20 February 2010

Bell's Batch 9000 Ale

Bell's Batch 9000 Ale (bottle)
Comstock, MI
12.5% ABV

Sorry about the infrequency of posts lately. I've been writing up beers in my notebook, but have been a bit lax about posting them. I'll probably do a round-up post on those half-dozen beers or so in the next few days.

I also, as of this afternoon, have created a Twitter account. Those interested can follow me at twitter.com/danieleharper. Whether Twitter will be useful to me or whether it'll sit by the wayside collecting virtual dust is an open question, but we'll try it out. Similarly, I've also joined the new online beer community BeerVoice, with my profile being here.

Anyway. I first saw Batch 9000 when I was looking for my all-grain brewing ingredients. I bought a bottle and drank it as soon as I got home, but didn't bother to review. It was quite worthy, so I bought another bottle the next time I was there and it's been sitting in my fridge waiting for a writeup for two weeks. Nobody ever said I was first to the party.

Pours a rich brown coming out of the bottle but dark black in the glass. Thin brown head dissipates pretty quickly, expected for the ABV. Smells sweet with the molasses and the licorice, little of the maltiness or hoppiness expected from a good RIS. Tastes similar, very sweet and syrupy, a slightly dry and astringent aftertaste. Somewhat spicy as the beer warms a bit, think cloves. Mouthfeel is thick, with a low carbonation and low hops. Overall I enjoy this beer for what it is, appreciating the brewer's art, but it doesn't fit any easy categories, and the sweetness overwhelms what should be a roasty style.

My overall BA rating: 4.05/5

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