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

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

maxpower

Missouri

4.72/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Dark black color, pours like motor oil, sweet fruity aroma of raisons, plums and chocolate, hardly any head, a few bubbles and they are brown, huge roasty malty and fruity flavors, has a thick, full mouthfeel, leaves deep roasty flavors on my tongue, this is one hell of a stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2002 14:05:49 | More by maxpower

ZAP

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The King of Imperial Stouts in my opinion....we did a blind taste test a few years back and everything else paled in comparision..this is thick...rich...and chewy....black in color with a tinge of ruby red...no light gets through....the nose is sweet dark fruits, burnt malts, dark cocoa, and alcohol...mouthfeel is not quite as overbearingly thick as I remember...don't get me wrong because it is thick, but it is surprisingly drinkable...taste mimicks the nose. The dark cocoa and burnt malts emerge at first but as it warms it I get more of the sweet dark fruits....finishes with a dry bite...outstanding beer..among the best I've tried...

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2002 22:14:05 | More by ZAP

zerk

California

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I'll start off by saying that I'm not a big fan of Imperial Stouts... they are usually too powerful flavorwise for me to really enjoy. Having said that, there is absolutely nothing I can fault in this beer... black as can be, with a thick reddish brown head that leaves a ton of lace on the glass. Aroma is full of complixety... coffee, chocolate, cherries, port wine... and on the first sip, I was knocked to my knees with flavor... it began with some sweet and sour port-like flavors... then the chocolate and rum, finishing with creamy and bitter coffee. It feels thick and oily in the mouth, but has quite a bit of carbonation. This is a HUGE beer, and not something you drink quickly. Even though I don't really care too much for the style, I can definately appreciate the craft and care that went into making this fine brew.

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Reveiw edited on Jan 22, 2003

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Although I still find this to be a fine beer, I'm altering the scores based off of a blind veritcal tasting against other Imperial Stouts. Expedition was basically middle-of-the-pack for the style, in my mind.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2002 11:51:29 | More by zerk

MJR

Missouri

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

Appearance: Blacker than any other stout I've ever encountered...no light gets through at all. A massive head forms as the bottle is poured and stays a good size the whole time.

Smell: All kinds of aromas here: roasted grain, burnt malt, chocolate, molasses, and a bit of licorice. I could be happy just smelling this beer...well, almost.

Taste: The flavor is just as complex as the smell. There is just so much flavor in here, novices are warned to stay away! There's a 'huge' malt flavor that is balanced quite well with a 'massive' hop bitterness. Starts with a hop tingle on the lips, moves to the malt flavors, then the hop bitterness comes in as you swallow. Amazing.

Mouthfeel: Huge, thick, oily...enough said.

Drinkability: Good for a 10%abv brew that makes 10W30 motor oil seem like water. I can't imagine ever drinking more than, say, 2 of these in one night, but this kind of beer you pull out for special occasions or when the mood strikes you.

My absolute favorite of the style. The shear breadth of this brew is incredible and something every beer lover should try at least once.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2002 00:17:57 | More by MJR

Wildman

Ohio

5/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer poured as black as oil and almost the same texture. The head was huge, bubbly and a very dark brown color, leaving some nice lace. The aroma was amazing and had many things going on. I detected chocolate, coffee, anise and other smells. The flavor was of chocolate and burnt coffee. The finish included some of the burnt aspect. This is an amazing stout and another fine addition to the Bell's line. I am just sorry that living in Ohio(next door)it took me and the state this long to get it. This one is not for the weak and definately a sipping style of beer best done in a snifter. The amazing impact it does on all sensory levels still amazes me, even the off year with no carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2002 22:17:55 | More by Wildman

mjohn27603

Michigan

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

From 12 oz bottle no best before date. Pours black as asphalt, very opaque. As Spinal Tap might say, "None blacker." Head developed very big oozing over the edge of the glass and unfortuantely wasting some. Aroma is of figs, roasted malt, raisins, and licorice. Taste has lots 'o stuff going on. The beer is sweet, roasty, and bitter all at the same time. A warming alcohol presence is felt. I'm getting a flavor almost like raspberry with chocolate. The only reason it doesn't give 5's all around is I couldn't imagine having more than one so drinkability is less than perfect.

