Dagger Stout - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

jeonseh

Indiana

3.71/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

On tap at Bell's

A - Dark almost black brown with slight reddish brown edges

S - Roasted malt with dark chocolate, and slight cherry. It has a very dry, almost champagne like aspect as well very dry smelling like almost champagne dry 3.5

T - Sweet chocolate milk up front. Slight dark chocolate in the middle as well as a slight cherry. The finish has a slight bitter roasted malt

MF - Big creamy beer with low carbonation.. Finish is very dry from the roasted malt.

O - Solid imperial stout with good strong flavors of chocolate, dark chocolate roasted malt and cherry. It is also very dry near the finish which is interesting. Worth grabbing a glass at the pub

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2013 04:24:11 | More by jeonseh

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the Eccentric Cafe at Bell's in Kalamazoo MI.

the beer is black, with off-white creamy head. good head retention. espresso and black licorice in the aroma. similar flavors in the taste. roasty, licorice/anise notes are the most dominant flavor, but still moderate. thicker body, lower carbonation.

overall - good, but I'd still prefer their Expedition Stout.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2012 02:31:55 | More by jmdrpi

tectactoe

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on tap at the Eccentric cafe - I'm revamping notes from about 8 months ago, finally found what I did with them. Pours a pretty dense looking black color with only the slightest bit of dark brown coming alive at the very edges. The head was fine-bubbled, creamy, and showed nice retention and minimal lacing.

Powerful and characteristic aromas - roasted malts, so roasted they are nearly bittering, light coffee and sweet cocoa, a bit of charcoal. Hops are delicate but aggressive and noticeable; herbal and leafy, providing another nice bitterness attack.

Like the aroma, the flavor is heavy, dense, and thick. Black licorice and anise come out on the palate, though they weren't big on the nose. Burnt and roasted chocolate malts, dry espresso beans - the cocoa seems to be pretty subdued compared to the rest of the flavors.

Hops don't contribute much to the profile other than a slightly ashy bitterness. Light char notes are still there, but not quite enough to give it a campfire or smokey flavor. Nice clash of sweetness and bitterness, exactly what I like in my stouts. Thick body with low carbonation, silky and overall pretty smooth on the palate.

Hot damn, certainly a powerful stout. It's been a while since I had this one and I am trying to live vicariously through notes I took so many months ago. I'd like to have this one again when I visit Bell's next. But I do remember it being damn good. Better than Expedition? Not in my opinion. But I'd like to have this one again to be sure.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2012 00:13:13 | More by tectactoe

n2185

North Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: pours black with a finger of dark tan head that fades into a thin cap with decent lacing.

S: roasted malts with bitter cocoa and dry piny aromas dominate. There are coffee and char notes as well.

T: Wow. Roasted malts with very dark chocolate and bitter, roasted coffee hit first. Piny hop notes with a touch of sweet cream flavors follow with a finish that is roasted, charred, and lightly hoppy. Amazing.

M: thick body with low carbonation, this beer is thick with enough carbonation to accent the hop characters well.

O: this might be more of a black ale than imperial stout, but it's fantastic. Tons of wonderful hop and roasted malt characters are present. Its one big fault is a weak nose.

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2012 16:40:14 | More by n2185

JDizzle

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had at Bells Eccentric Cafe on tap.

Pours super dark with a nice brown head.

Smells really good with a blast of hops and roasted malt. I get a little coffee as well.

Taste like a black IPA with a third stout poured in. Really good and strong. The hops get you up front and the roasted malt comes on the back end for a nice brutal finish. There is nothing soft about this beer. It's in your face!

Mouthfeel is solid, even though it leaves you bitter.

Glad I got to try this!

BTW it's 10.4% ABV

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2012 18:39:59 | More by JDizzle

jale

Michigan

3.13/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a deep dark brown with a finger of light brown head.

S: Very hoppy on the nose with some underlying malt.

T: coffee and hop bitterness almost at the same time followed closely by light sweetness. More like a malty DIPA.

M: Sticky and slightly cloying with a thick body. Good carbonation.

O: Just ok for my tastes.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2011 15:00:40 | More by jale

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours an opaque black, tight small tan head. The nose is more like a black ipa, slightly burnt malt with notes of licorice, sweet hop, citric and herbal, almost a touch tea like. The flavor is similar, more roasted malt and coffee with the strong hop presence in the second half. A touch less tea like and a bit more stout like than the nose with a full body, a hint oily, with nice carb.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2011 16:16:06 | More by cpetrone84