Bells Expedition Stout

Expedition Stout is a MASSIVE Russian Imperial Stout. 

Brewer's notes: One of the earliest examples of Russian Imperial Stouts in the United States, this beer offers immensely complex flavors crafted specifically with aging in mind.

Beer Advocate: Expedition Stout offers immensely complex flavors crafted specifically with vintage aging in mind, as its profile will continue to mature and develop over the years. A huge malt body is matched to a heady blend of chocolate, dark fruits, and other aromas. Intensely bitter in its early months, the flavors will slowly meld and grow in depth as the beer ages.

Tasting notes

2311: Another beer packaged Sept. 10, 2021. Now the beer is a little over two years old. It was dessert after Lisa's birthday dinner and followed too much food and alcohol for a detailed recollection. It was BIG and good. No soy but loads of black malt. 

Rating = 5 glasses

Here is a set of reviews from 2022 and EARLIER.

Dec 13, 2002. 

I am drinking a bottle packaged Sept, 10, 2021, making the beer about 1.25-years old. I think that I like it but am not really sure. Charcoal with some soy with a big hop bite hidden by chocolate malt is what I taste. It pours slow and black. My ratings have ranged from 7 glasses to 3 glasses. The rating seems to decrease as the beer ages. This is the second of what I think was a 4-pack and is better that what I remember when the beer was "fresh". I think that drinking the beer may be like playing basketball for Bob Knight - I want to see if I can do it.

Rating: 5 glasses.

August, 2008

A 2.5 year-old bottle. Ditto as 0905. Downgraded from 4 glasses. Click here for previous review. Top 100: 29 December 2005 and 10 March 2007. (Not on 30 January 2009 or 9 August 2009.) Rating: 3 glasses

Allagash Tripel

Allagash Tripel is my favorite tripel. The flavor is a mix of spicy, citrus, a flash of sweet alcohol, and a titch of clove. It is an old friend and continues to impress. Other tripels can be too much clove.

Brewer's notes: This award-winning celebration of a classic Belgian beer style is filled with notes of passion fruit and honey. Its simple recipe yields a full range of elegant flavor and finishes refreshingly dry. Its golden, crisp, and refined profile pulls from a tradition that began centuries ago in Belgian Abbeys.

BeerAdvocate: This strong golden ale is marked by passion fruit and herbal notes in the aroma, with suggestions of banana and honey in the complex palate. The Tripel has a remarkably long and smooth finish.

Tasting notes

2311: Another delicious bottle last night with Lisa's birthday dinner.

Rating = 6.5 glasses

2004

Rating = 6 glasses, but thinking about 7.

Chimay Grand Reserve (Blue)

Grand Reserve is a delightful Belgian Strong Dark Ale. In the 33 cl bottle, it is called Blue. In the .75 l bottle is stamped Grande Réserve.

Brewer's notes

Beer Advocate: The Chimay Blue is a dark ale with a powerful aroma. Its complex flavor improves with passing time.

Tasting notes 

(2311) Alex and I shared a bottle during Lisa's birthday dinner. I think that it was bottled around February 10, 2022 and has aged 1.75 years: the label reads L22-040. I did not enjoy the beer as much as I remember. It did not WOW me. I am downgrading the rating to 5 glasses.

(1106) A bottle w/ about 6-8 months on it. A delight.

(1101) Complex and difficult to describe. Not sweet as I was expecting. Musty apples, a dash of cinnamon, and a light hop bite. Complexity may merit 6 glasses. 

(0911) A bottle in NYC. Brown sugar, apple butter, and light hops. 

(0701) A delight. Brown sugar, spiced slightly sour oranges, and light hops. Winelike. Upgraded from 2/8. 

(????) Had a 12 oz. bottle. Looked for something else after the bottle was empty.May be worth another try. 

Rating: 5 glasses

Previous ratings: 2, 5, then 6 glasses

3 Floyds Alpha Klaus

Alpha Klaus is an Christmas porter.

Brewer's notes: Alpha King’s festive cousin. A big American Christmas Porter brewed with English chocolate malt, Mexican sugar, and tons of strange American hops. The pronounced hop bitterness gives way to flavors of molasses and chocolate from the roasted malt bill.

BeerAdvocate

Tasting notes
2311: Alpha Klaus tastes like it has chocolate and maybe cinnamon; but the brewer's notes do not mention any extracts. The beer is pleasant and a nice variation of a Christmas Ale. It is easy to drink and the flavor is interesting.

Rating = 4 glasses

Alesmith Private Stock Ale

 old ale

6 glasses

sweet but not cloying

Bell's Third Coast Old Ale

BeerAdvocate classifies Third Coast Old Ale as an American Barleywine. I am not convinced that it is not an Old Ale.

