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

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

kdoc8

Oregon

4.93/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had this both on tap at the brewery and in a bottle, but reviewed from the bottle purchased at the brewery. I can't believe this is an 11.5% stout. You simply cannot taste the alcohol content at all. It pours a deep dark black color with some hints of red to it. I didn't get too much of a head from either on tap or the bottle. The little there was was dark brown in color. The aromas were so complex. Chocolates and fruits and coffee or mocha roast with just a twinge of alcohol. The taste was similar. Started out with a little bitterness and then erupting into the complexity of the malts. This was the winner of I'm Bored Tonight Stout-Off, pitted against Deschutes Obsidian Stout and Rogue's Imperial Stout. It was a hard choice - they were all amazing, but I found the Bell's Expedition to be the most complex and and exceptional. Way to go Bell's. Another job very well done.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2007 22:56:10 | More by kdoc8

xhuskr

California

4.93/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

share a bottle with friends today. Pulled a bottle out I had put away quite some time ago. Turns out...a LOONNGG time...it was a '07 Batch 8145

A...dark and glorious
S...licorice, cocoa, vanilla?
T...same as above, but a hint of bourbon?
M..smooth as silk
O...best beer I"ve had in awhile...wish I had more...

I stopped at that for the day...hard to get better.

I've been thinking of drinking more of what I've saved..great enjoyment and makes room for new beers in the rotation

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 01:18:36 | More by xhuskr

cokes

Wisconsin

4.95/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I am stunned by this amazing concoction. A masterpiece through and through. It is easly the best imperial I have tried. As good, if not better than the much heralded Storm King.

Expedition pours pitch black...light enters but cannot escape. A wispy tan head appears, but the beer itself is hardly carbonated. Makes the mouth feel wonderfully slippery.

Smell is of dark fruit, charcoal, sharp hops and alcohol. Taste contains all of these plus expresso, chocolate, molasses, caramel, and faint vanilla bean. Starts with some burnt sweetness, the comes the onslaught of the hops (cascades?). Even the huge hop profile is quickly buried beneath the avalanche of massive roasted flavors. Alcohol is not too evident (especially for 10%ABV) but provides a delighful warming sensation.

Very well integrated right now, but I can't wait to see how this matures. Kepping my hands off the rest will truly test my will-power.

Update 3.22.03:
(2yr old bottle.) Holy shit.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2002 01:07:55 | More by cokes

ManekiNeko

Virginia

4.95/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12 oz bottle served lightly chilled in a Trois Pistoles goblet.

Appearance: Inky black with no highlights whatsoever. Wow, über-dark. Topped with a fantabulously gorgeous and healthy mahogany brown head. It eventually settles down to a film and a ring, but only after a good long while. Extraordinary lacing, just plain extraordinary.

Smell: Dark roasted coffee, high quality cocoa, light prunes, mild smoke, and slight biscuit aromas. Damn, that's dark and complex. I spent a good few minutes just sniffing this incredible elixir of the gods.

Taste: Intense and bittersweet coffee flavor with hints of smoke. Notes of prunes and raisins. Aftertastes of pepper and piney hops that last forever. Just friggin' incredible.

Mouthfeel: Thick, robust body. I've often pondered comparing the body of a beer to a woman's body, but have quavered for consideration of those possessing homozygous sex chromomes. Now, I shall throw caution to the wind and just say it: if this beer were a woman, she'd have the body of a 50's starlet like Jane Mansfield of Marilyn Monroe. Va-va-voom!

Drinkability: Well, I sadly only have one bottle, and this is it. *sniff* >.< *weep* I love this. Trades will be made, oh, yess.. yes they will. Worthy of it's placement in the top 50. Curse you Bell's for making such tasty stouts of all stripes!!!

