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

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

timc100

Illinois

4.76/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

2012 Vintage

Pours nearly pitch black - into a snifter. Surprisingly there is a dark brown head that sticks around for nearly the entire 50 minute duration of enjoyment.

The aroma is incredibly enticing, bringing you in with intensity and balance. Very prominent bourbon barrel characteristics - sweet vanilla and coconut, oak, and heat. Rich dark and milk chocolate and fresh coffee nearly dominate the dark fruits lying beneath.

Tastes just as good as it smells. Big bourbon, chocolate, coffee, and sweet dark fruits. It is not a sweet bomb of a beer, there is some dryness.

The mouthfeel is nearly full, soft carbonation and incredibly smooth. Very drinkable, do not feel the 11.8 abv at all, just a nice soothing warmth from the bourbon.

This is a fantastic BA stout and well worth the effort to seek out a few 12oz bottles.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 18:12:08 | More by timc100

MaxSpang

Ohio

4.58/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Chappy's in Dayton, Ohio.

APPEARANCE

Well, what do you expect? It's black as night, and sat under a mocha-colored head that dissipated quickly. There was no lacing, but the beer had some pretty apparent alcohol legs. There wasn't any light coming through on this one. With a name like Black Note, would you expect anything else?

SMELL

This is heavy on the bourbon in the nose, which brings notes of vanilla and toasted coconut. There is a lot of nice complexity that ranges from sweet to slightly boozy. A hefty amount of chocolate and licorice comes through, and brings a bit of coffee and roasted malt with it. This is the type of beer that you get full from by just smelling - there is a LOT going on!

TASTE

First off, this beer is remarkably smooth. The bourbon is not as strong as it was on the nose, but it is definitely present. With the bourbon, notes of vanilla, licorice, and toasted coconut come out. Surprisingly, the alcohol is very well hidden. The beer starts off milky sweet, with smooth caramel and toffee characteristics, then finishes with a nice hoppy bitterness. The bourbon lasts a long time after the swallow, making this beer have an absolutely amazing after taste.

MOUTHFEEL

This beer drinks like a pillow - it's smooth! It has a velvet-creamy mouthfeel, sort of like melted chocolate. There isn't much carbonation, which adds to the creaminess. The beer has a nice big body which makes it a sipper. The intense aftertaste lingers for an extremely long time.

OVERALL

This beer is incredible. It can hang with the big boy bourbon barrel aged brews and hold its ground. It's a special beer that demands a special occasion, but the taste is so good that you'll find an excuse to drink it! I wouldn't say that this is the barrel-aged stout to end all barrel-aged stouts, but it is absolutely incredible and worth seeking out.

Cheers.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2012 17:11:17 | More by MaxSpang

dborginis

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at City Tap House's Bell's 31 event.

Black, no head (ordered it from a waiter so it had time to settle) smells like bread, chocolate and Jack daniels.
Taste is sweet (chocolate, caramel, maybe vanilla too) but not overwhelming. The bourbon is present and not
overwhelming as well except for the quick buzz I'm getting. More
viscous and somewhat flat than carbonated. A bit of a hop bitterness noticeable. A fine dessert.
Good but definitely a sipper. I had to work on this over an hour + while sampling others. A fine example of a bourbon aged product.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2010 13:03:26 | More by dborginis

challenja

Virginia

4.7/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served On Tap at ChurchKey DC.

A: Pitch Black Vin Diesel style viciousness! No foam, straight Kung Fu Bizness! Hi YAAA..
S: This beer was a struggle to get a nose on, served in a snifter too! Lots of huffing and puffing to pull notes on this one.
Vanilla bean and smoked oak barrell, Dark Cocoa nibs, around 80 % cocoa. Dark roasted coffee, and dark smoked italian meats.. weird.. bourbon barrel wiffs
T: Straight off the bat Vanilla Bean rings through, Dark Colombian Bean bitters, Dark juniper berries, hints of candied cherries. Fire roasted English malts. Dark Cocoa with a nice boozy bourbon barrel finish.
M: This is one impressive beer. Vicious, thick and creamy. Fantastic medium to light carbonation that really pushes the Juniper berries through the Vanilla bean burnt cask. mmm.