Brewer's Notes

Third Coast Old Ale starts with a rich, caramel base, and finishes with heavy hop bitterness. Sharply intense at first, it will age gracefully, adding complexity and subtlety to your cellar. Go ahead, test your patience.

Flavor Profile: Complex, Warm Malt Character, Huge Body, Rich Caramel Malt Aromas

Beer Info: A mixture of burnt caramel and other earthy malt flavors, with enough hop presence to prevent a sense of sweetness. Sharply bitter when first packaged, this hop aspect will fold into the malt character over time and find balance.

Shelf Life: Unlimited

Ingredients: Water, Malt, Hops, House Ale Yeast

Nutritional Information (per 12 oz. serving): Calories: 318, Carbs: 26.7

IBUs: 65

Original Gravity: 1.101

Tasting Notes

2311: A five-year old bottle. Tastes very Old Ale-ish. Musty sourness dominates the flavor. I wonder if the beer is past its prime. 

Rating = 5.5 glasses

Nov. 14, 2022: Another bottle with about 6 years of age. A delightful combination of brown sugary malt, hop bitterness, and a tiche of sour from somewhere. 

Rating = 6 glasses (and thought about 6.5).

Previous ratings: 3, 5, 6

Aug 25, 2019: With second dessert I drank a Bell's Third Coast Ale, an American barleywine. The bottle was relatively fresh. Brown sugar flavor but not sweet. The aftertaste was sort of sour. I think this beer gets better with age. Ratings based on beers aged about 4 years = 6 glasses. Today,

Rating = 5 glasses.

1210:  Bells bottled this 6-pack on 4 Dec 2008, making it about 4 years old. The taste was all brown sugar and malt. I want to buy and age more. Yummy. It continues to earn its 6-glass rating. 

1009: A 2-yr. old bottle. Burnt caramal, dark fruits, and hop bite @ finish. A solid 6. Ages well. 

1009: A bottle purchased from the cooler section @ Elwood Thompson. Burnt malt, deep bitter hop bite, a tiche of sour. A complex beer. May rate 5 glasses but I left it at six pending further review. Complexity and the impression it made on my memory prevented the downgrade. 

Rating = 6 glasses

1004: A 2 yr 7 mn old bottle brewed 0709. A tiche thnner than I remembered and a little lactic acid, a la Vintage Ale, peeping out. Thought about a downgrade to 5. 

1002: A 2 yr 5 mn old bottle brewed 0709. Malty burnt caramel with some hops and a tiche of old ale sour. 

0909: A 2-year old bottle. Toffee. An English barleywine. Ages fantastically. Thought about 7 glasses. 

0809: A 1-yr. old bottle. Wonderful. Big caramel malt with sour, bretty bite at end. Upgraded from 5. 

0801: A bottle dated 0709. Delightful. Cream brule, a hint of chocolate, dates, a touch of alcohol, and a little leather. 

0801: A little cream brule, some bitter hops w/ a touch of sour, and a blast of alcohol. Quaffable and flavorful. May rate 6. 

0712: Sweet malt followed by a sour (Brett?) bite. Sourness becomes predominate as it warms. An interesting sipper. Ages nicely and would pair well with game. 

0710: Caramel, dark fruit, alcohol, deep bitterness, and a touch of stout/smoke when cold. Port (?) wine, figs, and sour bitterness as it warms. An non-sweet English BW? A good sipper for a cold night. Upgraded from 3. 

0611: 1st of a 6. Burnt crème brule when cold. As it warms the malt fades a little and a sour hop bite at end becomes more predominate - sort of a subdued Arrogant Bastard. Alcohol present in every sip. I suspect it will improve with age. I could see pairing it with game cooked with sweet fruits. May rate 4/8.

Duvel 6.66

6.66 is a fine Belgian blond ale if you like the style. I am not a big fan.

Brewer's Notes: The Duvel Moortgat family brewery is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, with a new variant of Duvel, a new mild, full-bodied blond Duvel with the alcohol percentage of 6.66%.

This Duvel is mild, expressive and deliciously drinkable. No fewer than 6 different hop varieties are used for Duvel 6.66%: just like the classic Duvel, it’s based on the noble and exclusive hop varieties Saaz and Styrian Golding. The flavour is then balanced by adding four expertly selected hop varieties to the mix, which also involves the dry-hopping method.

BeerAdvocate

Tasting Notes
November 2023: As noted, 6.66 is a fine Belgian blond ale.

Rating = 2.5 glasses.