Mad crazy props to feloniousmonk for making this possible. My second child shall be named after you, even if it's a girl.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2003 04:16:43 | More by ManekiNeko

waughbrew

Massachusetts

4.95/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thick black with a slow-to-rise, not-too-tall, very dark, not-long-lasting-but-laces-some head. Smells like a salted chocolate bagel - very doughy like that. Tastes like deep cocoa fudge with mellow raspberry. Oily and strong herbage. Very nice, though I could like a little more bite. The alcohol is at a perfect level. Thick feel, but not slick and not fluffy: quite amazing really. Finish is balanced and lovely, and welcomes another sip. This is godly.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2006 01:48:24 | More by waughbrew

metallistout

Ohio

4.95/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is one damn fine beer!

This thing pours black like Florida Swamp water! The head is so foamy it looks like a giant marshmellow on top.

Smell rich in coffee and chocolate.

Tastes of coffee and chocolate malts with a dry hop finish.

Probably one of the best Imperial Stouts I have had. I love that I can buy this in a sixer.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2007 03:09:01 | More by metallistout

hopslamds

Michigan

4.95/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a pitch black, thick, with a small tan head. Aroma of roasted malt, dark chocolate, and a suttle hops. Fresh is a bit hot, which tends to mellow over time and become dangerously smooth. Definitely a wonderful beer that is readily available (when in season) and well priced. Buy and age this beer every year. This truly gets better every year.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 21:48:28 | More by hopslamds

genuinedisciple

Michigan

4.95/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Let me start by saying that Expedition and I have a history, a semi-short, but budding history. Expedition Stout was one of the first stouts I ever had. I liked it then, and absolutely love it now. The other day I happened upon a couple sixers of 2008 expedition, dusty bottles and all. Let me confirm for everyone that this beer gets much better with age.

A - very dark, would like to see a bit more lacing, but I'll get over it, because...

S - The smell is fantastic. At first sniff you get struck by coffee, but then you quickly smell chocolate as well...personally, I think you can smell some type of fruit as well, but it is hidden. I encourage people to take multiple sniffs before and during the consumption...use a snifter.

T - Well, it really depends on if you are drinking an aged or non-aged bottle. The non-aged has more harsh flavors with the coffee and chocolate really standing out. However, you can sense that this is a complex beer, but it's difficult to hit all the flavors. The aged bottles are much more mellow. The coffee flavor is not as potent and you can really taste the other flavors that are present.

O - if you couldn't tell...I give it a 5. I'd probably give the regular expedition an A-, but age it a couple years and it's a solid A+ in my opinion...but you know, "that's just like my opinion man"

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 02:16:35 | More by genuinedisciple

cretemixer

Indiana

4.97/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours thick, not really black, more of a garnet so deep it seems black. Not much head to speak of, even after a vigorous pour. Chocolate fudge & coffee aromas are so strong that I can actually taste them before I take my first sip. It almost smells like malted chocolate chip pancakes with an alcohol based currant syrup. The first sip coats my mouth and oozes down my throat warming everything as it goes down. A "belly warmer" as Gusler calls it. Bitter chocolate like fine Dutch cocoa is at the forefront, currants and port wine follow behind. The carbonation is not apparent unless you just let a swallow sit in your mouth for a while. Wow this beer has some weight to it! There's a burnt toast aftertaste that comes through at the finish and lingers for a good long while. A little more head and it would have been 5's accross the board for me.

A powerhouse of a brew that will cellar well. Another great Bells product. Their best so far IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2003 07:17:56 | More by cretemixer

jtw5877

Ohio

4.97/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

An excellent beer, pours a deep dark black thick motor oil color. Little head, but on a beer like this that is not a problem. Smells like coffee, toffee, chocolate, and caramel. A rich roasted malt experience. This beer lives up to the hype, and exceeds it.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2003 04:42:58 | More by jtw5877

santoslhalper

Pennsylvania

4.97/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearence: Pours a midnight black with a dark, chocolaty head. Leaves decent lacing. A near-perfect looking stout.

Smell: Smells of roasted nuts and chocolate with a little bit of hops shining through. Stout heaven. The sniff of all sniffs.

