong burnt char note right out of the gate. Fairly bitter for that reason. Hint of chocolate in the background. It's hard to imagine any kind of delicate fruit taste surviving in this harsh environment but I swear I get a little something - not sure what kind. Pretty hot booze in the throat. I like that but many might see it as too much. Everybody says to cellar this one anyway so that should take care of that. It gets easier drinking farther down in the glass, but still has a fairly bitter char thing going on, more than I think is reasonable. It's over the top with burnt taste while young like this. Looking forward to trying it this time next year and the next.

M - 4.5 - Heavy bodied, viscous, approaching pudding feel. Ends kind of powdery inside the slippery.

O - 3.75

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 00:29:21 | More by BrownNut

whendeathsleeps

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours thick motor oil black, tan two finger head, decent retention, nice lacing.

S- Dark roasted malt, anise, bakers chocolate, woody.

T- Dark chocolate, espresso, boozy, some dark fruits, a little bitterness from the hops to balance things out, let this one warm, it shines then.

M- Like you would expect from the pour, full bodied, thick, silky smooth, a little alcohol warming.

O- A good, not great RIS, the mouthfeel is excellent, I much prefer Ten Fidy to this, but I would go back to this for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 00:07:23 | More by whendeathsleeps

fmccormi

New York

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Straight pour from a 12oz pry-off bottle to a Cigar City snifter; bottling date printed in black ink along with batch information near the bottom of the back label (“11503 PKGD 10/22/12 A”), indicating a packaging date of October 22, 2012. So, currently about six and a half weeks old.

Appearance (4.0): Well, dark. Very dark. With a one-finger head of extraordinarily fine-grained foam that’s almost milk chocolate-hued, this beer has a black body that turns a deep brown at the edges when held to the light. Decent retention and lacing: while relatively sparse, the lacing is evenly distributed and sticks around pretty well, which is good for a malt-forward beer of this size. Sure looks like an imperial stout to me.

Smell (4.0): There’s some nice molasses with a bit of anise underneath, layered over a nice, not overly acrid roasted malt character—just a nicely balanced dark, roasted malt / sweet, dark, rich, unrefined sugar blend. Dark fruits (raisins, prunes) and caramelized sugar, with some rich fruitcake. Also, there are some floral, citrusy hops in the background, which somehow do not clash with the roasted malt body. Lovely smelling beer.

Taste (4.5): Very solid, rich, malty body: some of that sturdy-but-not-syrupy-sweet molasses sweetness blends into some rich grain character (more of that fruitcake action), which gives way to an almost shockingly smooth roast. French roast coffee, rich and very dark chocolate, caramelized sugar and toffee, and almost none of the acrid bitterness you might expect. There’s some floral hop character in here, too, though it’s easy to miss—kind of flashes across the palate early on and then surfaces again, subtly, as a grassy-floral bitterness in the finish. And somehow, despite being an RIS weighing in at 10.5% ABV, there’s very little alcohol heat. It’s there, sure, but it’s built into the body well and just adds another layer, if you ask me. And that is especially remarkable, considering that this is less than two months old.

Mouthfeel (4.5): Fantastic feel. Rich and thick, viscous but smooth (not syrupy), with a rich, evenly-distributed carbonation that coats the entire mouth and foams nicely on the way down. Voluminous, sleek, soft. Just greatness here.

Overall (4.0): Damn. This is an incredibly solid brew. It’s not a mind-blowing Russian Imperial Stout, I suppose, but kind of like Two Hearted it does everything it’s supposed to do and it does it all extremely well. It manages to be SO SMOOTH while pulling off so much flavor, body, and density. And it’s pretty damn fresh, too. What a great brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 04:41:44 | More by fmccormi

jucifer1818

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A:deep, deep, deep black. I can see my refection in this beer is so perfectly dark and black, and it looks amazingly inviting.
light head, tho I cant complain for a beer this strong (which usual has low head retention)
5/5

smell: smells beautiful of chocolate...like chocolaty, light toffee, light fudge malt goodness
its beautiful
5/5

Taste: very forward with the hops, starting strong for a bit before being overtaken by the malt. Smoked malt, very dark caramel, black patent, roasted barley, and dark chocolate malt are all present with a slight hint of coffee malt as well)
no taste of the 10.5% ABV
aftertaste is of freshly grounded coffee and dark bakers chocolate
4.5/5

mouth-feel: slick, grainy, malty, and slight syrupness, yet still easy to drink
4/5

overall: its a fine example of a heavenly stout that goes as black and flavorful as possible.. Could had been a bit lighter on the hops to allow the malt to shine even more, but that's just my own prefrances, this brew balances both aspects of brewing flavors, and finds a beautiful balance for a beer of this heavy level of hoppyness and matlyness

A well earned 5/5

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 07:03:37 | More by jucifer1818

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bell's Expedition Stout. Battle of the Vintages. 2011 vs. 2012.

