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

inebrius

Michigan

4.53/5  rDev +15%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Massive cocoa puff head that leaves stratums of lace like some sort of high school geology project. Colossal nose of coffee, chocolate and dark, ripe fruits; should have saved this one for breakfast. A creamy smooth malt spine is the vehicle for this tasty roast elixir to make its way across your buds posthaste. I wish more of Bell's stouts were as carbonated. Well done, and probably my favorite of the Kzoo stouts.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2003 21:31:49 | More by inebrius

Mitchster

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Brewed with Sumatra coffee.

OG=1.075, 7.5% ABV.

I would agree that many of the other KBC stouts are somewhat weak in the head department, but this brew pours with a luscious tan, rocky, meringue-like head, forming clingy brussels lace with every sip. Pitch black here folks. Holding it up to my halogen light, I don't even see a rim of tan at the bottom of my thin glass. Did someone mention Java? It is here in pounds. The aroma is so rich, you can actually pick up the earthy, woody characteristics of the bean. My only complaint would be that KBC should use better quality coffee next year, as this smells like an amateur bean and roast. But that would be nitpicky, because this beer is fabulous! Aroma is coffee, heavily roasted grains, cocoa powder, LOTS of chalky minerals, black walnut, and that characteristic Bell's yeast. Taste is basically like Kzoo stout with a kick of espresso...meaty, slightly syrupy mouthfeel. Rich medium-dark roast with looong coffee finish, and well balanced hops from beginning to end...adding to flavor but never dominating, letting the subtle nuances shine through. The malt balances through nicely with a wonderfully bittersweet chocolate, chalk and coffee finish. The mouthfeel is semi-astringent with roasted grains and chalk. Bitterness is quite mild. As it warms, I pick up distinct cigarette ash. Quite odd. I feel like I've been to a smokey bar.

Another unique brew from Kzoo. The late 2004 batch has been particularly better than last years. Highly recommended. I could probably put back 3-4 of these no prob.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2003 17:51:26 | More by Mitchster

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.72/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I love coffee, I love beer, I love the Java Stout, and it loves me...
The coffee stout is truly a dream-come-true for me, ever since my first sample of RedHook DoubleBlack years ago, now, sadly, missing. Well, Bell's came to the rescue, but,alas, we have to wait once a year, and then hoard the little guys to make 'em last...and their own brew is far superior, methinks...
Ebon as the night, with a big, beautiful cocoa-colored, bubbly, thick and powerful head. Incredibly aromatic! Thick with coffee, of course, chocolate, a little bit of spice, too. Excellent balance, strong, solid body. Lace is also indefatigable, like the weavings of a chocolate spider! Perfect as a long, slow nightcap, or a dessert beer. Try it over ice cream!
Only drawback is that the flavors are so rich, thick, incredible and satiating, that it would be better enjoyed in a smaller "nip" bottle, as some Imperial Stouts and Barleywines are.

....1-1-05, and I've found that this is utterly sublime when consumed at room temp....don't get it anywhere near a refridgerator. Amazing, really...if you like coffee, and you love stout, damn, but this is surely your idol, bow down before it and beg to be worthy...that bit about the nip bottles? That wasn't me talkin', that was only my concern for those who can't hack this much coffee...and who cares about them? Not me...can't run with this? Stay away, if you must...it's the ultimate sweetness for me, though...

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2003 15:42:19 | More by feloniousmonk

aracauna

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Another pitch black baby, but this time one with a nice head. The other November stouts have been a bit sluggish in this department. What starts out as lacing on the glass ends up being sheeting and was a little more difficult than usual to clean. Even left my lips a little sticky. The aroma and flavor are very roasty and fairly dry. The coffee in the beer does more to reinforce and complement the roasty malt than to actually pop in the flavor. A black chocolate is submissive to the bitter roast. The mouthfeel is a bit gritty. The sourness present in a lot of the other November stouts is only a ghost lurking behind the other flavors. This is probably the best of the group's offerings but it would have benefitted from a creamier mouthfeel with or without the grittiness.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2003 23:12:02 | More by aracauna

maxpower

Missouri

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark black color, creamy tan head, leaves a lace in my glass, strong coffee aroma and flavor very,very bitter, kind of like chewing on coffee beans, after it warms gets much more flavoful, the most bitter coffee stout I have ever had, and I like it.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2002 16:43:33 | More by maxpower

Jon

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

To say this stout is infused with coffee would be an understatement. It pours opaque with a charged up brown head. Leaves some lace down the glass. Nose is dominated by roast coffee, espresso, etc. The taste is rather roasty, as well, with a little malt character seeking through, but the majority of the taste is coffee-based. Pretty good stuff if you are a java head. Mouthfeel is solid, a little carbonated but smooth. Alcohol-wise, it packs a punch. Due to the massive implementation of coffee in this stout, I don't know how much of it I could drink, but overall, it's a solid, unique brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2002 12:06:24 | More by Jon

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

You have to like coffee to like this Stout. I don't drink coffee but I do like a hint of it in many of the Stouts I drink and enjoy. There is much more than a hint here though. Dark brown with a thin light brown head. Minimal lacing. Aroma is pure coffee. Flavor is somewhat bitter but not to the point where it becomes hard to drink. Finish is all roasted coffee with a little malt. I couldn't take this in large doses.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2002 10:15:44 | More by Dogbrick

MJR

Missouri

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a deep, opaque black body with a huge, pillowy, tan head. The head wears down in certain areas leaving creamy heaps of head...very cool appearance! There's a lot of particles at the bottom of the glass, from the yeast and being unfiltered. The head beautifully clings to the side of the glass.

