Batch 10,000
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

Batch 10,000Batch 10,000
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From:
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
9.2%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.84 | pDev: 13.02%
Reviews:
408
Ratings:
800
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 20, 2021
Added:
Nov 29, 2010
Wants:
  52
Gots:
  343
"Strong Brown Ale"
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by damndirtyape:
Photo of damndirtyape
Reviewed by damndirtyape from Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottle (Batch 10000 of course) poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Slow pour to ensure little sediment came along yielded a very dark red to black beer when held up to the light. The color could be described as a dark ruby red or maybe a dark garnet color. Due to the slow pour the head was just a thin tan head initially, but as I drank it down, the head actually grew a bit at the edges and got much thicker. Lacing was in sheets, think fine strands, and tiny islands.

Smell: Toasted malts, some caramel/toffee like sweetness and maybe just a hint of complex citrus hops (lemon and orange mostly) at the end. With a good swirl of the glass the hops come out more - definitely lemon and orange with some piney hop smells thrown in there. Quite complex to the point that nothing really stands out, but it's all in there, just muted a bit.

Taste: Equally complex in taste as it was in smell. Roasted malts are the front followed quickly with some hints of bitter coffee-like flavors which then move quickly into an end which is part sweeter malt and part citrus hop. There are sips that remind me of a Russian Imperial Stout, and others that remind me of a malty American India Pale Ale. As it warms up the bitter coffee-like taste starts to dominate the other flavors making it harder to tease out everything that is in this beer. I can tell more flavors are trying to come out as the beer warms up, but I can't find them over that bitterness. Enjoyable, just a lot going on here. Alcohol taste is very well hidden. Every now and then I think I get a hint of it.

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation along with a thick and creamy mouthfeel. Very well done balance between the two I think.

Drinkability: Despite my comment about the alcohol being well hidden in the taste, I could start to feel it coming on about halfway through the glass, despite slow sipping and having this with a hearty meal (Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes). This is definitely just a sipping beer, and one is more than enough. While the taste is definitely interesting and enjoyable, I think this beer could be described as too much in one glass. There is mastery in what Bell's does, but I think you'd have to be a tasting expert to get it all out of here. All that being said I enjoyed this one and wish Bell's another 10000 batches!
Jan 12, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.39 by SaxmanRick from Minnesota

Jun 20, 2021
 
Rated: 3.92 by prototypic from Ohio

May 14, 2021
Photo of bret27
Reviewed by bret27 from California

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle courtesy of acurtis. ~10yrs old.
Look: very dark brown/ruby, minimal tan head.
Smell: chocolate, musty.
Taste: Raisins, fig, oxidization slightly, honey, malt, caramel. Hint of soy. Minimal fizzy booziness. Flavors all pretty muted.
Mouthfeel: fairly medium - light bodied.
Overall: I never experienced fresh version. This has aged pretty well as u would expect from any strong ale or barleywine.
Jul 16, 2020
Photo of CEEALAN
Reviewed by CEEALAN from Michigan

4.34/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This was my longest aging experiment, 9 years, and I decided to finally open the final bottle today. I'm really surprised by the result. The bottle opened with a typical pop and poured with a typical head. Still tastes fresh does not have a number of the aging characteristics I see in Belgian ales. I actually think most of my friends would think this is a 2019 bottle if I serve it to them (though my girlfriend thinks I'm going to need to go to the emergency room after finishing the bottle).

There is a surprisingly light feel with hints of molasses and a bit of cinnamon. There are some clear bitter notes at the finish which result in a longer than expected aftertaste, but not at all a bad one.

This is not as complex as I "remember" it to be eight years ago, but the beer world has changed a lot since then and likely so have my perceptions. This is, while not exceptional, still a very good, surprisingly enjoyable and easy drinker, and has made me open to further aging experiments.
Dec 08, 2019
 
Rated: 3.98 by midlifec from Michigan

Sep 06, 2019
 
Rated: 5 by Kwright from North Carolina

Jul 15, 2019
Photo of cavedave
Reviewed by cavedave from New York

3.89/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4
Properly cellared since release almost 9 years ago. served just above cellar temp.

That brown ale look, with a long lasting head of dark tan that relaxes finally to a cap and some fine lace on glass.

Raisins, figs, dates, caramel, toffee, honey bread all are revealed in multiple, heavenly sniffs. It is medium strength aroma, quite tempting. A wee hint of alcohol spice comes into it as it warms.

A surprise hit of alcohol warmth and spice accompanies some herbal bitter to balance well all the sweet components of the aroma. A touch of sherry in this, unsurprisingly, that adds an interesting flavor A bit more alcohol than optimal, even after all these years, but a well blended and very delicious mix of age softened goodness.

Thick and coating, still has good carb., maybe a touch of build on the finish as the only ding to a mouthfeel that works well.

Quite a delicious beer I am enjoying immensely.
Jul 14, 2019
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A lurker from the doomsday beer closet. This strong ale pours a
murky dark brown with cola highlights and a decent head of off white
foam that settles to a thin ring, subtle light pool, and displays some decent lacing.
Nose of subtle dark malts, rum raisin notes, toffee, and plum notes. Flavors
slightly exceed the nose with rum like note awash in golden raisin, dark
plum and fig notes, toffee, subtle anise, and moderate hop bitterness.
Nice mouth feel; medium body, medium mouth feel, light
carbonation, and a malt accentuated lightly roasted finish.

Overall, a decent little strong/old ale that gives me an impression
of Hair of the Dog's Adam ale with a touch of less complexity....
another brew I wish I could sample again....sigh.

Cheers
Mar 01, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

Jul 13, 2018
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Shared 355 ml bottle at local tasting. ABV is 9.2%. Dark brown colour, moderate beige head. Aroma of molasses and oak. The flavour is better than batch 6000, less sweet (but still sweet enough) with a more distinct hop profile, notes of oak and tobacco.
Jun 12, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Sweffin from Wisconsin

Dec 28, 2017
 
Rated: 4.54 by Ristaccia from Nebraska

Nov 20, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Nov 01, 2017
 
Rated: 3.83 by vfgccp from New York

May 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.13 by DanGeo from Michigan

Apr 17, 2017
 
Rated: 3.95 by Jodio from Texas

Feb 11, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Gtg642 from Michigan

Jan 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4.22 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Dec 16, 2016
 
Rated: 3.59 by BuckeyeBeers from Ohio

Apr 30, 2016
Batch 10,000 from Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 800 ratings