Bell's Batch 7000 Ale - Will It Be Worth It?
Nov 11 '05
The Bottom Line A really nice imperial stout, but I'm only going to pay $16.99 for this once. That price is worth it for the beer lover to try once.
Sure, I appreciate a beer value as much as anybody. However, I also really enjoy checking out very special brews. Heck, I bought one of the Sam Adams Utopias editions (nice, but not something I’d repeat) and a $14.00 bottle of Sam Adams Chocolate Bock (interesting concept, but either needed more chocolate or more bock).
So, when I saw that the Kalamazoo Brewing Co (from nearby Michigan) put out an ale called Bell’s 7000 Ale, I was intrigued. At my local liquor superstore, it was 16.99 a six and the staff recommended it as being tasty, with a real kick.
So, I checked it out at the Bell’s web site. It doesn’t say much – just that it’s a commemorative single batch release to be brewed only once, with an abv of 12.0% and original gravity of 1.141. The site says that it was brewed in October. I went back the following day and bought a six pack.
Now that it’s been chilled to circa 50 degrees and I have a pot roast and potatoes dinner waiting, it’s time to see if it tastes as great as it’s price.
The Nose A powerful aroma of coffee, with lesser amounts of roasted malt and slight nuttiness (like me) and sweetness were there upon the open. Definitely a very promising stout aroma.
The Pour Dark, dark, DARK, with a thick, long-lasting head that is darker than normal. I was a little surprised. I expected a lesser head with this because of the abv.
The Taste Syrupy consistency, heavy body. The alcohol is pronounced but so is the coffee, with a faint taste of hoppy bitterness and fainter tastes of chocolate and caramel. There was mild carbonation
The Aftertaste The bitterness lingers as does the alcohol taste. The coffee flavor becomes almost like Irish Coffee as it competes with the alcohol and slowly fades.
I am feeling a very pleasant buzz.
This is a very nice and enjoyable stout. I like the taste of it. I don’t think it’s worth $16.99 on a regular basis, but I’ll gladly enjoy the other 5 bottles. I don’t plan to buy any more. It has some similarities with Baltika #6, although it has more of a coffee flavor. Still, when this six pack is gone, Batch 7000 will likely be gone from the liquor store yet Baltika #6 will still be available.
This did well with the meat and potatoes and would do well with cheese. I think it’s a little heavy for either seafood or spicy/salty snacks.
So, for taste 5*s, for value, one six pack will be enough.
Thanks for reading. God bless!
You might be interested in some of my other restaurant and gourmet reviews:
Baltika #6 Russian Beer
Baltika #4 Russian Beer
Unibroue Terrible Belgian-style Ale
Zhiguly 9.5 Grand Lithuanian Beer
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Goose Island Demolition Ale
Hackney’s Restaurant in Glenview
Bob Chinn’s Crab House
Twin Anchors Restaurant in Chicago
Pavilion Restaurant in Chicago
Szechuan East Restaurant in Chicago
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