Taste and Mouthfeel: This tastes like a steak!! Its a steak in a bottle! Fabulously complex and perfectly balanced. There's no alcohol there what-so-ever. A huge, grand tasting beer that has to be sipped to be understood. Rich, malty goodness with a great amount of hops finishing off this well-rounded beer. I can't say enough, the best tasting stout I've had to date. Feels nice and chewy in the mouth with a rich, creamy texture that just doesn't quit.

Drinkability and Overall: I didn't think my long-time favorite Storm King could be topped, but goddammit this did it. Bell's totally suprised me with this. If this were more readily available this might be one of the few beers I drink. This is my new desert island beer. As close to perfection in a stout as you can get. Unbelievable.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2004 03:48:33 | More by santoslhalper

chargerfanjess

California

4.97/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is an incredible beer....great smell of coffee toffee and burnt sugar, mouthfeel was not to thick but thick enough to be considered big, definately not syruppy. The taste is phenominal with great toasted notes and coffee overtones Very very drinakble at a slow pace...carefull do not get too loaded!

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2006 17:15:02 | More by chargerfanjess

hopdog

Pennsylvania

4.97/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle and tap multiple times and more to come!

Poured a dark black with an averaged sized brown head. Aromas and tastes of mocha chocolates, roasted malts, and light bitter coffee. This is one good tasting beer. Alcohol content well hidden. Smooth and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2008 19:44:22 | More by hopdog

dotsonjamesg

Arkansas

4.97/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Special thanks to jcdgoad for recommending this brew to me....

I purchased this brew from liquorama.net. Not that bad of a price either but shipping costs made it a little pricey, but hopefully worth it. I would really like to point out that Russian Imperial Stout is my favorite style, so you can imagine that I tend to have somewhat of a bias concerning them. In my defense, I would like to let those who read this know that I also grade them very harsh. If this one is truly as good as I have heard, it must be truly impressive; though I have noticed the wide-array views so I am very skeptical and curious.

Served in a chilled 14oz snifter

Appearance: Whoa...probably one of the thickest, darkest ales I have ever poured. The brew had a thin, ½ finger head that quickly dissipated. I have heard some complaints stating the brew is over-carbonated. Since my head was so weak, maybe my pour wasn't aggressive enough. Still looks good to me.

Smell: Probably one of the most aromatic stouts I have ever experienced. I poured the brew and set it aside, as not to be hindered by the heat of my "super-laptop." The brew is sitting about 18 inches away from my nose and I can still smell it...not very common, even with the most aggressive of stouts. The nose is full of chocolate, fig, currants, dark roasted malts, a tinge of hops, and alcohol.

Taste: Much like its intense nose, the brew is rich with dark roasted malts, chocolate syrup, and alcohol. Starts with a smooth and intense chocolate flavor and moves in to brutal bitter, dark roasted coffee-like flavor. The bitterness is harsh and lasts for quite some time. I can see why some people have given this brew some varying reviews. It stays true to its legacy in being a Russian Stout, but it might be a little too bitter. Russian Stouts should be strong, and extremely sugary. This brew is absent of the EXTREME levels of caramelized sugars, commonly found in many Russian Stouts. The enormous, backed-up bitterness may be too intense for most people.

Mouthfeel: Thick, velvety, and very smooth. Carbonation was also pretty nice and matched well.

Drinkability: It is a definite sipper. If you can stand the extreme bitterness, it is heavenly, but you have to possess the ability to drink some of the heaviest of ales ever brewed; and this most certainly qualifies. This brew is extreme, and that's being nice. Don't let the simplistic label or bad reviews fool you...this epic-brew is anything but simplistic. Its character is tremendous and unfathomable by most, and enjoyed by even fewer.

Excuses for the bad reviews? Russian Stouts are definately an aquired taste. This one is pretty intense and not as balanced as others and will probably drive away most people who aren't use to the extreme levels of burnt-bitterness, flavor of alcohol, and syrup-like viscosity.

I would recommend this only to a seasoned Russian Imperial Stout drinker. I would also recommend a very nice cigar with this lovely brew, it would match perfectly.

Enjoy this as much as I did.

Cheers!

-Dotson

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2009 23:23:23 | More by dotsonjamesg