Bell's Special Double Cream Stout - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

rsenters29

Michigan

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I just the rich aroma's and dark compexity of Bell's Double Cream Stout,it' smooth creamy and sweet taste give this stout a 'A' in my book,the over all essence of the tones blend well with it as it is roasted,the malts that are used play a key role in finishing this wonderful stout on the palate soft!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 05:32:41 | More by rsenters29

Mgm54

New York

4.11/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Serving Type - 12oz bottle, review from memory and notes

A - Deep black with no light coming through, with a nice tan head

S - Malty sweetness, with some dark fruit and chocolate

T - Sweet cream up front, some burnt notes and dark fruits, and then ends with more sweetness. This tastes like what it is called.

M - smooth cream, the mouth feel of this is very surprising that this was accomplished without Nitro

O - Great beer, and tastes like the name. Very creamy, and just enough sweetness

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 21:38:00 | More by Mgm54

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.81/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – The beer is served a nearly pitch black color with a fine, thin tan colored head. The head fades very fast to leave only a light level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is on the sweeter side with a good presence of chocolate and a nice sweet lactose/milk aroma. Mixed with these smells are notes of a light coffee smell as well.

Taste – The taste begins with some flavors of a sweet milk chocolate and a roasted malt flavor. While upfront there is a good sweet milky presence, as the taste advances the sweet loses some of its ground and the flavor becomes more bitter and darker in nature. While this occurs, some lighter earthy hop flavors start coming to the tongue. These, in the end, when combined with the more roasted, lightly sweet, and darker chocolate flavors create a very nice roasty flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the slightly thicker and chewier side with a carbonation level that is rather average. The thicker body was quite nice for the darker and roasted flavor of the brew and made it drink more like an 8-9 % abv brew as opposed to its 6.1 % abv nature.

Overall –Quite a tasty brew. It’s a “not too overly sweet” and fairly roasty cream stout. Well worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2013 00:16:58 | More by Darkmagus82

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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

L – Black color with a 2-finger frothy, rocky, tan head. Nice retention but not much lacing.

S – Mostly chocolate, vanilla, and some roasted coffee. There’s also a bit of licorice and maybe some molasses here, too.

T – Starts off sweet with chocolate, vanilla, and some molasses and finishes with smoothly bitter roasted coffee.

F – Medium-to-full-bodied with good carbonation, a sticky and creamy mouthfeel, and a sweet and slightly bitter finish. Bittersweet dark chocolate flavors linger for a little bit.

O – This is a good stout. The aroma and flavor aren’t quite as robust as they could be and the mouthfeel is a little short of the wonderful, velvety feel that great stouts have, but this is still a tasty and drinkable beer with all the elements that it should have. It’s not a big stout, but no one ever said it should be. Nice beer from Bell’s.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 22:54:08 | More by BlackBelt5112203

Alextricity

Michigan

3.74/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 10/18/12 and poured into a Sam Adams "perfect pint" glass.

Appearance: Pitch black ... no light getting through this one. There's about a two finger head that goes away pretty swiftly, but there's some fantastic brown lacing.

Smell: Fantastic. Super sweet milk chocolate aromas, coffee, caramel, sweetness... make this beer a damn candle.

Taste/feel: Up front you get that extremely creamy texture which is awesome -- smooth all the way through. The taste is somewhat burnt, which turns me off a good bit, but the bitterness isn't too extreme, and the super roasty malt flavors make it pretty drinkable. Overall, somewhat disappointed with this. The smell was promising, but the taste left a lot to be desired ... it's just sort of bland. Still, it's easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 21:28:44 | More by Alextricity

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.8/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a fresh growler

A- pours pitch black with just a thin ring if dark tan head that dissipates quickly leaving no lace.

S- sweet chocolate and cocoa powder, a bit of bitter coffee, maybe some raisin as well.

T- sweet and creamy chocolate with just a bit of vanilla and coffee. The finish is roasted, but very subtle. Not as smoky as a usual stout which leads to a softer, creamier finish.

