Bell's Black Note Stout - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

Bell's Black Note StoutBell's Black Note Stout

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BA SCORE
100
world-class
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1,341 Ratings
THE BROS
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rAvg: 4.55
pDev: 8.57%
Reviews: 353
Hads: 988

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Brewed by:
Bell's Brewery, Inc. visit their website
Michigan, United States

Style | ABV
American Double / Imperial Stout |  11.50% ABV

Availability: Rotating. on-tap (185), bottle (141), growler (27)

Notes:
One of the most sought-after stouts in Bell's history, Black Note Stout blends the complex aromatics of Expedition Stout with the velvety smooth texture of Double Cream Stout and ages the combination in freshly retired oak bourbon barrels for months. The resulting harmony of flavors captures the finest features of all three components: malty notes of dark chocolate, espresso & dried fruits, all buoyed by the warmth and fragrance of the bourbon barrel. Aimed squarely at the stout and bourbon aficionados, Black Note makes a grand statement about the art of the dark.
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Reviews

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Photo of barleywinefiend
barleywinefiend

Washington

3.99/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

A: Poured black , sordove sluggish with a moderate dirty cap which leaves some good bubbles and lacing.

S: Chocolate, light whiff of licorice, coffee and a light booze sting

T: Big coffee upfront with chocolate, black licorice and roasted notes. Light addiions of dark fruit in the background. I felt any barrel was really backseat on this bottle but then again I had been consuming bookoo stouts. But really, I perceived more velvety stout qualities than I did barrel so that was a hit for me.

M: Full bodied, low to medium carbonation, yet I felt it was a bit thin going down. Its not as full or thick as I expected from the pour

O: A good beer but I have been drink a lot of Kalamazoo lately and I actually enjoy it over this Imperial Stout. Odd huh?

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 14:55:21 | More by barleywinefiend
Photo of DefenCorps
DefenCorps

Oregon

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

Thanks, Chris!

Jet black, rather hysterically so, this beer is blacker than OA Dark Lord. There's a thin, tan head that recedes to a ring rather rapidly

The nose is a pretty excellent combination of licorice, molasses, bourbon and vanilla. I'm not picking up much Double Cream character. Dark chocolate, fudge and a touch of alcohol is present in the back. This mostly smells like what I'd expect BA Expedition to smell like.

Opens with plenty of licorice, molasses and vanilla, there's some bourbon character. Very, very intense, this is almost harsh. There's some dark chocolate mid palate but the finish is disappointing, with the flavors vanishing, leaving just a bitter licorice finish. Full in body with low carbonation, the flavors are great, but the intensity of the licorice is not much to my liking. While I did drink my 4oz, I'm glad I got to try this without having to give up the farm.

Serving type: growler

11-11-2009 00:24:43 | More by DefenCorps
Photo of DarthKostrizer
DarthKostrizer

California

4/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by MrBubbler at woodshop. Thanks Adam glad I didn't give up the world for this

Look: Black in color with a small tan head and disappears quite quickly that leaves behind a couple dots of lace

Smell: Upfront is a touch of bourbon backed up by some roasted malts and chocolate and finishes with a nice kiss of vanilla and oak

Taste: The taste starts off a little differently from the nose with the roasted and chocolate notes upfront subtle but nice. Vanilla kicks in almost immediately after the chocolate fades and the beer finishes with the bourbon and oak I was looking for

Mouthfeel: Rich and creamy and medium to full in body with low carbonation

Overall: I did enjoy this beer and would drink it if I lived closer to the source. Definitely worth trying but definitely not worth the lofty price tag. I really do hate limited releases and hype

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 00:31:03 | More by DarthKostrizer
Photo of ThePorterSorter
ThePorterSorter

New York

4/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle 923/1081...don't know what that means. But I feel more special letting people know.

Dark black with no head and shiny flecks of garnet in the light. The nose presents a good presence from the oak and a slight touch of oxidation. The taste follows suit with the addition of a nice chocolaty malt base that screams stout.. but definitely not a Russian imperial with only a modestly thick mouthfeel. The mouthfeel is slightly bourbon boozy, but not enough to scream BBA. It's just weak-sauce in comparison to the other stouts I've had.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 02:24:43 | More by ThePorterSorter
Photo of Florida9
Florida9

Illinois

4.01/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Black in color. Forms a small mocha colored head that doesn't bother to stick around for long, receding fairly quickly to not even a hint of surface coating, leaving only a glossy, black liquid in the glass. Only a speck or two of lacing.

S: Aroma is sweet and boozy; a mix of chocolate, vanilla, molasses, fig, and a very slight mintyness.

