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

dogfishlove120

Connecticut

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours black with a burnt sugar caramel colored head. Smells raisin and plum mixed with alcohol. Taste is bitter chocolate, burnt sugar,alcohol and cofee, hints of raisin also apparent. The alcohol in this imp undoubtedly wishes to make its presence noted. A fine Imperial stout and a new top 10 for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2008 23:52:45 | More by dogfishlove120

turnblom79

Indiana

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

One of my first forays in to RIS as a newbie to crafts trying to develop my palate. I was that this beer was good enough to pour over ice cream because of its chocolate and coffee tones, and I was not let down. Excellent stout, great rich flavor. The texture was slightly syrupy and felt very pleasant. Looking forward to more from Bells.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2009 05:21:58 | More by turnblom79

notlob

Florida

3.38/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Aroma: Deep licorice, plums, and fruity-sweet alcohol.

Appearance: Pours jet-black with dark tan head that dissipates quickly.

Flavor: Very roasty with a slight alcohol burn. Some dark fruit character and I think I get some roasty-dark-chocolate notes in the finish. Good balance between the residual sweetness and bitter roasted malt, but just not the right balance for me.

Mouthfeel: Medium-low carbonation. Somewhat of a mouth-coating oil-slick.

Overall impression: Better around 55-60F than right out of the fridge. Slight alcohol warmth. Definitely a sipper.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2009 21:24:45 | More by notlob

anjah

North Carolina

4.63/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I got this aged three years from peabody's personal favorites collection. Nice, sweet smell and very dark color but not much head. Pretty strong but goes down smooth and rich with notes of chocolate/cocoa. Only complaint is that the after taste is a bit bitter.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 03:34:12 | More by anjah

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

ILhophead

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, Batch # 7740, poured into a Stone IRS glass

A: Pours with a 1/2 inch head that falls down to a thin ring of tiny bubbles around the edge of the glass. Very black, pretty viscous.

S: Smells of roasted malt, dark chocolate, raisins, alcohol, and a licorice or molasses kind of smell that I find a few of Bell's high gravity beers.

T: Very rich, strong flavor. Dried fruit, dark chocolate up front with roasted malt, a hint of coffee and alcohol coming in through the finish. Nice level of sweetness. Very tasty!

M: Nice viscosity, coats your mouth. Very warming alcohol.

D: It's pretty drinkable for an Imperial Stout but you probably wouldn't (or at least shouldn't) want more than one of these.

Overall an outstanding beer and at $2.25 a bottle it's one that I can afford to stock my cellar with. Very big beer. Big flavor, big alcohol, big enjoyment!

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2007 05:46:31 | More by ILhophead

diybrun

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass stout black (is stout black not a color? it is now) with a 1/2 finger head that left very little lacing. Smells of... hops? Maybe my nose is off, but I smell a bit of citrus, not something I'm used to from a stout. Some roasted barley, too. Carbonation is there, but it's weak. Cream and alcohol are predominant, smoked barley and hints of mocha and caramel too. Definite hop presence, especially in the aftertaste, which I don't mind. This beer has a kick, as I would expect from an imperial stout, but it isn't that balanced. I don't see myself kicking back and enjoying a couple of these. Still a perfectly enjoyable stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2010 17:17:56 | More by diybrun

DogfishJoe

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

a. this beer had little to no head, although the bottle was about 9 months old. also this is black!

s. pick up a perfect roasted malt smell with slight chocolate note.

t. great big roasted malt followed by little chocolate and leaves yh with bitter coffee.

o. good beer wish it was cheaper, way to easy to drink and no alcohol burn.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 05:52:34 | More by DogfishJoe

Shakesbeere

Texas

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

Pours like engine oil -- very deliciously dark appearance. Aroma is of alcohol and black licorice with a hint of soy. Very thick palate. Flavor is initially of smooth black licorice and sweet malt, then transforms into bitter hops and roasted molasses -- though not burnt. Some notes of earthy coffee and chocolate coruscate through to a dry, dark finish. Very thick, very viscous, very creamy, and very complex. A balanced taste between bitter hops and dark characters delivers a spectacular brew with a phenomenal finish. Spectacular! Think Dark City epiphany and dénouement. If "the limits of my language are the limits of my world", this must be near the limits of my beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2010 04:56:54 | More by Shakesbeere

ZOXXO

Kentucky

3.7/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle poured into Kapok Tree Inn tulip glass

A - Deep dark black colored with a light chocolate colored blanketing head. A tight tiny bubbled lacing

S - Chocolate coffee and to a lesser degree hops.

T - Dark chocolate, coffee, hints of dark fruit and roasted malt with a latent alcohol warming and piney hops flavor

M - Big bodied thick molten flow engulfs the palate.

D - A great first or last brew but I don't consider it a session brew, as to be expected for an Impy Stout.

Overall, I found this an enjoyable brew but could do with a little less pronounced alcohol flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 04:46:11 | More by ZOXXO

matthewalee

Indiana

4.47/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

S - bottle

A - really really black. About the darkest car oil possible.