O: A Fantastic A+ stout. A vicious Customer so tread with Caution. If you like this you will love KBS, Firestone Parabola, Epic Big Bad Baptist Stout, and Lienenkugal Big Eddy Imperial Stout

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2012 22:56:38 | More by challenja

Doodler

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle cracked open at Forgetfu's big stout tasting (thx greatly Bill). Poured a dark brown body with a thin cocoa head. Nose is roasted coffee and chocolate, with a oaky bourbon aroma. Taste is molasses sweet with some dark fruits, coffee, vanilla and bourbon. Decent body with light carbonation and a creamy rich mouthfeel on the finish. Very nice stuff from the folks at Bells.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 04:10:32 | More by Doodler

Docrock

Illinois

4.86/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Served on tap at Bell's Eccentric cafe in a 12 oz snifter:

A - dark as midnight with a nice mocha colored head, nice sticky lacing and a thin cap remain

S - very complex, dark roasted malt, light coffee, nice BA note with a touch of bittersweet chocolate and burnt sugar.

T - Wow, it changes as you hold it in your mouth. Creamy and thick with the bittersweet chocolate and dark roasted malt, just a touch of coffee.

M - thick and chewy, not overly carbonated. Was served a bit on the cool side for me so I let it sit a bit and warmed with my hands.

O - what a great beer, I preferred it a bit warmer than it was served. The favors and aroma really opened up around 50F. Glad to not only have it on tap, but to get some bottles to age a bit. At least for me, this is the finest stout I have ever tasted.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2013 18:05:35 | More by Docrock

drowland

Florida

4.8/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

8/13/11. On tap at the GTMW. Awesome bourbon barrel aroma with vanilla coconut and coffee. Very nice flavor that hosts a perfect balance of BA - coconut, vanilla, sweetness, and more - and robust impy stout with coffee and roastiness. The superb balance makes this awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2012 21:23:01 | More by drowland

decadance

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review 50.

A - Black as night...blah blah. But it is a good inch head on a 10oz pour.

S - Bourbon...and hot. Smells of sweet woods, and alcohol. not to be shocked at the ABV.

T - Its a smoother Expo stout. But nothing like expo stout. Leather and mahogany, following by some burnt sugar and bourbon. Slightly burning.

M - Double Cream shines here. It is very much a filling mouth feel. Hot though, ABV is present.

O - Not the best BA stout I have had. That is still BCS rare. But, this is up there, and unique because of the mouth feel. Not as complex in the noise or taste however.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2011 01:21:12 | More by decadance

infestaxion

Florida

4.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was the big hit of the world record Bell's tapping. And they gave us a kick ass notebook to review it in.

A - Black as night with a dark coffee head that fades quickly.

S - Alcohol, malt and dark sugar. Not a whole lot going on though.

T - Lots of bourbon. Sweet malt and molasses. All of these flavors are rolling around in you mouth all at once. It's frikkin fantastic. The Double Cream brings a sweetness that really makes this beer. I imagine a Bourbon Barrel Expedition wouldn't be as good. It's surprisingly hot for being two years old.

M - A little thinner than I expected.

D - Really good. Not an easy drinker though. I think it took me most of the night to take down 20 oz.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2009 23:04:37 | More by infestaxion

smokeypeat

Maryland

4.53/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Once again the power of the central PA/SEPA beer market comes through and I finally get to try Black Note.

Pours a jet black into the goblet with a light coffee tan head that quickly disappeared leaving just the slightest head. Some alcohol legs on the glass.

The smell on this one is up there. Rich vanilla bourbon with some great hints of toasted coconut. Fainter hints of toffee and light tobacco.

Taste is as good as I hoped for. The base beer here really holds up well to the bourbon treatment. Plenty of roasted coffee notes, bakers dark chocolate, and a dash of anise. The bourbon adds a great interplay of vanilla, caramel, toffee, and woody oak. No one aspect of the beer dominates but there is a great mixture of a lot of my favorite flavors.

Mouthfeel on this beer really worked for me. I don't know if it's because it was on tap or not, but I found the carbonation level to be perfect. The beer was extremely creamy and really easy to drink, and the alcohol was perfectly masked.

All in all, Black Note lived up to the hype for me. I was fortunate to get a whole growler, and frankly it seems like an embarrassment of riches. Everyone who got a pour of this agreed that it was top notch. I would definitely go out of my way to get this beer again.

Serving type: growler

09-10-2012 20:44:23 | More by smokeypeat

dejrrma

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

$7 for a 8 or 12oz pour at BSP. Reviewed on 5/5/12 (just only now typed up my review). I believe the keg was from 2011.

a- black, still with a reddish tint, a slight ring of head
s- slight bourbon, coffee, vanilla extract.
t- Lots of dark chocolate and a touch of coffee and roast. woody and slight vanilla. not as much "bourbon" taste as I expected, so the beer is not overpowered by it. still, i think it's just a bit too understated.
m- really smooth and creamy. i was blown away. it has a medium carbonation and a full-body
o- enjoyed this beer tremendously. still love kbs more, though.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2012 00:46:15 | More by dejrrma

monitorpop

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Black with a one finger airy tan head that quickly faded to a ring.

