Bell's Batch 10000 - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

tectactoe

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

On tap at the Oak Cafe. Pours a deep-ass ruby-red color, completely opaque in the middle, shiny with mahogany hints when held up to the light. Tan colored head, thick and puffy, exceptional lacing left all around the glass. Aroma is that of smoked wood, smoke logs, and campfire. Some deep, dark fruits are hidden in the background; bitter raisins and plums so over-ripe they fall apart in your hand. Some perfume-like florals are floating around, tying everything together.

The taste is the heaviest in the smoke department. Smoked grains tend to be very strong, even if they are used sparingly in the grain bill. Smoke is definitely the most prominent flavor here, but it's not a heavy, nasty smoke - it's very smooth and acceptable. Wood chips, oak notes, booze-soaked tree bark comes to mind. Very deep in the finish I can find some chocolate hints, but more of a bitter, pure, sugarless cocoa-bean and not so much like a candy bar. It's actual quite enjoyable when picked up on. Mouth is very creamy with a medium-thick body. The finish is slightly bitter, ending with some noticeable hops; floral, ashy, and somewhat dry.

Reminds me of a more robust, slightly sweeter Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier. Not quite as drinkable, though. Some more woody notes and tones are present here as well. Overall, pretty enjoyable. Booze is noticeable but certainly doesn't feel like 9.20% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 13:17:55 | More by tectactoe

Demarais20

North Dakota

4.75/5  rDev +24%

05-16-2013 07:55:39 | More by Demarais20

ajzy

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +4.4%

05-14-2013 00:27:59 | More by ajzy

jkane101

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

05-14-2013 00:27:43 | More by jkane101

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.86/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

pours a deep opaque dark brown with a finger of beige head. smells of sweet malt, chocolate, raisins, brown sugar... a very sugary feel on the nose. this is a very tasty sweet brew, lots of brown sugar and molasses up front, a slight dark chocolate feel, some tree bark-like bitterness. honestly perfectly in between a bitter and sweet experience, perfectly balanced. medium in body with a very low amount of carbonation.

i feel if this beer were fuller in body it would be perfect. feels like a brown ale going down, but tastes like a strong ale. abv is well hidden. lovely beer, i'm sure it was probably better with a bit more carbonation (or like i said would have been perfect with a fuller body).

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 10:25:57 | More by facundoCNB

jegross2

Illinois

4.06/5  rDev +6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewing the Batch 10,000 from Bell's Brewery Inc. out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. This brew is billed as a "strong brown ale."

Score: 90


Bottled on 11/16/10 according to Bell's Batch Finder. Served in a Portsmouth Brewery snifter and enjoyed on 02/24/13. I shared this one with my friend Wes. Review is from iPhone notes

Appearance: Barleywine-like in color. Pours a thin layer of bubbly tan head that totally settles. Not much lacing or retention to speak of. 3/5

Smell: Toffee, berry-like oxidation, leather and caramel. Hint of vanilla. Old bookshelf-like smell. Fig and dates too behind the oxidization. 4/5

Taste: Lots of caramel and toffee. Ample dark fruit. Much less berriness than nose; the oxidation is very faint on palate. Bitter hop finish that is not quite stale, but not fresh either. Dates and fig and dark fruit is more prominent on palate 4.25/5

Mouthfeel: Malty, sticky. Medium-plus bodied, low carbonation. 4/5

Overall: I had low expectations going into this beer, but I found I enjoyed it more than Batch 9,000 and my very aged bottles of Batch 7,000 and Batch 8,000.

Cost: $18 for a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 02:28:31 | More by jegross2

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

04-23-2013 04:50:05 | More by Kelp

blackie

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

so this one had been out there for about a year by the time of this review, my first sampling:

a: served in a tall tulip glass, batch 10000 is a deep brown in color with some dark ruby hues, sporting a tan head with low retention

s: fermented dark fruit syrups - raisin and date, maybe some plum, alcoholic liqueur as it warms, warm brown sugars, loads of piney hops with undertones of earth, buried aromas of tobacco, wood, and cocoa, pleasantly and subtly complex - and really seems to come around as it warms

m: carbonation light-moderate, with a body on the heavier side of the medium range, some malty weight but fairly even keeled

t: covers a range of malt flavors (no surprise there - 100 fermentables) - toasty, caramel, tobacco, woody, biscuit, sweet dark sugars on one side and roasted notes on the other, with a lighter malt center keeping things balanced out, loaded hop flavors tend towards earth and pine with a full, growing bitterness, finish dries completely with lingering acids, pine, and roast flavors

o: an interesting beer at least, the smorgasbord effect lead to there being a little of everything here, and it balances out to an enjoyable beer, but one without any standout feature, I'm cool with it - one more to cellar for the ages

4/45/4/4/4

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 04:54:19 | More by blackie

Sparky44

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

03-23-2013 21:18:34 | More by Sparky44

CaptainNomihodai

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

02-26-2013 06:17:53 | More by CaptainNomihodai

JRod1969

New York

4/5  rDev +4.4%

02-21-2013 03:46:30 | More by JRod1969

smonice

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +11%

02-17-2013 16:52:21 | More by smonice

LoCoSiEmPrE

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +4.4%

02-10-2013 22:23:57 | More by LoCoSiEmPrE

DirtyKurt

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

02-10-2013 03:37:03 | More by DirtyKurt

Duff27

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

02-10-2013 01:55:08 | More by Duff27

Nachos4two

Illinois

4/5  rDev +4.4%

02-07-2013 21:29:38 | More by Nachos4two

DmanGTR

New York

4.25/5  rDev +11%

01-28-2013 20:51:54 | More by DmanGTR

spycow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

01-18-2013 03:10:50 | More by spycow

acurtis

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +4.4%

01-18-2013 00:45:51 | More by acurtis

PHBoiler

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +24%

01-17-2013 16:38:21 | More by PHBoiler

BlissJunkie

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +11%

01-14-2013 17:35:20 | More by BlissJunkie

elNopalero

Texas

4.76/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I was lucky enough to grab a few of these. Tried one fresh but didn’t take notes.

At this point (1/13) Batch 10k pours a ruddy raisin looking amber-brown with a surprising amount of carbonation, enough for a nice foam topping which dissipates over the course of a few minutes. I’ve seen fresh beers with similar ABV that pour with a fraction of the life on this one.

I find the aroma real enjoyable—it has a complex mélange of stone fruits, raisins and dates, backed by an aged imperial stout-like mellow roast. I’m trying here, folks!

The flavor comes off with a thick plum-raisin-figgy taste. There’s a smoothing heat and a low roast whisper. It’s there but hidden, with an aftertaste that hangs around long after the sip. Basically, I think of it like a B+ Belgian-style quad, minus the overly “Belgian” notes, mixed with those RIS qualities. It’s a clever mix which works for me. Would love to try this barrel-aged but I’m happy with what I got right now.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 07:36:52 | More by elNopalero

MordorMongo

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%

01-13-2013 19:39:13 | More by MordorMongo

psmith161

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +17.5%

01-13-2013 00:19:15 | More by psmith161

MadScientist

New York

4.75/5  rDev +24%

01-11-2013 01:27:41 | More by MadScientist