T: Taste is sweet and chocolatey, with a bourbon kick. Actually this is the most chocolatey bourbon barrel aged stout I've ever come across. Flavor is sweet with notes of vanilla, raisin, plum, anise, and milk chocolate. A mix of alcohol and brown sugar sweetness on the finish

M: Very smooth, almost velvety, with a lower carbonation level. A bit boozy, but still a fairly mellow beer.

O: This beer reminded me of some sort of nouveau bourbon-infused chocolate dessert. Sweet and chocolatey with a pleasant bourbon quality to round it out. Would make a nice dessert, but its not exactly what I'm looking for in a beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 02:08:51 | More by Florida9
Photo of calcio360jrd
calcio360jrd

Florida

4.03/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the bell's takeover at bx beer depot in lake worth, florida.

Glad i got to bx early for this event and got a seat right up at the bar. 2 9oz pours of this barrel aged imperial stout.

Poured out the usual motor oil color of dark black with a fairly good amount of head on it. The smell was overwhelmingly of bourbon, i guess that is what you get when you age a beer for 18 months in the barrel! Taste was less bourbony than the smell, was very enjoyable drink. Mouthfeel was a little thin on this one, again because i hold every RIS up to the zhukov standard of thick and chewy!

Glad to experience this on draft, i would by no means pay what people are paying on ebay for a bottle of this, good buy not life changing

JasonD

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2012 17:04:24 | More by calcio360jrd
Photo of Duff27
Duff27

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -11%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a mid mocha head on a black body. Wonderful head retention and lacing for a stout. My favorite aspect of this beer.

Smooth, sweet bourbony chocolate.

Present bourbon but not overpowering by any means. Big roasted cocoa notes. Slight cherry aftertaste. Well hidden ABV.

Creamy mouthfeel but doesn't have the thickness you may associate with an impy stout. Low carbonation.

Overall a well put together bourbon barrel age stout from Bell's. Black Note didn't knock my socks off but I would have it again. Thanks for sharing 4DAloveofSTOUT!

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 03:54:40 | More by Duff27
Photo of deebo
deebo

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Bryant-Lake Bowl.

A-Served a healthy 10 oz pour in a snifter. This baby is black as a black note with a tan film that stubbornly hangs on til the last drink.

S-Sweet and roasted malts are dominant, the bourbon is there too but subdued at first, becoming stronger as the beer warms.

T-The taste is definitely on the sweet side. The malts are chocolately with a medium amount of roasting. Bourbon character is there but not overpowering at all.

M-A bit oily but not nearly as much viscosity as say a GI BCS. Body is also on the light side for such a strong brew, the odd thing is you would expect the alcohol to come out stronger, but it is really well hidden...a definite plus for this version. Very light on carbonation.

D-Probably the highest for any 10%+ BB stout I've tasted.

O-Tastes like a BB stout, but shines in the drinkability. Lacks the complex flavors of some others but a solid beer. Well done.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2012 02:57:21 | More by deebo
Photo of UCLABrewN84
UCLABrewN84

California

4.05/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle pour courtesy of mrbubbler at Woodshop 7 held at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roated malt, cocoa, bourbon, wood, and vanilla. Taste is much the same but the flavors are a bit more muted than I was expecting from the aromas. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with a great smell but a smooth and somewhat mellow flavor.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 01:46:08 | More by UCLABrewN84
Photo of rodkin
rodkin

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Got a pour at the STLhops anniversary party.

Looks like a stout. Black, smallish head. Poured into a tasting glass so I couldn't get a great sense, but it's nothing special.

Smell is vanilla, coffee, bit of chocolate, some oak, roasty bitterness, some dark fruits. It's pretty good, but it's a bit muddled. Not a lot of balance.

Taste gets better as it warms. Vanilla, coffee, bourbon, oak, caramel. Really rich, very tasty.

Mouthfeel was too thin and flat. I don't want it to be hypercarbonated, but more than it has would be good. It's also too watery. I like my stouts to be thick and chewy, which this was not.

This is a solid stout. However, the mouthfeel was really lacking, and it was a bit unbalanced. A bit disappointing. I'd like to try it again sometime, maybe get a better experience.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2012 04:15:13 | More by rodkin
Photo of BarryMFBurton
BarryMFBurton

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Finally, a limited-release beer in a 12 oz bottle. Though the price-per-ounce is about the same, I don’t have to shell out a considerable chunk of my net worth just to try a specialty brew.

Brewed a little over a month before the date of this tasting (“PKGD 12/28/12).