S: Smooth bourbon with subtitle chocolate, coffee and vanilla extract.

T: Dominate bitter dark chocolate with some coffee that fades into lingering bourbon. More bitter than sweet.

M: A bit thinner and than I expected. Some nice warming alcohol in the finish.

O: More bitter and less sweet than I prefer, but still a really good beer that certainly improves as it warms up.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2011 00:06:36 | More by monitorpop

dpasotti

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Deep black with a thick brown cap that leaves great lace. Smells of strong vanillin and bourbon, with lots of roasted malt character. Brown sugar and a little chocolate as well.

Prominent vanilla tones, dark chocolate bitterness, coffee, sweet molasses, and alcohol on the palate. The menu says "...with bourbon undertones," but that couldn't be more inaccurate -- bourbon absolutely dominates this beer. Good thing that's what I was looking for. It lacks the bourbon 'attack' (for lack of a better descriptor) that GI Bourbon County Stout has, which is not a slight towards Black Note. The bourbon character is awesome. Loads of vanilla match the sweet roasted malt foundation very well.

The minimally-carbonated, dense body is far and away the highlight of this beer. Quite possibly the silkiest, smoothest body I have ever experienced, in liquid form at least... Mr. Bell does it again. Black Note is an exquisite sipper. High on my list of stouts as well as barrel-aged beers.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 02:23:41 | More by dpasotti

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

Shibbykaiyai

Michigan

4.83/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Ashley's in Ann Arbor, MI for a special event.

My buddy dragged me to this event for the sole purpose of trying this beer. And I am happy that he did.

You can smell the bourbon in the pour and it has the some of the best characteristics of the two brews that were combined to make it. It is a great mixture of the Expedition and the Double Cream Stouts.

Although I am normally not a stout person, this is one the best brews I have had in a long time. I just wish it was more readily available.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2012 04:36:23 | More by Shibbykaiyai

mnphish

Minnesota

4.69/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

12oz. 2013 edition poured into a wine glass. Thank you kindly to yamar68 for the share!

A pitch black body, a fat khaki head that recedes quickly and leaves a nice round circle around the glass.

Smell is of watery bourbon, like the stuff i want to drink straight. Stiff & bold - Huge chocolate, cream, oak, and maybe some vanilla.

Taste is of rich chocolate, bourbon, oak, cookies & cream, coffee, and dark fruit.

Mouthfeel is very creamy, rich, and boozy. Moderate carbonation.

Overall this is a perfect bourbon barrel aged beer. The perfect blend of fantastic bell's beers with the proper treatment. World class!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 06:17:57 | More by mnphish

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

phisigben

Kentucky

4.68/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

8oz pour served in a snifter at the Super Bells party at the Beer Cellar in Indianapolis

It is black as motor oil with a nice tan mocha head that leaves a nice ring of lacing with each drink. I get nice oak from the bourbon barrel, followed by coffe, and bitter chocolate. The taste is great I get bourbon right up front, next is the coffee and chocolate with a nice sweetness from the malt and cream, at the very end is a roasted flavor for me its a little too much its the only reason this didn't get a 5. The mouthfeel is amazing it feel as thick as other big stouts but at the same time that feeling leaves as you drink it and the carbonation is great for this style. Overall is one of the best stouts that I have ever had, I can't believe its this good.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2012 23:05:06 | More by phisigben

HopHobo

Michigan

4.72/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I was very excited to have this on tap at Bell's All Stouts Day on 11/1/09 known as Black Note and weighs in at 11% ABV.

I had two 8 oz. pours of this delicous brew, but I'll do my review off of my first pour which was into a small 8 oz. snifter.

Black Note pour a deep black with a thin tan head that dissipated quickly. Smells of bourban, wood, chocolate, vanilla and roasted malt dominate the nose. I will say that the nose definetly improves as the beer warms. It was actually a bit difficult to smell all the subtle details when the beer was cold, but as it warms the smell does really shine through. The taste is amazing, a great blend here to be sure as the sweet, sharp molasses charector of the Expo stout is balances perfectly by the creamy smooth mouthfeel of the double cream stout. Flavors up front are of chocolate, wood, vanilla and molasses with hints of lactose sweetness. The finish is dominated by a sweet chocolate, bourban flavor. The layors of this stout are quit impressive and for 11% this is sooo drinkable. On a cold winter day I could drink this all day with out one regret. I feel very fortunate to have been able to try this beer as I know supplies are running very low, but I have to say that this is one of the best blended, barrel aged stout combinations that I have ever had. I think to myself this is such a great idea by Larry and the guys at Bell's I wish they would do a second batch because this beer makes me happy to be alive...well worth the drive and the wait.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2009 03:32:24 | More by HopHobo

hopoilcrazy

Tennessee

4.68/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Thanks to cheeseheadnation for this treat. 2012

A- The only thing that I am not in love with in this beer is the appearance. It is beautiful in its almost blackness, but sadly the lacing falls short. This is splitting hairs.