S - 30 minutes in....smells like a hoppy fig! Love it.

T - like motor oil, which isn't a bad thing for a beer that's going to only (in my opinion) get better as mellowed out a few yrs from now. The taste is really easy, but not easy to do a lot of. In my opinion at the point, I do want some more though. I really dig Expedition Stout...its more of me not being able to completely understand this beer with the great complexity it has at this time.

M - thick mouthfeel, even on sips...Good Carbonation for this beer. Tastes GREAT overall for sure this season!!

D - not more than 1 in a sitting, but can't wait to taste some with 3-4 yrs on them.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2010 06:32:20 | More by matthewalee

DougT

Ohio

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

a: Completely black, no light can escape this one! 2 finger, chocolate brown, creamy head settled into a light covering of froth. Foam clings tenaciously to the sides of the glass even down to the last sip.

s: A little subtle at first, but once the foam subsides a nice blend of roasted malt, dark bread, and chocolate.

t: First sip the hopps popped out. Then it settled into some sweat flavors, dark chocolate, dark fruit, with some hopp bitters in the end. Flavor lingers long after the sip is complete. You can tell there's alcohol, but more in the warming sensation than in the flavor. To me that shows a well balanced brew.

m: Creamy, full bodied, just a little effervescence, coats the whole mouth well and lingers. Could use a little more carbonation, but I think it's style right.

o: One of the best Imperial Stouts I have had. Very strong, over 10%, you can feel it but it is not at the top of the taste profile. Hoppy but well balanced, not hoppy to the point of loosing the beer flavor. Malty, yeasty, creamy with good flavor and that hopp bitter in the end to lat you know it's Imperial.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 03:50:26 | More by DougT

AdamB84

Massachusetts

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

I tried this beer from my boss who had a few bottles. One of the best stouts ever tasted. Such good aroma and mouthfeel. Pretty much no head, just like motor oil and just how I like it. Rich, Coffe, and chocaltes. Definently top 5 on my favorite beers.--

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2005 21:32:38 | More by AdamB84

jsgpu90

Pennsylvania

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

Poured a dark, dark, dark chocolate color with a thin white head. I picked up a case (gotta love PA state laws where you have to buy a case) around Christmas. I just got to reviewing this and I love it. There is a sweet smoky malty taste to the beer and the carbonation was spot on. I am confused as to why some people had such a negative review of this beer because it had no off or cardboard tastes to it. There was an alcohol aftertaste and it was thicker than your average stout, but in my opinion that is the appeal of this beer. Hopefully your experience is more in line with mine than the other reviewers.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2008 03:40:26 | More by jsgpu90

tehchunk

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

A - Poured straight into a Bell's tulip glass. A very welcoming two-finger, brown head that quickly subsides into a thin ring that sits on top of an opaque, black, delicious-looking beer. Definitely looks like a Russian Imperial Stout!

S - Dark chocolate comes through the strongest. Followed nicely by roasted notes of coffee, some hint of dried fruit, slightly nutty.

T - Roasted coffee, dark chocolate, raisins plus other sweet dried fruit. Coffee is predominant & makes up the (delightfully) lingering after-taste. Lots of bitterness which is to be expected for an RIS that should mellow out nicely with some age.

M - Thick. That can be the only word to describe this beer. Smooth, creamy; pretty much everything an RIS should be. Rests nicely on the tongue with a slight tingling sensation.

D - It's about as drinkable as any other RIS. It's a true sipper that gets nice with a little warmth. Not sure I could drink more than a bottle in one sitting. Glad I got two bottles in a trade so I can age the other.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 02:47:29 | More by tehchunk

HopHearted

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-poured into a brandy snifter I had layin about. Appears thick as about 5W-30 motor oil, still a bit viscous

S- Heavy coffee and malt and a bit of a yeasty finish

T - Dark malts hit first right out of the gate. Then a nice sweet taste followed abruptly by the alcohol on the back end with some astringency to clean the palate.

M- Extremely smooth, creamy, and definitely full. Floods the palate with heavy smoked overtones and in all honesty for all you single malt fans out there a bit of peat.

O- Very good beer for after dinner, before, or with not so much. It would be great with oily or heavy foods as it would cut through anything on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 03:51:11 | More by HopHearted

broodog

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 10759 pkgd 11/1/11. Poured into a Founder's tulip

A- Pours almost jet black. Not a very lively pour. Very little carbonation. Lacing is minimal.

S- lots of roasted charachter. Nice aroma. Some molasses and chocolate behind the roasted barley.

T- love this flavor. Very well balanced beer. Plenty of roasted barley, coffee molasses.

M- Assertive. Deep, dark, thick. Everything a stout should be here.

O- spot on RIS from bells. Textbook, except for the carbonation and lacing. I'll be sipping this one all winter long by the fire. Wearing my robe and bear claw slippers after a tough day at the rat races.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 03:20:05 | More by broodog

byteme94

Florida

3.98/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is currently my fav go to beer when i want a nice RIS w/o unloading my cellar/wallet. (<3$ 12 oz.)

pours with a two finger head. hides alcohol extremely well with a nice slight hop(which i personally enjoy). Tastes a little bit bitter/burnt coffee at the end.

