Expedition - Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee Stout
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

Expedition - Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee Stout from Bells. Received from @Whyteboar in Barleywine and Stout BIF #2. 12 fl oz bottle. Received 26/02/25, reviewed 15/03/25 (Review 3472). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
“PACKAGED ON (blank) SHELF LIFE - UNLIMITED” on label. Stored at home at 39 degrees F and served at 57.2 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature 63.5 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Deep Brown (SRM 30), nearly opaque.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, ruby at the bottom edge.
Head – Small (Maximum 0.5 cm, aggressive center pour), Windsor tan, high density, short retention. Drops to a 0.15 cm crown and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4 – Coffee and bourbon. No hops, no yeast, no alcohol – just a hint of smokiness.
Flavor – 4.5 – Begins slightly sweet, distinct coffee. No yeast, no hops. No alcohol (13.3% ABV, according to the label), but moderate gastric warming does occur. Bourbon, no vanillin, no oakiness. Some chocolate appears as it approaches the final temperature. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 4.25 – Full-bodied: creamy: soft carbonation.
Style: Follows the style guidelines as condensed by BA.

Final impression and summation: 4.5 Rarely, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts - this beer definitely is! Normally I’d lower the final rating by 0.25 point because the date is left off the bottle, but since this beer was introduced a little over a year ago, and it’s a RIS, no penalty awarded. Thanks Craig! Without your generosity, I’d never have enjoyed this brew!

Very flavorful and creamy. Solid

Pours an effervescent chestnut/mahogany with a pinky of fast falling mocha colored head. Traces of head retention & lacing, viscous

S: Barrel, coffee, chocolate; booze becomes more pronounced once warmed up

T: Follows the nose, coffee is up front, rich & deep, oaky barrel rawness, & a little vanilla, plus dryness up front. Some leafy & woody hops break through once this beer is warm, some Bourbon bite, then plenty of coffee & a little complementary chocolate & vanilla. Finishes with a nice mix of coffee, bourbon, woody & leafy hops with vanilla & chocolate sweetness

MF: Medium body dialed back carbonation. Body thickens as this beer approaches room temperature, pleasant boozy warming sensation

This has a great mix of flavors that makes it far more drinkable than it should be, well done. Thrilled to have tried this, this will never make it to my market; too damn good

Fine variant of a stout that I love. Strong coffee flavor is front and center as the char and bitterness are present but play second fiddle. Great mouthfeel as expected/hoped for woth a pleasing cream8ness and heavy feel..

Brewers notes : Russian imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with coffee beans. expedition Stout has traveled all around the world, but this adventure takes it to a new place. After making a year-long stop in bourbon barrels, we’ve added a little something to complement the deep, rich notes brought in from those barrels. Enjoy the flavor journey.

Bottled 1.11.24,opened7.26.24

Bottle received from @whyteboar in a LIF affiliated with bif18 , poured into a snifter

Dark brown black syrupy liquid produces a pencil thick dense brown foam that soon fades to a ring with a few bubbles clinging to the glass walls

Aroma is sweet bourbon whiskey , coffee , whiff of toffee

Taste is subtle sweet bourbon,fresh roasted coffee without the acridic burn lingers on the tongue , slight char , coffee beans on the finish with bourbon

Smooth , thick , luxurious and a well hidden 13.3%abv,

Good beer

From a 12oz bottle. Packaged on 01/11/24

Nice bit of smoke upon opening the cap. This is a pitch black pouring beer, with no light at all showing through. The head seemed like it was going to be minimal, but it expanded to a 1 1/2 finger brown head. Tiny frothy bubbles in the head, and it is damn long lasting. It just doesn't want to dissipate, and I have no clue as to how it lasts so long being a 13.3% beer. There's no lacing on the glass when it finally does.
The nose of this beer is a rich blend of coffee (which is the main aroma), caramel, toffee, vanilla, chocolate, plum, raisin, and bourbon barrel notes. These aromas are very pleasing, and just work right together.
Taste - The flavors mix together well. I get smooth coffee, almost creamy tasting. I get notes of vanilla, caramel, toffee, chocolate, plum, and raisin. There's barrel notes in here, but they're not over the top, like some BA beers can be. The flavors do seem to be slightly less pronounced than the nose suggested, but still damn powerful.
This beer is so thick and smooth feeling. Very full bodied. There's a bit of a burn, but not harsh, just there to let you know to take your time with it.
The flavor does seem lighter than the nose let on, but it is only a slight knock to this beer. This beer is downright delicious. A damn pleasure to get the honor to have it. It is solid, and I do recommend it if you get the chance to get it.

Review 3,500!

Released for the Roll out the Barrel event in January, 2024.

Enjoyed on tap at the Eccentric Café in March, same year.

Pours like used motor oil with a thick head of cocoa colored foam. Fantastic aroma, with a coffee-forward nose. The sip still has that pronounced hop bite found in the everyday Expedition, with more of those dark roast notes. I don’t get much from the barrel, other than a rounded smoothness that makes this dangerously drinkable.

 

Poured stout black with a short light brown head that left no lacing. Not uncommon for BBA beers.
The taste leads with coffee and smooth malts, all wrapped in an easy going bourbon.
The feel is slightly viscous, the only thing that prompted me to sip instead of slam this delicious beer. The ABV is so well hidden that I seriously considered having a second one right away.
Good beer.

Bourbon and malt on the nose, then coffee and bourbon show up first in the taste followed by the malt. Nicely balanced. Very minimal coffee taste at the end. The 13.3% abv is pretty well hidden.