Black Note Stout
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

This used to be a great elusive barrel aged stout back in the day. Haven't had it in years, but I was at my local Total Wine in Rochester Hills, Michigan recently and saw 4-packs of this and picked one up. To be honest I am underwhelmed with this 2026 version. Kinda chalky, bland, not much flavor at all, didn't seem very complex, nor did I get much booze. seems like an unnecessary cash grab to me. Their regular version Expedition Stout is better than this and you can get a 6-pack for around $15. For $22.65 I expected it to be better. There are much better options available these days. I recently also picked up a 4 pack of New Holland Dragons Milk Triple Mash for around the same price and found that to be much superior in taste, more complex & boozier with a higher APV.

 

RB transfer

2023 bottle drank on 6/7/2025
Taste; chocolate, roast, dark fruit, micro hints of coffee and anise. Mild barrel. Slightly sweet overall. Smooth, easy drinking, ABV is well hidden.

Nice lighter duty BA stout. Thanks Whyteboar

 

 

 

Pours jet black with a thick dark caramel head on top. Smells very sweet with dark fruit and notes of barrel. Boozy but not too boozy well balanced. Got the sweetness along with toasted coffee.

 

I’ve actually had this on tap a few times and sent it out on BIFs and trades but never sat down with a bottle to concentrate on the beer.
Until now.
Pour is stout black with a 1 cm light brown head which left rings of lacing.
The important part: the taste.
It’s not like either of the stouts that make up the blend, or maybe cuvée.
It’s a touch more coffee forward than Double Cream Stout and much less roasty than Expedition stout.
It *is* amazingly tasty with smooth coffee and chocolate and daaaark fruits.
This is way too easy to drink considering the ABV, I had the 12 ounces consumed in very short order.
Good beer!

12oz bottle, poured into a snifter glass. Packaged 10/31/2023, PRN 42801. 11.4% ABV for the 2023 bottling.

Appearance: Pitch black letting no light through, thin tan head with plenty of islands and fine strands of lacing.

Smell: Bourbon, vanilla, roasted malt.

Taste: Tasted a lot like it smells, but with a bit more vanilla and malt sweetness. Some definite dark chocolate and milk chocolate notes. Some espresso-like coffee bitterness, but there is more bourbon at the finish that tempers it. Not getting any dried fruit flavors as per the label, but still quite tasty.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and creamy thick with just right carbonation.

Overall / Drinkability: Dangerously drinkable. Very smooth, well balanced between all the flavors, and the alcohol is well hidden. A nice sipping beer and this would go great with a dessert. Definitely something to look for again.

 

Sampling a 12 oz bottle at cellar temp. Figured I do an expected great beer for my 3000th Review!!
Lets go.
Pouring the beer into my trusty snifter. The beer was bottled on 10/31/2023, received in a BIF this month.
Pours into my glass a solid black coffee color with a dense creamy tan head of .5 cm. the foam fades to a sturdy surface covering that remains through the sampling. i get some nice tight lattice when I swirl the glass or take a sip.
Aroma is roasted malt, dark chocolate, some black licorice or anice note, bourbon notes and hints of black pepper. No hop character on the aroma and not fusol, but I believe the black pepper note is booze hint.
First sip reveals a fairly thick body with smooth texture and full mouthfeel. Fine and tingly carbonation. Nice physical traits.
Flavor is similar to the nose with high cacao dark chocolate, some black licorice, and finishes with some slightly sweet bourbon. Again no hop character on this beer. There isnt really a lot of boozy warmth on the finish here either.
Pretty straight forward solid barrels aged stout, good complexity and blend of flavors. Very happy to have checked this beer and enjoying this tasty stout. The hidden ABV could be dangerous. Well worth seeking out.

 

12 oz bottle fill date 10/31/23 into a snifter.
L: SRM 40 Pours jet black with a thin dark khaki head that quickly recedes to edge foam, low carbonation, no lacing.
S: Bourbon barrel notes, chocolate, darkly roasted cereal grains, caramel.
T: Mingling dark fruits, complex char, chocolate, dark berries, bourbon, wood barrel notes, dark caramelized malts, a bit nutty from the oaken barrels, finish is malty with espresso, bourbon, and sweet dark cocoa.
F: Smooth & resilient heavy-bodied feel with a long finish that is fairly drying.
O: Simply one of the finest BBA stouts I've had. Does not taste fake or adjunct-ridden as do many others. Smooth, rich, deep, long finish. Exceptional. Unlimited shelf life is touted but I'll get to the other 3 bottles this year. Good price point. This beer is absolutely world-class in its style.

12oz bottled 10/31/23 (3+ months ago) poured into a tulip glass at fridge temp 11.4% ABV. The beer pours impenetrable black with medium brown colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and island. Spotty lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength with bourbon soaked fudge brownie and lesser notes of ash and oak. The taste is bittersweet roasted malt with more bourbon, fudge brownie, oak and classic, ashy roasted malt character. The feel is medium plus bodied with just less that average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, world class BBA imperial stout.

 

Terrific stout! This is everything a barrel aged stout should be.

Dark chocolate, espresso, and plum flavors jump out the most. Brown sugar lingers on the finish. The mouthfeel is wonderful as well. If you see it, buy it!