S- The malts are so forward that it smells like some stout dribbled into some bourbon. Smoky, caramel maltiness, barrel funk, sour mash, blackstrap, tobacco. This shit is right on. The licorice-y notes almost remind me of amaretto or Dr. Pepper

T- Wow. Absolutely perfect balance. That is between alcohol, sweetness, and barrel, with the hop spiciness reigning it in in the finish, really making it a true pleasure to drink. Why did I only trade for two 12ozers?!?! Coffee, watered down bourbon, great barrel character. Boozy finish.

M- Straight up bourbon tingle, heavy viscosity. So smooth.

This beer is amazing. It really has a great brewmasters touch and intuition. It is not specific as to how long Black Note is aged, but this 2012 is so nuanced that it seems very richly aged. Must force myself to save the other 12 oz for a special occasion and drink Peruvian Morning to get my fix until then.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 08:20:17 | More by hopoilcrazy

watsonmd

Georgia

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

appearance: pours thick and dark, with a dense, dark brown head

smell: unbelievable chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and bourbon

taste: sweet, coffee, bourbon, vanilla, oak, chocolate

mouthfeel: smooth, thick, full... awesome. Sipped it for over an hour.

overall: one of the best beers I have had, and do believe that the hype probably had some effect in my interpretation, but I feel it lived up to the hype.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 16:14:17 | More by watsonmd

JoshVandy

Indiana

4.75/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I've been lucky enough to have this long-time want of mine on multiple occasions in the last few weeks, so I'm reviewing from notes.

16 ounce pour into a large snifter at Bell's Ecentric Cafe.

A- Almost completely black, with some subtle mahogany shades on the edges, with about a half-inch mocha head that vanishes quickly. Kind of expected this going in, so not much surprise here.

S- Lots of subtle bourbon notes, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, oak, all mingling together seamlessly. Just a pleasure to smell.

T- Boom. Vanilla and bourbon up front, with nice coffee and chocolate notes in the middle and back, followed by some very subtle bourbon heat. Damn, this is amazing. Stronger vanilla notes come out afterward. Delicious.

M- This is where it goes from being great to outstanding. Thick, full-bodied, and super creamy. Easily the most standout part of this beer, an for good reason. It's absolutely perfect, with just the right amount of carbonation.

O- There's not a lot more I can really say about this beer. The mouthfeel alone puts it in a class of its own when compared to other bal-stouts. Add to that the fanastic flavors that pull through from the base beers without being overshadowed by the barrel treatment, and I believe we have a world class stout that definitely lived up to its insane hype. Consume this with reckless abandon if given the chance.

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2011 01:36:50 | More by JoshVandy

thebigredone

Wisconsin

4.23/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wow, thanks Bells for bringing this to the Milwaukee Brewfest, what an awesome surprise. Definitely the best beer at the event.

Nose dominated by warm bourbon and chocolate notes.

Taste also begins with warm bourbon, followed by a smooth chocolate rosat, and finishes with more bourbon. Delicious, but I would have preferred the stout to have a slightly stronger presence, as I feel it was largely overshawdowed by the bourbon notes.

Mouthfeel was fairly creamy, but could have been more so.

Overall, an excellent offering from Bells. I would really be interested in trying a BA version of Expedition Stout and seeing if that might be preferable to the Expedition/Cream Stout blend.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2012 19:16:50 | More by thebigredone

Jips

Kansas

4.4/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Also had at All Stouts Day, poured blaaack with a thin tan head

Smelled strongly of bourbon and sticky maple, felt a slight sting from the alcohol and carbonation. Felt the carbonation was on the higher end for an imperial stouts. Heavy to medium body, slightly creamy like the Double Cream.

Tasted molasses, BOURBON, slighty roasty flavor, prunes rolled in brown sugar, a touch of vanilla, and some fairly pleasing alcohol.

What a treat to have! It is a worthy member in the pantheon of fantastic Michigan big stouts (e.g., Founder's Breakfasts, Dark Horse's Plead the Fifth and other holiday stouts.)

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2011 01:34:08 | More by Jips