Overall graded on a hard scale - I give this a B, B+ :giving the A's to barrel aged RIS's. As for a grade among RIS thats not BA, an A.

I try to have these on hand at all times(make nice extra's for those that havent had) - Very nice beer!

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 23:58:58 | More by byteme94

mattbing

Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 9512 - bottled 12/18/2009

I scored this bottle at the back of the local liquor store, already with 2 years of age. My first time that I can remember with Expedition Stout, but WOW. This is an incredibly complex and drinkable imperial stout.

Pours jet black with a gorgeous brown head. I drank this outside in the 45º cold paired with a Tatuaje Black petite lancero, so the nose was somewhat frail.

This is a beautifully thick beer, with a ton of carbonation, which really brings the flavors out. Lots of roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee. So very complex, with that inimitable Bell's malt flavor. Basically no hops and almost no alcohol burn, presumably because of the age.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 01:17:22 | More by mattbing

jrsully77

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This didn't strike me as better than other RIS

Dark richness, coffee, chocolate

Excellent, the perfect blend for an imperial stout. The heavy ABV is masked completely. Heavy coffee and roasted malts. I picked up milk and dark chocolate.

Thick and satisfying

For a RIS this might be the smoothest I have ever had.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2010 19:40:11 | More by jrsully77

chiefkellen

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

-12oz bottle served in 22oz snifter
-02/23/2010 At home, relaxed

Aroma: Alcohol present with some deep caramel tones. Agitation revealed a depth of dark fruits, namely prunes, with a hint of licorice. Hops are present in the nose, but not overpowering.

Appearance: Very dark, almost black with a dark reddish/brown hue about the sides of the glass at beer's surface.

Taste: Burnt malt noted upfront with some dark fruit and caramel sweetness. Lingering bitterness from the hops caresses the palate as roasted malt sticks to the lips and back of tongue. Some coffee notes present as well as alcohol.

Palate: Full body with mild carbonation. Beer coats the mouth with flavor ending in satisfaction on back of the tongue.

Overall: Extremely enjoyable imperial stout from Bell's with great malt complexity with strong roasted notes. The hop aroma and bitterness is nice. Alcohol is present, but should mellow with age.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2010 15:21:56 | More by chiefkellen

BeerEngineer89

New York

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pitch black. Rough pour yielded nearly no head unfortunately

S- Strong smell. Tons of chocolate and some roasted smell with something that is similar to a whiskey. Not amazing but intriguing.

T- Very similar to the smell. Intriguing yet not anything I would want in an air freshener.

M-Very full and not too wet. Swishing around gives the consistency of a milkshake. Delicious.

D-For 10.5% I could drink this all night.

O- I would definitely buy this again. Not an exception life experience, but i could see this being on tap at my home bar.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 00:38:05 | More by BeerEngineer89

messyhair42

Colorado

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

From a Bell's sampler pack I was given, last of the six pack. And incredibly rare to have in Colorado.

From the bottle it has a dark red hue, in the glass it is black as night. pours with a one finger head that fades into a smooth lacing over the course of a few minutes.

Smells like licorice, figs and candy without much of a hop aroma, hops are there, but they don't stand above the rest.

Taste: Rich chocolate, plums, and dark malts. Very long aftertaste with tannins and earthy, musty hops.

Mouthfeel: lighter than I expected, It could be sweeter (heavier) and still be be well balanced. even after warming in the glass for 50 minutes it has good bubble feel on the tongue.

Overall: an excellent beer, highly quaffable for a RIS, I wish I had more than one bottle. will definitely seek out when I'm back east.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 08:08:26 | More by messyhair42

airmike

Iowa

4.03/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured bottle to snifter

A: Pitch Black, little light brown head that disipates quickly.

S: Not much in the nose, I get slight coffee, chocolate, but mostly boozy smelling alcohol.

T: Well balanced, coffee, dark chocolate, nice complex flavor, well balanced (did I already say that?). Little to no alcohol presence, well done!

M: Thick, full bodied. Coats the palate.

Overall, I think this is a very well done stout. I wouldn't say no if someone offered this to me for breakfast!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 15:12:08 | More by airmike

Adouble

Texas

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

bottle sampled from a case I found at Plaza Beverage in Pittston, PA. Bottled 12/09 found and tasted 12/10, what a find! Poured into a coffee mug on a cold snowy morning.

A- Pitch black with a thin tan head that left some fuzzy lacing around the side. Carbonation seems low and that is how I like it. Seems a fairly thick body, again, how I like it.

S- Sweet roasty aroma, Vanilla?

T- Like it smells, sweet roasty flavor gives way to a even bitter roastiness in the finish. Very smooth with a wonderful chocolate flavor Thick mouthfeel. Warms the belly!

D- Pretty high. I love this style and I could drink these all day. Very smooth at a year old with an even sweet-bitter balance.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 15:55:41 | More by Adouble