A: Pours a slick dark brown, nearly black, with a surprisingly watery appearance. The only head to appear are some fizzy soda bubbles along the edge of the glass; slight wet lacing.

S: Sweet vanilla nougat and caramel candy tones with a flowing backdrop of woody bourbon. Overall, the aroma is malty as hell, but the booze and roast make the sugars manageable. Hints of hickory smoke, baking chocolate, and Irish cream play along the edges. Hints of slight oxidation appear in small, sparse doses, giving a cardboard scent.

T: A slow-building masterwork, this palate begins with a luscious wave of residual sugars: tastes of syrupy caramel and vanilla abound. As in the nose, it’s a candy sweetness. Soon after these sugars lay down as the body of the brew, tastes of cinnamon, anise, toasted coconut, and bitter chocolate shift the palate to a character of soft spice, a quick transition to the dark, roasty, finish. In a final burst of flavor, powerful tones of smoke, chili pepper, black coffee, and burnt toast overwhelm the sense and bring this beer to a staggeringly smoked end. Charred bourbon barrel tastes linger in a moderate aftertaste of oak, smoke, and astringent whiskey, along with a dried-out sugar flavor akin to cola.

M: Feels like it looks, actually – a little thinner than expected. With the hidden alcohol and all the residual sugars, it really drinks more like root beer at first. Light, foamy carbonation.

O: A good stout is never unwelcome in January, and this one hit the spot. If you like smoke and barrel, this is your beer – I really thought I’d be able to pick out the beers that go into this blend, but the whiskey pulls it together in one big, woody package. Nothing average here.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 01:06:00 | More by BarryMFBurton
Photo of jsanford
jsanford

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Brewvival 2102

Poured an inky black with a dense mocha head. Luxurious aromas of cream, bourbon, malt, chocolate, and roasted malt. Taste is similar to the nose, lots of hot Bourbon, chocolate, molasses, raisin, and roasted malt. Definitely tasty, but no better then any of the other 78472397629289 Bourbon-barrel Stouts out in the world. Full-bodied, with a creamy mouthfeel and ample carbonation. Overall a great BA Stout, but the definition of "overhyped".

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2012 17:22:38 | More by jsanford
Photo of hooliganlife
hooliganlife

Missouri

4.08/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

@stlhops 5th anniversary PaRtY

poured dark thick black, little dark cocoa head. very viscous looking.

some chocolate, light vanilla, and light roasted malt. the BA was there but lighter than i was expecting.

similar to nose, a bit like a BA expedition or expedition blended with double cream, but all 3? i guess... i thought this was tame, it was good but lacked a deep complexity. the BA was soft and subtle. the chocolate and coffee were faint. did not really pick up any oak.

thick, creamy, and chewy. great mouthfeel. no heat at all.

it was good but not worth the effort to seek out.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2012 00:22:28 | More by hooliganlife
Photo of MPLS
MPLS

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Darkness Eve, 7oz pour. The second beer I tried so the palate was rather fresh still...anything after this one need not count. First off this thing blew the shit out of the last regular Expedition I remember drinking, maybe my palate is indifferent to that beer.

A: Great looking beer even next to the multitude of dark beers around it, this one retained a great head that was glorious and made it's identification a little easier. Good lacing on the small glass. Glorious.

S: Not heave on the bourbon surprisingly, but roasted and toasted slight sweet goodness.

T: Big on the oak indeed, got hints of bourbon, somewhat of a chocolate sweetness that pales in comparison to the GI Night Stalker I had before it. The finish is dry with some coffee like bitterness.

M: Thick n creamy, can't complain here.

D: Damn good stout, would drink again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2009 03:07:37 | More by MPLS
Photo of fvernon
fvernon

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at a recent Bell's event, unfortunately they had just run out of appropriate glassware and poured this lovely brew into a red wine glass at a colder temperature than I was expecting. Luckily my second glass came in a tall Bell's tulip.

Black Note is the color of dark chocolate with a head that looks like liquified wheat - a light brown that had broken down into a cling around the side of the glass and a few frog's eyes by the time I had walked back to my table. I had to sit a while (5 minutes or so) to let it warm, and then the scent really started to show: bourbon, malt, burnt sugar and toasted vanilla with a slight hint of fruit... is that apricot?

My sips started while it was still too cold... the burnt sugar was overwhelming at keg temps, but as it warmed up the bourbon and double cream stout notes moved forward. The double cream comes through much stronger than the expedition, but this is a unique offering apart from either - most notable is the slight bitterness, as if vanilla beans were roasted before being added for aging. The mouthfeel was lighter than I was expecting, but not any lighter than barrel-aging typically imparts. It leaves the beer drinkable in larger sips than I probably should have been taking, and the glass was gone before I knew it. Not quite in the same vein as a few other BA imperial stouts (KBS on tap is still the smoothest I've had the pleasure of drinking), but delicious nonetheless.