By the way, if you are looking for a special treat I recently attended a beer class at Henry Ford Museum where the dessert course was an Expedition Stout Float. They added a scoop of vanilla ice cream to Expedition Stout and it was truly a great ending to a meal. I know it is hard to sacrifice one for an experiment but if so inclined give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2002 21:50:02 | More by mjohn27603

Realale

Missouri

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

This example was cellared for about two and a half years.

Absolutely opaque black color. Can't see any light through it even when held up to a 225 watt light bulb.

Head was a little less than in the past, but a persisitent espresso-crema-like cap of foam is there and remains throughout the pint.

The nose is roasty coffee and chocolate with incredible sweet fruity notes of dates and dried cherries. There is no hop aroma, but a definite bitter note exists in the nose.

Amazingly thick and rich on the palate, but a very fine beaded carbonation keeps it from being too much. There is a ton of malt character, but its not sweet, and its well-balanced by a coffee-like bitterness. In fact, the lingering impression is one of bitterness, but the good kind that just keeps making you reach for another sip.

Simply stated, a triumph of the brewer's art. IMHO this is even better than a bottle sampled from this six pack about five months ago - the fruity complexity was much greater here. Still one bottle left, and can't wait for a cold night in front of the fireplace to try it!

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2002 07:40:24 | More by Realale

Jon

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Everything about this beer is huge. It pours truly black with a small, brown head that leaves some nice lace. The smell and taste is of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate and hops. Just huge on the palate. This is easily Bell's best stout (which says a lot), but it certainly isn't one that I could drink one after another. It's just an excellent imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2002 21:54:25 | More by Jon

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

inebrius

Michigan

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

Christ it was dark. Dark and damp, but I had to move on. I started by probing the darkness and cutting a swath through the dense roasted barley jungle. Juicy currants bathed my sides and cacao beans landed on my back. Vines of hop wrapped around me in bitter spite but I kept on, through the clouded mire of malt, I kept on. I kept on and a sense of elation had begun to wash over me. It wrapped me up in its warm and furry embrace and I was happy now. It was right and good now. It was Expedition Stout.

Cheers to Deuce for the sample!

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2002 23:48:13 | More by inebrius

aracauna

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Imperial Stout Blind Tasting notes (11-16-02): Another no-header. Pitch black. Nice rich aroma, chocolate fruitiness, coffee. The flavor is bitter, nice roasty. Creamy mouthfeel. Smooth.

It didn't matter how hard I poured the beer, there was no head gonna form. This is an intensely black beer that sucks the light from the surrounding aread giving it a sort of dark halo. Light can't even pass through the edges. When you pour, you immediately pick up chocolately, coffeeish aromas before you even lean in for a sniff. Upon closer inspection a bit of caramel can be picked up. The flavor is very similiar to the smell except that it explodes on your tongue and can be overwhelming at first. Huge. It leaves the same aftertaste as dark coffee with cream. The mouthfeel is very creamy and chewy. It's a very rich, dessert-like beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2002 00:00:01 | More by aracauna

Viking

Indiana

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

Black as pitch? Black as midnight? No, those are understatements. Expedition Stout is the very definition of the color 'black'. And it's got a nice thick, brown head with excellent retention. Few non-nitro brews hold a head like Expedition Stout.

Aroma is filled with rich roasted malt and chocolate, with something spicy which I can't quite place (licorice maybe?) and a bit of coffee and caramel. Very rich and complex, very well blended aroma. Taste 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.

This beer is thick and oily. Perhaps a bit too thick, but still incredibly smooth. Surprisingly drinkable considering the thickness of the brew along with the high abv (something around 10% I think?). This will certainly be one of the brews I keep around for Sunday breakfast!

