Eccentric Ale 2006
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 oz bottle sharred with Sournotes and Mothman.

A- Pours a thin off white head that settles to a thin layer around the glass, dark brown color with reddish hues coming off the bottom.
S- Big dark fruits right away, plums, raisins, cherries, some honey, slight roasted notes, a lot going on in the aroma.
T- The taste is very similar to the nose, big dark fruits, brown sugar, honey, rather complex, a lot going on.
M- Medium mouth feel, decent carbonation, smooth drinking.
O- This is definitely an interesting beer, glad to try it once but not a beer I would want to revisit anytime soon.

Another MI gem from Derek, 12oz bottle, 2006 vintage, poured into a tulip.

The pour is a murky dark brown with a creamy beige head that lingers as a collar for a while and leaves some legs on the sides. It's a bit disconcerting though as there a ton of floaties in the glass, almost chunks in fact.

The aroma is certainly interesting with the vegetables and spices (coriander and nutmeg maybe?) hitting my nose first. There is a light sweet spiciness from the honey and more than a hint of chocolate and lots of dark fruits.

The taste is even weirder, with a crazy spiciness hitting the tongue up front. Really tough to place the specific taste though. Definitely some spices, juniper maybe, other spices as well. The backbone is dark malts, honey and dark fruit and the finish brings back the odd spiciness.

The mouthfeel is full bodied and sticky sweet but with the overpowering spiciness leaving a tingling on the palate.

This is one of the more interesting beers I've had in a long time. Lots of odd spiciness, honey, fruits and, of course, the weird inclusion of cooked vegetables. Not my favorite Bell's brew but glad I got to try it.

Joe sent me a bottle of this in my LNBA BIF box. Thanks, bud.

Pouring dark brown with a dense tan head that recedes to a disk, this beer leaves some patchy lace on the side of the glass. Quite attractive.

The nose is rather unreal. A prominent cooked vegetable character up front with maple syrup, brown sugar and a definite popcorn character this is nothing if not unconventional. The alcohol is noticeable too, lending a juniper-like spiciness. Some chocolate is present as well, but this really is just bizarre. Definitely spicy, some cilantro is apparent as is coriander and some mace. Spruce?

The palate opens surprisingly bitter with a harsh astringency that just destroys the palate. Really pine sap-like, this is followed with a big honey and maple syrup sweetness, some cocoa and caramel. Spices appear begin to dominate mid-palate with coriander and nutmeg. Very spruce-like on the finish with big bitterness, this is rather unpleasant. Allowing the beer to linger on the palate brings out the raisins, and thankfully, the vegies are hidden. With a definite warming alcohol presence on the finish, this beer is medium in body with low carbonation. Not recommended, I feel bad panning this beer, but I was reduced to a grimace for the most part of my pour.

Review #400! Poured from 12oz bottle.

A- Pours a murky brownish color. The head which was around one and a half finger was a deep mocha color. This stayed until it was just whisps of foam on the top of the beer. Spotty lacing on the sides of the glass.

S- This was interesting to me. At first it smelled like a very used cat box that never has been cleaned. Tons of juniper and pine sap smells in here. Light chocolate covered dark fruits, some light rye, and a slight alcohol presence....almost like rum and some bourbon notes.

T- The aroma threw me off so I didn't know how it was going to taste. Right off the bat it was dark chocolate with a lot of darker fruits pushing through the front. Interesting to me only because I didn't expect it at all. Some roasted malts come through after this along with a hint of juniper itself in the beer. Light alcohol overtones come pouring through with some bourbon and oak tones. There are other flavors in this beer but I can't seem to place my finger on what they are.

M- Medium heavy mouthfeel. Carbonation is a little low but I expect this for a beer aged for 4 years or so. Darker roasted chocolate left on the palate and some light alcohol burning in the backing into the aftertaste. Clean tasting for the most part and very drying on the palate.

D- This beer was a very good beer that I'm glad to have tried. Bell's is good at making some interesting beers that everyone wants and for good reason. Nice job Larry with this beer. It certainly is Eccentric.

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a St. Bernardus goblet.

Batch # 7799

A: Pours a charred chestnut color with a ton of suspended sediment visible when held to the light. Initially a creamy, 1/4 finger layer of dark khaki colored foam was spread out on top. It slowly receded down to a couple of bubbly islands that ended up clinging to the ring. Lacing was of the random and speckled variety.

S: Interesting aromas, initially, of milk choccolate, bing cherries, and candi. As it warmed the following subtleties began to emerge: toasted oak, vanilla, rum soaked raisins, whiskey, toasted rye bread crust, overripe dark fruit, and cotton candy.

T: Dark chocolate, raisins, and caramel covered tangy cherries loomed large along with supporting help from tobacco, campfire, roasted malt, charred oak, dark fruit, molassas/brown sugar, fudge brownies, Almond Joy/Mounds, whiskey/bourbon, and finally some whisps of peat smoked malt.