M- medium body with moderate carbonation, very smooth mouthfeel, finishes slinky creamy

O- very drinkable with a pleasant chocolate linger on the back end. My wife hates beer, specifically stouts, and she actually didn't make her usually disgusted face when she tried this. The underlying roasted character gives it more drinkability and would be a good option for ose who don't quite have the palate for super roasted and smoky stouts.

Serving type: growler

01-11-2013 19:25:18 | More by Treyliff

carolinahophead

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

2012 Edition
A: Poured a dark color with a little head .
S: Roasted malt , smoke,dark chocolate and cream is present .
T: It is quite smooth and with nice bitter finish. Do like the big front dark start and stout finish.
M: A good medium mouthfeel , good finish and well balanced. This might make a great food pairing beer. Can you say a hearty stew.
O : Bell's does make great beer and this no exception . Make a winter choice for sure and share it with friends.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 21:31:09 | More by carolinahophead

rangerred

Tennessee

4.23/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours pitch black with a thick two finger dark tan head. While the head does fade there is a constant thin cap over the beer throughout. Really nice lacing all the way around.

Dark chocolate, vanilla, and caramel immediately jump out at me in the aroma. There is definitely a healthy dose of roasted barley and chocolate malt in this. No hops detectable at all. This aroma is all malt.

Tons of roast right away in the flavor. Bitter bakers chocolate along with just a hint of vanilla and some caramel. There is almost a cappuccino-like quality to this although the coffee characteristics are quite faint. Some dark fruit floats around in the background and comes forward for a split second midway through the taste. No real hop flavor but lots of bitterness reminiscent of a good strong coffee or a piece of dark chocolate. Nice thick mouthfeel with a creamy sweetness.

Overall, an amazing stout for only being 6%. There is a ton of flavor packed into a small package in addition to excellent body. A great winter beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 01:03:01 | More by rangerred

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

4.45/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12-ounce bottle into an over-sized, tulip-shaped Duvel glass.

A: Nearly black in color with deep mahogany and garnet highlights that shine at the edges of the glass beneath a two-finger head of tan foam which bubbles down to a slick resin that leaves a ring of creamy lacing around the glass.

S: Robust, sweet and roasty, with hints of licorice, coffee and dark cocoa nibs in the nose. A subtle, dark raspberry aroma combines with the roasted malts to add some fruitiness in the smell.

T: Smooth, rich, creamy and burnt malt flavors hinge on the bittersweet roastiness of this robust cream stout. Initial flavors of rich chocolate and whole cream give way to subtle, burnt wood, smoke and tobacco leaves. There is a fine, fruity and bitter herbal hop resin that sneaks onto the palate with a roasted black malt flavor. The finish is bittersweet, yet balanced, leaving some residual smokiness and creamy, chocolate flavors on the palate.

M: Full-bodied, incredibly smooth and satisfying stout which incorporates equal parts rich, creamy malts and bracing, resinous, yet subdued hops.

O: A toast to the roast of this incredibly rich, yet well-balanced and supremely flavorful American Stout! At 6.1% ABV, it would make for a nice after-dinner drink before or with rich vanilla custard or chocolate torte topped with raspberries. It's malts varieties play so well off one another, only adding roasted bitterness to the artfully used hops.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 02:33:56 | More by Gambrinus1184

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a nonic pint.

A - Pours jet black, with a two-finger creamy head of brown foam. Head has excellent retention. Big patches of clumpy lacing.

S - Oh wow. Big, rich aroma of roasted oats, chocolate, and coffee. Smells divine.

T - Great tasting blend of barely burnt grains, espresso, vanilla, and bakers chocolate. Some earthy hops bring bitterness, but "roast" is the star here. More grainy and bitter than sweet. Flavors are rich, and it suprises me how much flavor is packed in here without rolling over into "burnt/charred" territory. A little metallic oxidation in the finish.

