Saturday 27 September 2008

Review: Bell's Kalamazoo Stout

Bell's Kalamazoo Stout from Bell's Brewery, Inc.
Rating: A-

Appearance: Pours an absolutely opaque brownish/black into the glass. One finger dark khaki head, with decent retention. Not much lacing.

Smell: Seriously roasty - stale coffee, dark chocolate. A little later, almost like an iced latte. I'm not picking up on the licorice, which is a good thing as anise is not one of my favorite flavors. More burnt aromas come out as it warms.

Taste: Best tasting stout I've had in a while. Bitter cocoa dominates. Sweet middle, like sweetened iced coffee. Finishes crisply and dry. Warming - would be a great winter beer. Again, I'm not getting the licorice?

Mouthfeel: More medium than full in body (a bit surprisingly, given how dark this beer is), smoothly carbonated - almost milky in consistency and the way it coats your mouth.

Drinkability: Very solid beer. I'm so glad Bell's is now distributed in Florida.

1 comment:

HolzBrew said...

I think I'm one of the few who just thinks this beer is OK. Almost everyone I talked to raves about it. To me its just a little too bitter and not enough sweetness to balance it out. Ahh well, to each his own.