26 October 2008

Beer Review, Bell's Expedition Stout

Bell's Expedition Stout

Appearance: Black. Really black. No, even blacker than that. No light gets through even when held up to a light bulb. The only thing knocking this down is the very minimal head -- it leaves no appreciable head in this snifter, although I believe in a pint glass it's a bit more aggressive. 4.5/5

Smell: Sweet bitter chocolate malts, a slight astringency from the alcohol, the barest hints of raisin and other tarty sweet dark fruits. Very slight notes of grapes. Incredibly complex, very invigorating. 5.0/5

Taste: Highly alcoholic, strongly malty, very dry in the aftertaste. Thick with grains and barley in the middle, Strong notes of coffee and chocolate, of course, but with a sort of dry roastiness underneath that's less expected. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Thick, coats the tongue amazingly. Very low carbonation, pretty much nonexistent, beer goes down smooth as anything you can imagine at this alcohol level. 4.5/5

Drinkability: One of the best beers I've ever tasted. Amazingly drinkable, worth every penny. Having just moved to Kalamazoo, I'm going to be drinking a lot of this over the next few years.... 5.0/5

Overall: 4.65/5

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