Day 71: 03.12.10 Bell's Batch 9000

Bell's Brewing Inc.

Kalamazoo, Michigan


Batch 9000


Style: American Strong Ale
Availability: Limited - One Time Brew
Format:  12oz - 6pk
ABV: 12.0%
Batch: 9000 (duh) packaged January 27th, 2010


Bottle text & Info:
"black, dense and rich, this is a great ale for aging"


Tasting Notes:
So this is one of Bell's most anticipated releases. Ever. Released every 1000 batches, this release never even hit the state this year due to packaging laws that require the ABV be on the label. Bell's sent a lengthy letter saying it was impossible to nail the ABV down and promise it be within the required .02 ABV that is required to be listed on the package. So...big beer karma and heaps of thank you's to a regular who picked this up in Virginia and dropped off a bottle at the store. Now, to the beer. Pours inky black with syrupy thickness. A quarter inch light brown head dissipates into a ring leaving behind spotted lacing floating adrift the top.  Intensely complex nose. Chalk full of anise and molasses additions up front with dark fruits, booze, cane sugar, chocolate, lavender and some subtle hopping. Woooooweeeee. This thing is big. So soaked dark fruits including figs and plums with heavy amount of black licorice and bitter anise. This is a bit sweet and boozy. Brandy like heat that mellows as the ale warms. Malts dominate what little hopping has been done in an attempt to balance this. Frankly, the flavors and the complexity is enjoyable, but this should probably be laid up to mature a bit. Simply too cloying at this point. Good in apertif proportions. If you can get your paws on some - put it away and sample one every 6 months or so. A great night capper and an amiable companion to a nice cigar. 

Day 51. 02.20.10 Van Twee (De Proef/Bell's Collaboration)

De Proef Brouwerij (bvba Andelot)
Municipality of Lochristi
Province of East Flanders
Region of Flemish


De Proef Brewmasters Collaboration Series.
Van Twee: A collaboration featuring John Mallet of Bell's Brewing Inc. (Kalamazoo, Michigan) and Dirk Naudts of De Proef Brouwerij


Style: Dark Belgian Ale
Availability: Limited - One Time Brew
Format: 750ml
ABV: 7.5%


Bottle text & Info

Tasting Notes: 
"Van Twee" is Flemish for "from two." just puttin' it out there. Pretty awesome collaboration here. Let's have a taste. Pours incredibly dark, nearly black with a billowing tan head. Shows good retention with big sticky lacing. Big earthy nose, with some oak and vinegar making way for dominant dark cherry. Growing up in the frozen tundra of Michigan and the cherry capital of the world - the smell is sweet sweet nostalgia. Mouthfeel is medium to full body with some interesting porter and flemish notes. Pretty accurate when the press-release described this as a mash up of porter and dubbel styles. Starts out with some tart cherry juice coupling with subtle bretts and vinegar followed by more cherry interlaced with some roasted barley/chocolate notes - finishing dry. An incredible pulling together of styles that is masterfully done. Key trademarks of Flemish sours, Belgian Dubbels and American Porters are all pulled together by tart dark cherry. A really awesome sipper and a true one-of-a-kind experience.

Day 49: 02.18.10 Bell's Consecrator Doppelbock

Bell's Brewery Inc.

Kalamazoo, Michigan


Consecrator Doppelbock


Style: Doppelbock
Availability: Seasonal -Fat tuesday release - Feb 24th to Nov.
Format: 12oz - 6pk
ABV: 8.0%
Batch: #9433 - Packaged on Feb. 2, 2010


Bottle text & Info:
A traditional dopplebock fermented with a Bohemian lager yeast. Reddish brown in color, with a mild hop profile, Consecrator is a well balanced, full bodied beer with hints of caramel and molasses in its smooth, malty finish.


Tasting Notes:
Pours a vivid dark red with minimal off white lacing.  Some grains and bready malts in the nose and a hint of something sweet. Drinks silky with a medium body and tart finish. The knock on this beer is that it lacks complexity. I'll have to politely disagree. Perhaps a touch too sweet for the style, this one has a lot going on. Sure, Munich malts dominate but there are also some nice notes protruding, most noticeably a dark tart cherry note coupled with peppery alcohol and some lavender and anise-like flavors. Overall, far from extraordinary but also far from ordinary. We do set the bar awfully high for Bell's, don't we?

Day 46: 02.15.10 Bell's Special Double Cream

Bell's Brewing Inc.
Kalamazoo, Michigan


Bell's Special Double Cream


Style: Milk Stout
Availability: Limited - Seasonal - November - March
Format: 12oz - 6pk
ABV: 6.1%
Batch: #9513 (packaged on Dec. 18th 2009)


Bottle text & Info:
Brewed with a blend of 10 different malts, Double Cream is an incredibly rich stout composed of dark, sweet and smooth tones intermingled with a soft, roasty finish.


Tasting Notes:
Pours a deep brown with a dark tan head that quickly settles to a quarter inch. Smells faintly of sweet malts. with a touch of lactose. Sorta like sweet cream. Mouthfeel is silky smooth but a bit thin. Sweet malt notes coupled with vanilla open and transition into a subtle roasted coffee note. Always good to see a solid entry into the Milk Stout category for those looking for something besides the run of the mill Guinness. I'd like to see just a little more body on this. Solid, but not the exceptional experience you expect from Bell's.

Day 21: 01.21.10 Bell's Hopslam

Bell's Brewing Inc.
Kalamazoo, Michigan


Hopslam


Style: American Double/Imperial India Pale Ale
Availability: Limited - January Release
Format: 12oz - 6pk
ABV: 10.0%


Bottle text & Info:
A biting, bitter, tongue bruiser of an ale. With a name like Hopslam, what did you expect.


Tasting Notes:
Only 150 cases currently in the state. 250 more to come. we sold all 12 cases allocated in a single day, so good luck trackin this down. If that's not a ringing endorsement i don't know what is. The holy grail of beer geeks and hop heads alike. Liquid gold. One of the best beers. ever.