M - Medium-bodied with aggressive, prickly carbonation. Slight overcarbonation winds up highlighting some grainy elements where it could be more creamy, and is a minor flaw in an otherwise perfect presentation.

O - A really solid stout, and as close as you can get to a coffee stout with actually having coffee added. Big aromas and flavors in a (relatively) small abv package. Really enjoyed it, and will buy again.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 04:48:46 | More by TempeBeerMan

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Nearly straight black. Head is small and the color of cream with a splash of coffee. Drops to a small collar with spots of lacing. No cap. Minimal carbonation. Pours nice and smooth.

Smell: Nice big roastee compliment. Some vanilla, toasted malts, caramel, toffee, old coffee, and loads of chocolate. Some vague notions of something like fresh baked bread with some spices (cinnamon maybe?). Minor touches of char and burnt malt in the back.

Taste: A bit sweeter than the nose would let on with a solid presence of spent coffee and milk chocolate. Layers of cocoa, something akin to vanilla, a mild oxidized presence. Pushes toward sherry and oak without crossing over. Cocoa - vaguely burnt - some char lingers. Deeply roasted. Some caramel as well. Touches of alcohol.

Mouthfeel: So very smooth and creamy. Finishes clean with a little warming from the alcohol.

Overall: Derble Terble.

Rich, smooth, and creamy. Drinkable. Damn you Bell's for knowing how to make me want to drink things I can't get!

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 03:00:31 | More by Goblinmunkey7

mikem0487

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into ale glass.

A-Pinky width brown head that dissapated slowly and left a decent amount of lacing on the side of the glass. Dark black like any other stout.

S-Coffee bean, roasted malts, vanilla and prunes. Smells great with the vanilla being the main standout for me.

T-Roasted malt/coffee bean bitterness that is subdued by the sweetness of the 10 grain malt grain. Finishes quite roasty. Very drinkable stout. Not as pleasant with the taste as the smell is. Good none the less.

M-As the name implies it is quite creamy. Mild carbonation, medium bodied.

O-A good drinkable stout. Defiantly going to enjoy this 6pack!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 04:14:21 | More by mikem0487

barczar

Kentucky

3.83/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Been in the fridge a while.

Pours an opaque deep brown with garnet highlights and a solid half inch tan head that lingers. My beer has floaties.

Chocolate, nuts, diacetyl, and subtle dark fruit begin the aroma. Toffee, toasted malt, and light roast malt add complexity.

Flavor is very buttery and fairly sweet, with sherry-like fruit emerging and leading to chocolate, roast malt, and a lightly bitter finish. Pretty subtle transitions. The finish is a touch acrid.

Body is moderate, creamy with fairly low carbonation.

Very good stout that probably developed the sherry quality due to age. Think I'd rather it not be there.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 06:45:38 | More by barczar

champ103

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Crane Ally in Urbana, IL

A: Pours a dark brown, nearly black color. A two finger tan head forms and sticks throughout. Plenty of lace is left behind.
S: Big roasted malt up front and center. Coffee, cereal grains, light chocolate. Then comes a metallic and almost acidic twang. That pretty much takes over in the finish.
T: Follows the nose with a big roasted malt, coffee, and cereal grain flavor. Finishes very metallic and acidic.
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. Just a bit on the thin side. Not hard to drink, but just not a fan of the metallic finish. Not something I am coming back to often.

Not a bad stout. It would be great if not for the metallic and acidic finish. I will probably try this a few more times because I have had wildly different experiences with different stout batches from Bell's.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2012 04:52:24 | More by champ103

Tupperwolf

Washington

3.8/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours an inky dark brown with zero head. At the very end of the pour a few bubbles form a tiny ring of tan foam around the glass, but otherwise no head is to be found from my particular bottle (11 months from the date on the label). Held up to the light, this brew is completely opaque, with some light only showing on the dark brown edges.

