Bell's Brewery Bourbon Barrel Aged Batch 9,000 Ale

Bourbon Barrel Aged Batch 9,000 Ale

 

Bell's Brewery in Galesburg, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸

  Stout - Imperial Special Out of Production
Score
7.90
ABV: 14.8% IBU: - Ticks: 33
Aged in bourbon barrels for 8 months, Bourbon Barrel Aged Batch 9,000 Ale takes the sweet caramel, molasses and dried fruit aromas of its predecessor and layers on oak, vanilla and bourbon notes. The barrel contribution is definitely present, but doesn’t try to overwhelm the underlying beer.

The goal is to showcase the beer, not the bourbon, with the result being an exceptionally smooth beer with complexity and depth that defies easy classification as an Imperial Stout or Barleywine or otherwise.
 

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7.5/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 7
4oz pour at Churchkey’s Bells event during DC Beer Week 2013. Pours a very oily, viscous, opaque black with one ring of beige head. Huge vanilla nose, tons of booze, licorice, malt, burnt sugar, chocolate cake. Flavor is very sweet, boozy, licorice, cake, malt, brown sugar, tons of booze, coconut, lots of vanilla. Sweet, boozy finish. Funny, because while I though the barrel helped the base beer. that messy base is still lurking. Too sweet.
Tried on 19 Aug 2013 at 07:13

7.9/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Tap at Maduro, pre-GTMW party. 11:20 or so in the morning! Black body with stained glass red edges. Foamy beige head. Surprisingly mellow aroma, some raisiny chocolate. Chewy licorice, tobacco, wood. Drinkable, especially for the ABV. Tastes thinner than the original. Still pretty massive of course, rich molasses, bourbon caramel tones. Nice.
Tried from Draft on 11 Aug 2013 at 14:25

7.9/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Bottle at Jack’s Farewell Tasting, big thanks to Kenny for this one, 06/08/13. Mid black with a good sized tan head. Nose is earthy, bitter chocolate, booze, roast malt, woody. Taste comprises brown sugars, dark chocolate, dirt, earth, bourbon drenched oak. Full bodied, fine carbonation, dry bitter roast in the climax. Solid impy affair.
Tried from Bottle on 11 Aug 2013 at 13:42

7.5/10 Appearance 4 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle thanks to Ken at Jack’s farewell bash. It pours darkest opaque brown with no head... The nose is wood, caramel, vanilla, coconut, tablet, fudge, bourbon and earth. The taste is wood, earth, vanilla, cocoa, oily, coconut, fudge, decent bitterness, mild acidity, plum, date, alcohol warmth and bourbon. Full body, moderate carbonation and viscous mouth-feel. Flavoursome and well-balanced. Good stuff.
Tried from Bottle on 11 Aug 2013 at 11:41

8.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 8 Texture 10 Overall 8.5
Very nice to try this one. Healthy sample at a tasting. Looks like chocolate rain, not oily or thick, almost thin and dark black with ruby tones. no head. Nose was explosive. Best balance of bourbon and beer I’ve ever had. tons of sweetness. Taste is out of this world. lovely vanilla, mocha and malt to sweetness aspect that’s very balanced I wasn’t a fan of 9000 but BA 9000 is otherworldly
Tried on 11 Aug 2013 at 07:02

8.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 9 Texture 10 Overall 8.5
On tap at MBGSF 2013. Pours black with a light tan head. Aromas of soy sauce, cocoa dark malt, dark fruit, plus bourbon throughout. Flavors of "green" soy sauce, cocoa, raisin, light roasted coffee, with bourbon mixing well into it. Very much like the original Batch 9,000, but with more refinement with age.
Tried from Draft on 27 Jul 2013 at 19:06

7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
tap on Feb 23 at Trion - Pours black with a very small tan head. It smells boozy and mostly of bourbon. The flavor features a strong bourbon character with dense, rich dark malt and alcohol. It has a very full body and a long, roast, boozy, bourbon finish. The bourbon really dominates so fortunately I like bourbon. It’s hot. Perhaps the abv has gotten too high. It’s tasty now though I think it will age, mellow, and be better.
Tried from Draft on 16 May 2013 at 13:10

8.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
on tap @RBWG-JAX-still-mahogany. A-molasses/bourbon-sweet dk malt. T-molasses/bourbon-sweet dk malt, dk fruit, slight hop bite.
Tried from Draft on 05 May 2013 at 11:02

7.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
75 cl bottle. Pours dark brown to black with a small tan head. Aroma is solid alcohol and dense dark malty. Liqourice, roasted and alcohol warmth. Bitter and slight herbal dry finish. Dark roasted malty finish.
Tried from Bottle on 02 Mar 2013 at 19:54

7.8/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 10 Overall 7
Tap. Bourbon and caramel malt aroma. Black with minimal head. Strong boozy bourbon and chocolate-caramel malt flavor. Full bodied. Good - bourbon dominates.
Tried from Draft on 28 Feb 2013 at 17:24