M: Incredibly creamy and coating. I'd also say smooth if it weren't for the spicy astringency that comes on big in the finish. It doesn't detract but, rather, adds balance to the sweetness. Alcohol presence is almost non-existant in the mouthfeel (while most certainly being there in the aroma and flavor).

D: Although the alcohol is very well hidden, make no mistake. This is a BIG beer. Both in abv and presence. A comfy couch is a requirement by the end of the bottle!

My oh my, what do we have here. If I told you I was excited to get a hold of this one it would be an understatement. This is one of those, I wish I would get a chance to try one day type of things. Well, guess what, I got to try it one day! Served chilled and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 06/25/2009
 
The pour was interesting for me. Rich dark brown in color, with lots of light caramel highlights to it. An off white head of maybe an inch or so rises up from the depths and settles down nicely into a firm, rich layer that really just stayed though out the entire session. I was mighty impressed. Then I went in for a whiff to see what I was going to find. If there was ever an everything but the kitchen sink mentality to a beer, this one is it. Chocolate, caramel corn, Cracker Jack like aromas, light piney hops, hints of bready grains, and some light apricots maybe? Who knows at this point, every time I took a sip something else started to come though. Light citrus, maybe some all spice. All I know is it was as smooth as could be. Really impressive on that front. I could have sipped on this one all day long, and in fact as the session wore on I really could not get enough of this. Light peppery touch to it toward the finish and a rounded, well worn kind of feel on the tongue.
 
Overall what can I say? Eccentric to say the least. This is one of the oddest, most off the wall creations I have ever come across and a more then fitting example to mark #1800 with. I could see totally why this would be a one off, and I would honestly be shocked if they even knew what was put in here!

Pours pitch black. Very heavy looking. Dirty brown head sits on top rather ominously.

Smells like freakin licorice. Almost like Jager, that strong. Some strange bits of juniper and anise. Hmmm...

Tastes better than it smells, far less licorice in the taste. Very sweet actually. Raisin, soy, and some fig are coming through. Dark fruit theme. Small chocolate aftertaste along with some espresso, but ever so slight.

This is way chewy. I literally chewed every single mouthful.

For being 10.5%, the alcohol burn was very slight. The licorice nose kept this from being really really drinkable.

Batch 8309.

Poured into a snifter. The beer is very, very dark brown. It is almost black. The dark brown head is 1 finger high. Retention is minimal and there is some lacing.

Smells very sweet and alcoholic with some very interesting and different aromas. Steamed vegetables (cooked carrots come to mind). Sweet brown sugar and maple syrup. I have no idea what this will taste like.

Initially the beer is very, very sweet. Maple syrup is once again evident with some honey. The steamed vegetable taste is present along with soy sauce and dark, sweet fruits. This is not my cup of tea as it is far too sweet. I can tell it is well done though. Very complex and unique. Alcohol is omnipresent and quite powerful, which is not surprising at 10.5%.

Medium full bodied with an oily and sticky mouthfeel. Carbonation is good. I couldn't drink half of the 12oz bottle.

A- A very deep, murky, leathery, brown. Looks almost black until it is held to a light. The head is off white at first, but when swirled and agitated, it looks pretty orange. It is creamy looking with good retention.

S- Smells like an aged Bell's beer. I get some soy sauce and cocoa powder, vegetables, and a little booze. Kind of smokey. This has definitely changed since I have had this a year ago and I cannot pick apart all the unique ingredients like I was able to.

T- Sweet and syrupy. I can definitely taste the agedness and alcohol. It is really messed up. I think I preferred this a year ago when this was only a year old. I was able to pick out all of the unique flavors listed on the label- vegetables, popcorn, fruit, spices, raisins, honey, and malted milk balls. This is one of the few times that I think the beer may be past its prime... or it may be transforming into something totally new. I am really torn with this.

M- Very smooth, but kind of sour and tart at the tail end. This beer really sticks around on my breath. Thick and syrupy.

D- I am really torn with this one. I enjoyed this a lot more as it warmed up. But, it is really transforming into something else. This is truly one of the most unique beers that I have ever encountered. I guess it is good for a try, but this is overall a very conflicting beer. I'll see where this goes in another year.

A- Thin mocha head on top of a cloudy dark brown body. Noticeable lacing right away.
S-Raisns, dark malt, figs, sweet dark fruits, and alcohol.
T-Really nice blend of flavors. Light over tone of the pop corn kicks in in the after taste and lingers for awhile. Follows the aroma and has strong up front alcohol. In the after taste the chocolate comes in and brings a nice balance to the alcohol.
M-Full body. Think this can be a bit rough at parts but as a whole with aftertaste and all it pulls together very nicley for a nice finish.
D- It's definatley and interesting beer with reading what they put on the label. Glad I got to try this but I wouldn't hunt down another bottle anytime soon. If you sit on this I think in about 6 years it would be great!

Charred chestnut that appears clear... until the good stuff at the bottom of the bottle enters the glass at the tail end of the pour. Atop the beer sits a single fat finger of golden foam that is both creamy and respectably persistent. The finishing touches are applied by a necklace of sudsy lace.