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2002 18:17:28 | More by Viking

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Crikey, this poured out like dirty oil out of a crankcase! Black as night, dark yellow skim on top. Coffee and lemon aromas, very rich and inviting. Thick, thick, thick mouthfeel... Molasses, some coffee, and a dense and vaguely cherry flavor. Java at the back of the throat. Sharper and a little richer than Storm King, if a tad less flavorful and without the fruitiness. In some ways, a highly unique beer among beers. Bitter as all get out. Skoal on this one. It can come off as unidimensional, and that is something that can annoy me about some Imperial Stouts overall...

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2002 11:05:47 | More by ADR

Bighuge

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer pours like motor oil. It is midnight black in appearance. Beautiful. With a creamy brown head that has some retention. On the nose, I get deep roasted malt, burnt tones, anise and licorice. Smells great. The sensory overload on the buds with the first taste is incredible. Coffee, cocoa, burnt malt, licorice, dark fruits, bittersweet chocolate and a HUGE bitterness that I love. One thing that I do not note is a significant alcohol taste. (Surprising being that it is 10%.) Saying that this beer has a full body is like saying that Claudia Schiffer is good looking. Both are understatements. This is a brew to behold.

This is the first brew I've rated 5's across the board. (I've reconsidered my stance of not giving all 5's after seeing somebody's opinion that all 5's mean exceptional in every category, but not necessarily the Perfect Beer, which I believe may be impossible to find.)

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2002 21:21:28 | More by Bighuge

proc

Michigan

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Re-rate 1/15/03: What an intense beer. It breaks all rules and it will break your spirit if you aren't ready for it. Pours out to the darkest of dark. Picture being in a pitch black room with no lights. No head to speak of visible. Initial aroma is that of fruit, coffee and molasses. Taste is a veritable explosion starting with plums and raisins and ending with a wonderful hop bite. A beer to sip and enjoy not pound. A beer for serious beer drinkers who have developed thier palates. Excellent.

Original Rating 4/3/02: Out-freakin' standing. Wonderful beer. Dark as the darkest night, with an alcohol presence that lets you know you are going to be warmed up. Very full flavored, with malt that creeps up on you as the beer warms in the glass to the point that you sit back and say..."Wow". Not a beer that you just open and throw back, but one in which you chill out and enjoy. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2002 09:23:04 | More by proc

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

WiscoBrewsco

Wisconsin

4.93/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

On tap at Fox River House in Appleton, WI

Appearance - Poured a night black, little to no carbonation, slight tan head that didn't linger long

Smell - Sweet chocolate mixed with wet hops and roasted malts

Taste - Wow what a mix of flavors for a stout. Off the bat a massive thick malt bill with loads of chocolate steal the show but then it transitions into an almost salty sweet roasted malt flavor that carries you right into a dank hop flavor that finishes with a sweet milk chocolate aftertaste

Mouthfeel - The mouthfeel is thick but not quite to the level of being chewy, but almost

Overall - This is a fantastic stout. One of the five best I have ever had and personally I think it is a better offering than Bell's highly acclaimed Black Note Stout. If you are a fan of stouts you have to try this one. Simply amazing

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2013 23:49:01 | More by WiscoBrewsco

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

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

brewsclues

Pennsylvania

3.29/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the Sharp Edge (Pittsburgh, PA).

Appearance: Pitch black, tan head. Pretty nice to look at. Stout-y!

Smell: Whoa, did we just sit down next to a campfire?

Taste: Did someone just throw dark, bitter chocolate and molasses on a campfire and put it in my pint glass? (Thought so.)

Not subtle. Too smokey. Too bitter at the end. Massive, bold tastes in all the wrong ways.

I'll admit: I don't get this beer. I'm sure the 2,602 people who have reviewed this as a 94 are right and I'm wrong. I think this is a slightly above average beer, even for a stout. Another example of an "extreme beer" that sacrifices subtle and complex characteristics that ease into your palette for an "in-your-face" marketing pitch. I enjoy stouts and I could barely finish this beer without a splitting headache - you know, the type you get from smoke inhalation.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2013 05:44:50 | More by brewsclues

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

Mavigo

Michigan

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

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

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

S: smells woody, chocolatey, boozey, smoky

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

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

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

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2012 02:37:11 | More by Mavigo