2012:

Pours a soft black with a half-inch of mocha head. Not much of the foam wants to stick to the glass. Very gluggy out of the bottle, like spent oil. 4.0

Smells like bitter mocha, unsweetened chocolate, giant roast, pine hops, earthy aromas, espresso, and dried red raspberry. Punchy nose with an enormous malt bill. You don't need to point your nose too close to get that delectable stout essence. 4.5

Heavily-charred with dusty mocha powder, burnt notes, alcohol, blackberry, caramelized sugars, pine from the hops, licorice root, and hefty bitterness. Just a beast of a stout, flavors fitting for the coldest and darkest nights. The booze makes it near-spicy deep into the finish with hot breaths from the strength making your mid-section warm and wooly. Quite yummy fresh. I'm excited for the year-old. 4.0

Full body with some gumminess and smacking-lip stick. Big and warm without being hot and undesirable. Carbonation is a staunch-medium. 4.5

Overall - 4.0

2011:

Poured a less uniform black with some browning hue taper along the edges as the liquid filled the glass. Head formed at a similar height as the fresh vintage, but looked a half-shade darker brown. Leaves the glass almost entirely clean, but a firm ring remains. 4.0

Syrupy chocolate nose punctuates a melty-rich malt nose. Sweet coffee-and-cream notes swell in and out around the fudgy dark chocolate and booze. Peatier and sweeter dark malts offer more raisin and prune and dark caramel. Truly, Expedition Stout has decomposed beautifully. 4.5

Chocolate-y and syrupy with milk caramel and loud fermentables. The roast is much softer and the beer is sweeter and less bitter. Less coffee, more decadent. Dark and milk chocolate, CowTails caramel creme, roasted grain, raisin, alcohol, fruit rot, soft pungent cheese, rotted berries, torched sugar, and light minty pine. 4.0

Thick body with a medium-to-light carbonation and warmly-reminding strength. Smooth and coercing. 4.0

Overall - 4.0

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 04:50:04 | More by thecheapies

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from tap into snifter at holy grale in Louisville. Look is amazing...black with thick 3 finger tan brown head. Aroma is roasted malts and a bit of hoppy coffee
Taste is nice...bitter roasted coffee malts followed by a bit of sweetness. Its a bit over bitter but nice. Its a good brew especially for the price and availability.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2012 01:44:53 | More by DrinkSlurm

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.15/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass at cellar temperature.

L – Deep black color with a big 4-finger bubbly brown head. Amazing retention and great lacing.

S – Typical RIS aromas of chocolate, vanilla, molasses, and dark fruits like plums and figs.

T – Starts off sweet with dark fruits, chocolate, vanilla, and molasses. Bitterness begins to build mid-taste and comes to a crescendo at the finish with lots of roasted barley. Alcohol is apparent.

F – Full-bodied with good carbonation for the style, a creamy and velvety-smooth mouthfeel, and a bittersweet and dry finish. Dark fruit sweetness lingers. Alcohol warmth is definitely apparent.

O – This is a very tasty RIS. The alcohol is certainly apparent here, but the beer is not hot by any means. It would probably smooth out nicely with some age. If I get my hands on another one, I’ll hold onto it for a year and see how it does. Still, for a young imperial stout at 10.5% ABV, it is very drinkable. Bell’s strikes again.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 02:02:10 | More by BlackBelt5112203

JamesShoemaker

New York

4.13/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into my snifter. Thanks to kylelenk for two bottles of this brew. I had regular access to this when I lived in Michigan; glad to have another shot at it.

A - black as soot, not a lot of carbonation even with the forced pour. The foam is a nice light brown, lacing up the sides.

S - a little too much cleaning product here. There's something empty about the smell, even when I really stick my nose in there and sniff. Toasty. My girlfriend says "liquor, bourbony," but I don't get it.

T - probably the roastiest, toastiest stout I've ever had. Super burnt tasting malts. I may not want to drink more than one in a sitting, but it's unique enough to earn a 4.5.

M - good, it's ridiculously smooth. I read Jason's review of this before I read mine and couldn't believe he didn't find this smooth. Very little carbonation, hardly any syrup, smooth.

O - I like this beer a lot. It's like the stout version of Two Hearted, the other tried and true offering by Bells.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 01:32:03 | More by JamesShoemaker

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