Most importantly, this was my first beer of the night (I wasn't about to let the Black Note run out while I drank something else), and something odd happened: after that, everything I drank (save the Oracle) had stout notes to it. A total palate take-over happened! If you're going to have the chance to try a Black Note, it gets better glass after glass... but everything else tastes like drinking through a BA Imperial Stout filter. be forewarned.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2011 11:56:09 | More by fvernon
Photo of Steasy66
Steasy66

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 Oz pour into wide mouth glass, enjoyed
With tewaris
A black, opaque, dense dark brown head
S roasted malt, some bourbon, woody
T very roasty, some wood, oatmeal?
M thick, almost chewy, nice light carbonation
O very good but falls short of the hype.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2012 03:35:32 | More by Steasy66
Photo of nrbw23
nrbw23

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a pitch black color with pretty much no head. Head consists of just a handful of bubbles and leaves no lacing.

S- I thought the aroma was the best part of this brew. Quite a bit of vanilla, very faint coffee, bourbon, chocolate, and some faint dark fruits.

T- Pretty solid brew for sure, but overall very sweet. The sweetness was almost over powering everything else in this brew. Follows the nose well with a ton of vanila. Bourbon is here but fairly light. A good amount of booze too.

M- Medium in body and a lot thinner than I expected. Carbonation was also pretty low.

O- A good beer that might be a victim of the hype train. Glad I got to try this one.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2012 19:16:03 | More by nrbw23
Photo of tempest
tempest

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had a large snifter at Republic in Seven Corners. Overall, a delicious stout and well worth the $8, but I though the character was relatively dull for everything that's been put into it. The bourbon barrel character is smooth, and pleasant with oaky vanilla, but it sits in the background behind even smoother cocoa malts. It's almost like it's too balanced, with few flavors really standing out. I'll admit though, I'm being hard on this very tasty beer. I just don't think it drinks up to its potential.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2012 22:59:56 | More by tempest
Photo of homebrew311
homebrew311

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: pitch black opaque apperance, dark brown creamy head, medium head retention

S: thick dark chocolate and cream followed by lots of bourbon with mellow vanilla and oak. Some ashy qualities follow the bourbon which detract from the overall beer a little bit.

T: toasted marshmallow followed by dark chocolate and a harmony with the oak barrels, amazing balance

Mf: thick, viscous, mellow, carbonation

O: huge flavors with a velvety texture, definitely worth a try. I don't know that this brew quite achieves the hype that surrounds it

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2011 01:41:57 | More by homebrew311
Photo of kels
kels

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was definitely one of the favorites our group sampled at the Bell's tasting at the Indy Beer Sellar last night.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown with soft reddish highlights throughout. Completely opaque and appears viscous with the slightest oily slick on top and a fast-fading cream-colored head and weak ring of lace.

Smell: Smell is super, supersweet dark chocolate nibs, whole cream, cherry syrup and caramel mingling with warm, oaky bourbon.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Taste is a spot of roasted coffee with supersweet milk chocolate, heavy cream, warming and soft bourbon, vanilla, and charred oak. No traces in the flavor of the cherry from the smell. Feel is very sticky and viscous at first, and finishes with a slight drying vapor from the alcohol.

Drinkability: Moderate - very sticky and warming the chest.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2009 21:12:15 | More by kels
Photo of br3wmeister
br3wmeister

Colorado

4.15/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Very dark brown with purple and red hues. Small silky brown head with moderate lacing.

S- Dark roasted aromas up front, chocolate, coffee, and a hint of charcoal. Also some nice sweet aromas present, molasses and a hint of vanilla. Some hints of bourbon and oak with an alcohol sting.

T- Lots of dark creamy chocolate, coffee and toast up front. Some dark sweet fruit, molasses and dry bitterness in the end. Hints of charcoal and bourbon throughout.

M- Very smooth and creamy at first with lots of alcohol bite in the end. As it warmed the alcohol became more present and the smoothness faded.

Overall- This is a great addition to the Bell's lineup. Good aroma and flavor maybe a little to much alcohol presence though.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2009 17:42:17 | More by br3wmeister
Photo of iadler
iadler

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On--tap at Hackneys Printer's Row.

A- Pours a pitch black with a one finger head that slowly dissipates into a thin cap. Minimal lacing is left behind.