The aroma is better far away than up close. It's still pretty good and is interesting as well. But then it could hardly be otherwise with such odd ingredients as vegetables, malted milk balls and popcorn. I get dark caramel, cocoa, spruce tips and a nonspecific fruitiness.

Eccentric Ale is... eccentric. I'm surprised at how much Scotch pine is present. In some respects, the beer tastes like a significantly bulked up version of Anchor's Our Special Ale. Given the bizarre ingredients, EA doesn't taste bizarre. Just eccentric. What the hell does popcorn add, anyway?

Let's go with chocolate-covered caramels, molasses mixed with honey, raisin paste, juniper berries, pine sap and lemon peel. The beer starts out sweet, segues into primarily bitter, and finishes surprisingly bitter. Since this bottle is at least two years old, there must have been a boatload of hops added to the kettles. Larry loves hops. That's why we love Larry.

Warming doesn't change much in terms of the specific flavors, but it does amplify them a little. The hint of warming alcohol is fine and dandy since this is a big, burly, ballbreaker of a winter warmer. The crackling fire is for warming your outsides and the strong ale is for warming your insides.

The mouthfeel feels more full after the swallow than before. It's no more than medium initially, then gains both creaminess and viscosity as it goes. All those sugars and a perfect amount of carbonation are the keys to the crushed velvety smoothness.

Eccentric Ale 2006 is both interesting and delicious. Whether he decides to place the standard four ingredients on his palette or decides to use something completely off-the-wall, Larry Bell is an artist that brews masterpiece after masterpiece after masterpiece. If you're a big fan of fascinating big beer, seek this one out.

Sample at the Bell's tasting at Brews Cafe on 3/6/08 (2007 version): The beer is a murky dark brown color with a thin and foamy light beige head that diminishes quickly. Thin rings of lacing. Interesting aroma of resiny hops and sweet spices, plus some caramel and malt. Medium-bodied and smooth with flavors of caramel, anise, earthy malt and chocolate. The finish is moderately spiced with a mild alcohol and malt aftertaste. Pretty good overall.

A: It poured a dark mahogany brown body with bold tan head that receded fast leaving a slim layer across the top of the liquid.

S: Its aroma is bold and complex. It had a ton of chocolate malts, dark ripe fruits, and dark roasted malts. There is a tart flavor that reminds me of very ripe red cherries.

T: The taste is complex and challenging. It has a nutty rich dark malty base with bunt molasses, ripe dark fruits and dark peppers.

M: It is full bodied, creamy and oily. It holds flavors on the tongue and finished thick and warm.

D: This is too rich and full bodied for a session beer. However, it is a taste treat that belongs in every beer lovers stash.

Couldn't believe when I first read the label: "Malt beverage with vegetables, popcorn, fruit, spices, honey and malted milk balls". The very idea is a "5", but I have my doubts whether I'm going to detect popcorn, or how you could even brew using popcorn. If anybody can, it's Bell's. I couldn't wait to give this a taste, so a mere week after receiving it as a gift, I had to pop the top.

Pouring into a snifter, the head is a half-inch of brown like toasted marshmallows. Body is deep chocolate brown, a few shades away from black but well within brown range. Thick and fudge-like.

Aroma is in the Old Ale vein, plenty of hops but even heavier on cocoa goodness, dark raisins, sherry-like alcohol, pumpernickel, black licorice and vats of creamy milk chocolate sweetness. Very much reminds of Bell's own Third Coast Old Ale, which I suspect might've been used as the base.

My oh my...this tastes as good as I wanted it to, though maybe not as exotic as I'd hoped. Malted milk balls are very much in evidence, as are all the other ingredients listed on the label...except popcorn. I don't get that amidst all the other stuff going on, although there's that pleasantly burnt flavor of stove-popped corn in the finish, so I guess all is present and accounted for. The vegetables come in with a soupy mass of earthiness that pervades the flavor. All other elements are obvious and excellently mingled. Anise and other sweet dessert-y spices are particularly highlighted as it warms. Black cherry whizzes by...so does butter cream...and chocolate-dunked oranges...and then mint chocolates?!?

Along with the mildly burnt flavor is something like rich dark fudge in the finish. The 10.5% alcohol is present in the form of a glowing warmth, adding to the depth and presence of this incredible beer. I can only award it a perfect 5 for flavor. I don't care so much how eccentric the ingredients are, but my tastebuds tell me this is just the kind of thing I absolutely love to sip and savor.

As with so many Bell's products, the mouthfeel here is luxurious. Velvety and silky while also having a thick, gooey roundness. Fantastic.

This is a bittersweet sipper, as I know I'll probably never have one again. As mentioned, this is a bit like Bell's Third Coast Old Ale, though it takes a walk on the even wilder side. I was also reminded of Schmaltz's 10th Anniversary beer which was another huge brown bastard of thick and transcendent proportions. I fell in love with beer again tonight.

Thanks to the generosity of msubulldog25 I was able to try this rare oddity. Thanks for the 17th time Brian!