The nose is dark chocolate with both sweet vanilla and slightly bitter notes, and when swirled there's a slight earthy sourness that compliments the sweet malt. A tiny amount of alcohol can be detected as it warms.

The flavors are pretty straightforward - cocoa, espresso, grassiness from the hops, mild alcohol. Nicely balanced.

Mouthfeel is very smooth. This beer is called a cream stout due to its mouthfeel, and I concur. It has a heavy, smooth mouthfeel with little carbonation.

Overall a fine beer, very smooth and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 00:39:28 | More by Tupperwolf

Moss

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark black with a nice brownish tan head. Two fingers worth of head which left nice lacing on the glass. As I drank lacing continued to be left on the glass. Perfect look for a stout.

S - The smell is of dark chocolate and hops. I can really smell the grassy hops which reminds me of the smell when boiling the hops in. Other then that I don't smell much else.

T - A little sweet upfront but really covered up with the bitterness of the beer. As it warms up I taste the cream a little more along with coffee, chocolate, and roasted malts. Overall a good combination.

M - Good medium to heavy mouth feel with just enough carbonation.

O - Good beer but not one of my favorites. Just a little too hoppy in the smell and taste for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 03:33:41 | More by Moss

mooseo

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into snifter.

A - Pitch black with a thick creamy tan head.

S - Milk chocolate, caramel, wood, roasted malt.

T - Sweet roasted malt, light chocolate, and black coffee. Earthy hops lend balance. Hints of vanilla and burnt malt in the finish.

M - Very smooth and creamy. Light body, dry finish.

O - A pleasant easy drinking stout. Not complex by any means, but the overall flavor is nice. I only wish the mouthfeel wasn't so thin.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 04:39:04 | More by mooseo

jucifer1818

Florida

4.08/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: solid black, with a thick two finger head

Smell: Smells of sweet milk suggar and lightly roasted malts. A light, but satisfying smell.

Taste: A lot of grassy hops up front, with a nice light roast after taste and the very late aftertaste is pure espresso
4/5

Mouthfeel: Thick on the mouth, with a nice grainy texture
3.5/5

Overall: a pretty decent, though thoroughly not creamy stout. I would recommend it for something different and a decent smooth stout

I still believe that X2 stout is a superior cream stout, but this is fine

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 23:06:11 | More by jucifer1818

Beer_Runner

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on 09/26/12. Aged about six weeks before opening.

A: A fairly aggressive pour into a standard pint glass did not produce a head. The brew is deep, deep, deep black.

S: The aroma is strong and pleasant, and consists of grain and toasted grain along with sweet malt and coffee.

T: The taste is very roasty and grainy with just a touch of char along with sweet malt and coffee. It has a very good balance of bitterness offset by the malt sweetness and complimented by grain.

M: The body is on the heavier side of medium and very smooth and even a bit creamy with a clean finish.

O: This is a solid stout. It is a very good example of the style. It does not have any surprises or variations or twists on the style. It is simply a very good stout that stays true to the style and is very well crafted.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 23:17:00 | More by Beer_Runner

BB1313

Ohio

3.1/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Batch# 11540; bottled on 10/18/12. 12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours pitch black with a mocha head that eventually fades and leaves decent lacing and retention. The aromas are pretty subtle. Lots of sweet cream and cocoa powder. There's some chocolate malts in the mix as well. The flavors are pretty straight forward and not as interesting as I recall. There's a nice roastiness to this one with a touch of expresso and hints of vanilla. This is a pretty rich beer, but it's just not as intense as I once remembered. There's also some dark fruits in the mix. Finishes somewhat bitter. The mouthfeel is phenomenal. It's extremely creamy, fluffy, smooth, light, and has moderate carbonation. This is a very smooth, easy drinking beer. Alcohol goes unnoticed.

