Fest Beer
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

I had this beer at the brewery two nights ago. Review is from notes taken.

Comes intensely dark. Medium tan head lasted for about a minute before settling down to a small cap atop the liquid. This beer is so dark, light cannot pass through it.

Aroma suffers from the coldness this beer was served. I sipped it slowly though while playing chess and taking notes on the beer. Semi sweet chocolate notes with a nice burnt roasted flavor and some hop characteristics. Nothing spectaculater though.

Upon first sip I realize this is my type of beer. Lots of stouty characteristics with roasted coffee and chocolate flavors up front. Reminds me of Expedition at first but soon evolves to more of a barleywine with some fruity characteristic which I think is from the hoppiness. A little milky characteristic in the middle offsets the intense thickness of this beer a bit. Finish has a bit of alcohol warmth but not as much as one might expect from a 10% beer, then a nice little acidic hit cleanses the palate.

This beer is instensely thick and bold flavors and nice complexity. Seems like a combination of Expedition and Third Coast Old Ale. Definitely a sipper. I loved this beer. But I don't think I could have more than one, maybe two at a sitting.