Bell's Kalamazoo Stout

im an artist, what an artsy picture

Why I tried this: I wanted a stout. I had been avoiding this beer for a while because apparently it's brewed with licorice and I hate licorice. Yah, on a side note that means I hate Jager too, that stuff is the worst. Anyway, a few beers later and eventually my desire for a stout outweighed my hatred for licorice.

Smell: Coffee and chocolate scent with a slight roasted scent.

Taste: Before I took that first sip, I was a bit concerned. I blankly stared at the bottle for a while because of how much I really hate licorice. After some hesitation and thoughts of regret I decided to go for it and tackle the beast. As I flinched expecting a licorice beat down the flavor opened and it was very pleasant. The roasted flavor is noticeable and strong but is balanced very well by the other flavors of this stout. The chocolate and coffee malt flavors are superbly blended, there is also a syrupy sweetness to this beer as well. I didn't really notice any licorice flavor or maybe I just didn't mind it because of how blended in it was, either way it made me pretty happy.

After completing this beer and loving every drop this beer gets an empty glass rating. The flavors were great together and this beer was a very enjoyable smooth drink. This is a beer I would absolutely get again and again and like it every time. If you don't like licorice don't let that stop you from getting this beer. If you do like licorice, what's wrong with you? It's terrible. In that case you'll love this beer, especially since you can stomach and enjoy licorice.

--Jon

Bell's Special Double Cream Stout

Why I tried this: On another World of Beer adventure I had no idea what to order next.  The waiter we had Kyle typically suggests good beer to me so I told him to bring me a stout that I haven't tried yet.  A few minutes later and this bad boy was sitting in front of me.

Smell: Smelt like your typical stout.  A roasted malt smell.  The coffee scent stands out a bit but not too strong.

Taste: This beer at first tasted like I would expect a stout to taste like.  Since the label said cream stout I did expect a slightly creamier flavor then I sensed but it was still enjoyable.  This beer had a very well rounded flavor none of the malts in my opinion took over the flavor too much.  There was a flavor in the back I couldnt detect that gave it a very good and very original flavor.

On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give this beer an 8.  This beer was very tasty and had a flavor I could not describe that made it more enjoyable.  Other than that this beer tastes like what you would expect a good stout to taste like.  If you are a fan of stouts and haven't had this one out I would definitely recommend it.

--Jon