Smell: Sharp coffee aroma, with a touch of sweetness. Strong roasted malt scents too. Very distinctive nose here.

Taste: The first impression I get is bitterness...from the coffee though, not a hop bitterness. Very sharp expresso and malt flavors. No hop flavor or aroma to speak of. This beer is all about the coffee bean and is quite powerful. Finishes strong and bitter.

Mouthfeel: Nice medium mouthfeel. Not too thick...again, the bitterness steals the drinker's attention. More to the oily side, rather than dry.

Drinkability: Good...but I couldn't put down more than a pint or two in one sitting. The coffee flavor is quite overpowering, though certainly welcome.

This is my second Bell's November stout I've tried and can't wait to get to the third. Gotta love a brewer with the guts to pull this off!

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2002 16:57:01 | More by MJR

Wildman

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer poured as black as the night and formed a hug foamy cascading style head that speaks of a lot of carbonation present. Circular lace just hangs on the glass with this one as it subsides. An aroma of malt and burnt coffee. A flavor of malt and burnt coffee. A rather light body for a stout. The finish had a touch of bitterness to it. My fourth of the November Stouts line.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2002 16:20:58 | More by Wildman

Realale

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Oily black in the glass, with an espresso crema-like cap of foam.

Nose is dark-roasted coffee and malt, with an appetizing bitter note. Rich and oily on the palate, but with a firm acidic backbone which keeps the richness in check. Good bitterness, but its more coffee bitterness than hop bitterness. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2002 12:24:37 | More by Realale

zerk

California

4.18/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep... opaque... black... with an impressive light brown head that leaves a lot of lace on the glass. Aroma is very much roasted coffee with a touch of sweetness. Flavor is bitter... not like hops bitterness... like eating spent coffee grinds bitterness... in a very good way. It's also balanced by just a touch of sweetness. Very thick almost oily mouthfeel, with a very smooth finish. This is a wonderful stout... as a matter of fact, I have to end this review, just because it's taking time away from enjoying this beer. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2002 14:16:05 | More by zerk

cokes

Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

No b.s. in the label. They tout the use of coffee and it shows.
Oily pour results in a black body with ever-so-slight tan edges. Big tan head to boot.
Drying roastedness on the nose. Lightly grainy. Mocha undertones (overtones?).
Rich coffee taste. Speed-freak expresso. Bitter-chocolate wafer cookies lie underneath. Begins to become sweeter midway with toasted vanilla bean flavorings and more pronounced chocolate. But is then dunked again into the roasted bean abyss. Grainy finish with subtle flourishes of alcohol.
Beefy body is well carbonated.
Nicely done. A "kill two birds with one stone" beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2002 00:22:47 | More by cokes

putnam

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

My coffee tasting brain is confused. It smells equally of American roast, tart, strong coffee (Colombian?) and Euro-roast, black, oily beans. There is caramelized fruit there too, and a certain Reggiano cheesiness. Hints of Citrus leaves, roasted tomatoes, chocolate, cumin and black tea appear as well. But without question, this is at least half coffee. I give Larry and crew high marks for making such an interesting beer. It is completely undrinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2002 17:33:35 | More by putnam

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First off, I love coffee...the stongest black expresso isn't too much for me. That said, here's my review.

Head as stiff as puff pastry, nice and big...sweet and deep aroma. opaque black color. Bitter oily expresso taste upfront, almost like coffee beans themselves. Malts soften taste somewhat. Just a mild fade in flavor, coffee in the aftertaste as well. Sweet smells and bitter taste work well on a deep drink. Nice idea and an interesting take on a bitter Stout. For coffee lovers, this goes beyond a typical Dry Stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2002 09:08:41 | More by ADR

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

You need to be careful pouring this one. It's pretty charged up. You get a big rocky brown head. Very evident coffee aroma on the nose. Opaque color. Burnt malts on the nose also. The coffee taste is not subtle in this beer. It meshes so nicely in this brew. I am not a coffee drinker, but absolutely love this beer. There's a bit of carbonation in this one. Besides coffee, I get toffee and roasted undertones. A great bitterness present from coffee and Roasted malts rather than hops. I've had coffee stouts from New Glarus, Lakefront and Redhook (Double Black Stout). While those are all very good, this one is in a class by itself.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2002 00:26:52 | More by Bighuge

steorn

Minnesota

4.9/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

obviously a new favorite.fantastic nose w coffee but not overpowering .it draws you in and then delivers on the promise. well rounded for a brew with something added(coffee,fruit,etc...) fantastic from first sip to last.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2002 21:46:57 | More by steorn

ZAP

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

-Thick creamy head..musty coffee aroma..burnt musty coffee bean flavor..definitely a different taste to this one...nice specialty stout...creamy, tasty, different

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2001 22:39:34 | More by ZAP