Of all Bell's stouts, this was always my least favorite, but I remember liking it alot more. Besides the mouthfeel, it's not too memorable. Maybe it's not Bell's best work, but it's still a well crafted beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 22:00:07 | More by BB1313

tectactoe

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark, black ink in color with a tan head that dissipates rather quickly. Lacing is basically non-existent. Nose picks up nothing but huge amounts of roasted malts - bittersweet chocolate and some sweet coffee. Toasted barley in the background brings everything together. Taste contains traces of black licorice with lots of super bitter chocolate, deep notes of strong, black coffee, molasses, slight nutty tones, heavy wood chips on the back of the tongue. Ending contains quite a bit of hop flavor - leafy and herbal in character, notes of tobacco and leather. Bitterness fads into the aftertaste and balances nicely with the sweetness of the malt. This beer tastes like it could be a porter but it's got the body of a stout. Mouth is left with some cocoa notes and faint herbal bitterness. Slightly creamy mouthfeel, medium body, maybe a little thinner than expected, with medium-high carbonation.

Had this beer a long time ago and was blown away. This time around, it didn't impress quite as much. But it's still an excellent beer - definitely one to try if you're a fan of Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 18:57:26 | More by tectactoe

CooperEllis

New York

3.88/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz into modified tulip.

Mocha pour, rich color. Tan, thin bubbles with a sweet lactic aroma.

Aroma is a particular highlight for this brew and certainly lives up to the name. The flavor and mouthfeel both reflect the 'creamy' aspect of the title but the underlying maltynes isn't lost, but muted enough to damage/limit any complexity in the flavor; not to my taste. Comparing this to other Bell's offerings, it is in line with the crispness that I've come to expect but the nature of this one mutes even that finish.

There is a pleasant 'bite' but the palate is coated and the aftertaste is all cream. If you're expecting a stout I believe you have the right to feel aggrieved. If you're expecting the carpet to match the drapes - you're in the right spot.

(192nd)

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2012 19:47:21 | More by CooperEllis

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a deep brown with 2 finger mocha colored head. Good amount of frothy lacing

S- Sweet cocoa, roasted malt, hint of vanilla and dark fruit

T- Taste is robust, cocoa, burnt coffee, vanilla, and raisins. Very good.

M- Creamy, full, well carbonated

Overall- Superb American Stout. Very delicious

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 03:03:20 | More by BeerBuckeye

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Opaque and hazy very dark brown. Thin light brown head. Looks like it will lace nicely.

Aroma: Sweet roasted malt. Creamy chocolate and caramel.

Taste: Says on the bottle they use ten different types of malts and it actually shows well in the complexity on the palate. Starts creamy and sweet then you get toffee and a nutty character about halfway through. The finish slowly goes from roasted chocolate to a black coffee bitterness in the aftertaste. Quite complex for 6.1% ABV but not overly so. No hop presence but I attribute the bit of bitterness right at the beginning to whatever hop addition(s) was made. The roasted malt and bitter aftertaste does a good job of balancing an otherwise sweet flavor.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied but feels more viscous. Real nice creamy feel before the finish. Easy drinkability but complex enough to warrant a slower enjoyment. My only gripe is that it's a little over carbonated.

Final Thoughts: I've been anticipating this beer's seasonal release but without incredibly high expectations. In the end it has left me satisfied with making the purchase of a sixer. Would I drink it again? Yep. Given the season and limited availability I'll be sure to ration them throughout the long winter and probably buy it again next year.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 06:25:00 | More by JamesMN

Optifron

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours viscous black/dark brown, with a creamy, light brown head.

Aroma: Smooth, gentle roasted coffee, dark chocolate

Taste: Starts with the taste of sweet cream, balanced with some roasted bitter, finishing with a bit stronger bitter roast. Dark chocolate bitter lingers

Mouthfeel: Wet, sweet, very light carbonation. Very nice and smooth. Creamy.

Overall: Really great winter beer. Fantastic mouthfeel, nice, full-bodied and rich sweetness, all packed into fairly low ABV.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 03:10:10 | More by Optifron