Bell's Black Note Stout

I was fortunate enough to be at Al’s of Hampden when he decided to tap Bell’s Black Note Stout and I ordered a glass. This beer is a blend of Expedition Stout and Double Cream Stout that is aged in freshly retired bourbon barrels. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of bourbon, oak, vanilla, chocolate, and caramel. The taste is impeccably smooth and creamy with chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and oak flavors. There is a great bourbon accent mixed with a cherry finish. The alcohol content is 11.5% ABV. This was a wonderful beer with well balanced flavors. The smooth and robust flavors popped out of the beer and were met with open arms by the strong bourbon and cherry flavors to make a beer that is worth seeking out again.

Bell's Cherry Stout

While out at dinner at the Black Gryphon in Elizabethtown, I ordered a glass of Bell’s Cherry Stout. The beer pours a black color with red hues and a thin filmy brown head. The aroma consists of chocolate, cherry pie, vanilla, and molasses. The taste is sweet with lightly sour cherries up front, dark chocolate to balance, and a dry powdery cocoa finish. Vanilla and molasses linger in the after taste. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. While not as good as the Cerise, the cherry flavors in this beer do provide a nice accent to the dark and powdery chocolate flavors.

Bell's Batch 10,000

I picked up a bottle of Bell's Batch 10,000 from Al's of Hampden and also as a birthday gift from my buddy Adam. The beer pours a dark brown color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of caramel, chocolate, and fresh lemon and pine hops. The taste is bitter with lemon and pine hops at first before some sweet chocolate, toasted malts, and caramel sink in. The finish is bitter and dry. The after taste leaves some citrus on the tongue, specifically orange. The alcohol content is 9.2% ABV. The transition of flavors within the Batch 10,000 is absolutely wonderful between chocolate and citrus. The beer does not let the tongue rest, and it is quite a great experience.

Bell's Amber Ale

In my mixed six-pack that I got from Al's of Hampden, I grabbed a bottle of Bell's Amber Ale, mostly based on the recommendation of my roommate Adam. The beer pours an amber color (duh!) with a thin filmy white head. The aroma consists of lots of sweet caramel and toffee. The taste is sweet and smooth with a large mouth presence. There is a lot of caramel and toffee flavors in this beer. There are some hints of some toasted caramel as well as the beer finishes. The after taste lingers a bit with some fresh lemon and orange flavors from the hops. The alcohol content is 5.8% ABV. If you are looking for a beer that is somewhat sweet with good helping of toffee and caramel, this is your beer. It is very enjoyable and not overly sweet, as it is nicely balanced with some citrus notes.

Bell's Hell Hath No Fury Ale

While at Al's of Hampden, I ordered a glass of Bell's Hell Hath No Fury Ale. The beer pours a black color with a thin bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, licorice, toasted malts, Belgian spices, and banana. The taste is big on the chocolate with lots of toasted malts, some banana and a spiced up finish. Spruce and yeast linger in the after taste just before the alcohol kicks a little bit. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. While the spruce after taste was completely unexpected, it made the beer better than expected and memorable.

Bell's Expedition Stout

I picked up a bottle of Bell's Expedition Stout at D's Six Pax and Dogz in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a deep black color with a thin bubbly brown head. The smell consists of chocolate malts. The taste is a bitter chocolate with an toasted malt undertone. The beer finishes dry with coffee flavors, making it a little more bitter the the first sip. The alcohol content is 10.5% ABV. This was quite a tasty stout with a perfect balance of coffee and chocolate. The coffee doesn't hit until later in the experience, but it quite refreshing. I'm not sure that I would be able to drink several of these in a night, but it would make quite a delicious starter beer for the night or as a dessert beer.

Bell's HopSlam Ale

I was eagerly anticipating the release of Bell's HopSlam Ale, and I ordered a draft at McGrath's in Harrisburg. I noticed this beer was “on deck” at McGrath's, so I inquired which beer's keg had to be kicked to accommodate the HopSlam Ale. Katie, the bartender, responded that Corsendonk Christmas Ale had to be kicked, and my group of friends and I kicked the keg. Then on to the HopSlam. The beer has a yellow-gold color with a lofty and foamy white head. The smell is piney and floral with plenty of citrus accents. The taste is sweet with lemon and grapefruit accents with a decent hop finish. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. I though that this beer was amazing and the hops were not overwhelming. I plan on ordering this beer whenever I see it out, and I highly recommend picking this up.

Bell's Winter White Ale

I grabbed a six-pack of Bell's Winter White Ale at Wegman's. The beer is a white/pale yellow color that is cloudy and unfiltered. It smells is light and fresh with citrus accents. The taste is sweet and lemony with a slight spice on the back of the mouth on the finish. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. I thought the Winter White Ale had a very good taste and was smooth drinking beer. I liked Bell's take on the winter ale with a white ale offering and this change of pace was very enjoyable.

Bell's Christmas Ale

McGrath's in Harrisburg recently added Bell's Christmas Ale to their draft lineup and I was eager to order a glass. The beer is amber in color with red hints and a light foamy head. The smell is light with spice accents. The taste is smooth with slight sour cherry bite and a touch of honey. The alcohol content is 5.4% ABV. I thought this Christmas Ale was very good and smooth with the honey making the beer. The honey made the taste nice and sweet and made the beer very drinkable.

Bell's Kalamazoo Stout

I picked up a bottle of Bell's Kalamazoo Stout on a whim and because I really like Bell's products. The beer has a deep black color with a lofty brown head. The aroma is sweet smelling with licorice accent. The taste is chocolately with roasted malts and licorice accents. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. The robust amount of flavors makes this a very enjoyable beer and I am a big fan of it. I would highly recommend this beer, even if you don't like licorice, as it is not an overpowering flavor.

Bell's Oktoberfest

To my surprise, McGrath's in Harrisburg added Bell's Oktoberfest to their draft line-up. I had not previously been aware that Bell's had an Oktoberfest beer, but I was not reluctant to give it a try. The beer is copper in color with minimal aroma. I was not able to pick up any scent. The taste is smooth and malty with a subtle bite. It is very clean and smooth. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. I thought that Bell's delivers a very solid and enjoyable Oktoberfest. The quality that is put into their other beers has carried over to this one and leaves the drinker satisfied.

Bell's Two Hearted Ale

While watching hockey, I cracked open a bottle of Bell's Two Hearted Ale. This beer is one of the few IPAs that I can stand, because it it more in line with the traditional English IPA and not the overpowering American IPA. Pouring the beer into the glass releases a great deal of aroma, which smells like a spring morning. The beer itself is very crisp and fresh tasting, with a very refreshing aftertaste. The hops are delicately balanced and not overpowering. The aftertaste is a little bitter, but let the flavor change in your mouth. I understand where the "Two Hearted Ale" comes from, as there are two levels of taste. It starts out a little bitter, but smooths itself out. The alcohol runs at 7.0% ABV which is normal for an IPA. Give it a try.