Bear Hug
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

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From:
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
8.4%
Score:
89
Avg:
3.97 | pDev: 7.3%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
118
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 28, 2019
Added:
Jan 07, 2014
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  8
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Docrock:
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Rated by Docrock from Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

Oct 26, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.31 by jordanginsberg from Louisiana

Dec 28, 2019
 
Rated: 3.88 by Giggy from Michigan

Dec 01, 2019
Photo of PapaGoose03
Reviewed by PapaGoose03 from Michigan

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had a sampler of this beer at Bell's All Stouts Day. The hops come thru a bit on this stout as stated on the beer menu, but the brewer used hops that I like.
Nov 05, 2019
Photo of neenerzig
Reviewed by neenerzig from Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This beer draws a very dark brown, almost black color with a thin ring of foam lining the inside of the glass. Aromas of roasted caramel malts with some caramel and chocolate sweetness, black coffee bitterness, and some maple sweetness. The taste is quite similar, with the aforementioned roasted caramel malts with some caramel and chocolate sweetness, black coffee bitterness, and some maple sweetness. Also a bit of booziness here too. Just a hint of earthy hops round this out. A really excellent flavor profile overall. Has a crisp, smooth, full bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Has a clean finish and sweet, roasted, slightly boozy aftertaste.

Eric
Oct 19, 2019
 
Rated: 4.13 by arrowsmith_ from Pennsylvania

Jul 30, 2019
 
Rated: 3.92 by BeerForMuscle from New Jersey

Jun 05, 2019
 
Rated: 4.1 by CDBeerDisappear from Ohio

Mar 02, 2019
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Rated by pathman from Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12/22/18 draft @ Lizardville
Jan 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.5 by -Andrew- from Michigan

Jan 21, 2018
 
Rated: 3.78 by DanGeo from Michigan

Jan 19, 2018
 
Rated: 4.21 by DupaJas from Illinois

Dec 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by tvenne from Minnesota

May 09, 2017
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Unknown vintage; drank 4/17/16 on draft @ Jerry's Andersonville.

Brown/black appearance.

Khaki head; a thick curtain of lace.

Sweet cherry, coffee & chocolate notes in the nose; this smelled great!!

Medium thick mouthfeel.

Coffee & soft cherry flavors up front; dry chocolate notes on the finish. Faint booze heat emerged as this warmed. A sweet, balanced stout. Very tasty!
Jan 17, 2017
 
Rated: 3.63 by BubbleBobble from New York

Dec 21, 2016
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Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
With cooler weather looming, the appetite for richer, roastier, fuller bodied beer does also. But the lingering heat suggests something drier and hoppier- enter an imperial stout that shares commonalities with "black" IPA.

Bell's Bear Hug pours with an opaque depth of bark brown, a hair's shade of black. Sharply roasted, the nose is rife with espresso, cocoa and walnut with hints of burnt citrus and pine. Seared molasses follows in taste along with bitter baker's chocolate, burnt cream and an overall woodsy, nutty earthiness.

The middle palate shows tremendous roast and bitterness without tasting burnt or ashy. The bitterness of hops give greater rise to the impressions of bitterness that coffee and cocoa offers- each pushing the other to greater heights that than either of them could achieve individually. Trailing spiciness of pepper, booze and a long hop linger carries a faint campfire, prairie fire and singed pine needle character.

Full bodied but trending dry for imperial stout, the stout's carbonation, spicy alcohol and acrid roast promotes a drying texture even though its robust roastiness suggests something of heft. Long impressions of bitter espresso and roasted walnut outlasts the beer's more fleeting complexities.
Sep 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.13 by Gambyt20 from Illinois

Jul 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4.28 by jgarvis from Illinois

Jul 05, 2016
 
Rated: 4.4 by malfunxion from New York

Jul 01, 2016
 
Rated: 3.77 by nickfl from Florida

May 25, 2016
Bear Hug from Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 118 ratings