S- Dark rich chocolate, coffee bean, roasted malt, vanilla bean, cream, dark fruits, sweet bourbon and wood. Very well balanced and complex.

T- Initially, the beer matches the nose with dark chocolate and coffee bean upfront followed by roasted malt, plumb, fig, raisin, bourbon, wood and some sweet vanilla bean and cream. As it warms up a bit though, the vanilla bean and cream become overpowered by harsh bitterness with char and burnt toast notes.

M- The most disappointing aspect of the beer. Medium prickly carbonation with a thin mouthfeel with the bitterness lingering on. Really wish there was some more body and less carbonation. The one good aspect is that the high abv is masked very well.

O- Black note is a great beer, however, it was too carbonated and was overtly bitter as it warmed up to make it a world class stout. Overall this beer is overhyped a bit, but certainly one to try if you get the chance.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 05:21:32 | More by iadler
Photo of brystmar
brystmar

New York

4.15/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to shutyourface for sharing this one.

Dark brown/black, tan head, decent lace. Smell reminds me of Expedition Stout with bourbon character on top. Layers of roasted malts & coffee flow freely. Aroma is this beer's best quality.

Taste is about what I expected: a good imperial stout with mild bourbon flavors. Much more Expedition than Double Cream. I applaud their choice to not go overboard on the bourbon like so many brewers do today. Love that smooth & creamy body.

That said, Black Note is a perfect example of the BA hype machine getting out of control. Like most Bell's beers, Black Note is pretty good but not exceptional. It's a step up from Expedition Stout, yet it cannot touch the top-tier stouts like Hunahpu's and Black Tuesday.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 03:37:33 | More by brystmar
Photo of Tucquan
Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on 2012-09-08 in L Columbia, PA

A - India ink black with a tan-brown short head with light lacing and lots of alcohol legs.

S - Bourbon, dark fruit, oak tannin, roasted malt. Very big aroma that's heavily on the bourbon side.

T - Bourbon, medium roasted malt, dark cherry, plum, prune, coconut and a touch of umami, and black licorice (not my favorite flavor). Fairly sweet but balanced with some astringent and hop bitterness. I definitely get the influence of the Expedition Stout. Alcohol is quite noticeable but generally blends in and supports the sweetness.

M - Medium-heavy body and light carbonation.

O - Big, big flavors for sure. Didn't quite float my boat as some other Imperial Stouts. For example, I prefer Founders KBS over this for a bourbon-influenced brew. I had this a few hours after having it on-tap. The only difference is there was no head at all from the growler but there was a bit of head on-tap. It wasn't that much of a difference to take points off for the appearance since you don't expect much of a head at this high ABV level.

Serving type: growler

09-08-2012 18:43:08 | More by Tucquan
Photo of MusicaleMike
MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Thank you to monitorpop for this beer in our trade.

Poured this beer into a balloon glass at room temperature. With a very vigorous pour, I am able to coax two fingers worth of mocha colored head to rise from this black, abysmal beer. The head receded quickly to a tight creamy layer that doesn't appear to leave any lacing behind.

The aroma is more gentle than I expected. The bourbon is obvious and the first thing that I can smell. Deeper into the aroma, I can pick out more complex hints of dark chocolate, oak, anisette, molasses, brown sugar and bruised fruit (banana and peaches).

The taste is complex as all hell. The flavor profile is huge and goes through waves of changes after the first swallow. Up front, it is reminiscent of chocolate milk. The soft, almost creamy texture helps that initial impression. After that, a prominent booziness shines through and dominates the palette, especially in the exhale. It is toasty, oaky, and similar to chocolate covered raisins. The brash alcohol on the exhale brings no real heat, but lends a solvent flavor that creates the impression of whisky-soaked black cherries. I am glad there is no heat, because I am already not a fan of this booziness. The finish brings smokiness, bourbon, oak, vanilla, and roasted malts.

Viscous mouthfeel, creamy; not sticky, but smooth. I almost feel like this would pass as an Irish Dry Stout without the flavor component. Very solid example and just an incredible example of this style.

I found Black Note Stout to be a good beer. Not "World-Class" but most certainly worth purchase again. I bet that a few years on this beer might help it out a little bit. As another BA said on here already, this beer is an above average beer, but not worth emptying your cellar for. Pretty standard Bouron-Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout if you ask me. Tasty for sure, but is a bit middle of the road. I actually liked Victory Dark Intrigue more than this...

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 21:38:11 | More by MusicaleMike
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Bell's Black Note Stout from Bell's Brewery, Inc.
100 out of 100 based on 1,341 user ratings.