Bell’s Expedition Stout is a straight up glass of midnight. Thick, chewy, improbable, and huge on every level. When you’re pouring this beer into a glass, it looks otherworldly, like some other state of matter that fluctuates between liquid and solid. It has an insane amount of hops, an insane amount of malt, an appropriate amount of carbonation, and a mouthfeel that is intense enough to be very satisfying. Expedition Stout has a lot to offer on the nose as well — roasted, burnt flavors of wood, and coffee with some other stuff going on that I can’t quite put my finger on. I’ve been told to look for fruit in stouts like this, but I don’t get it. I get a whiff of booze, too, and for sure this beer takes it’s toll. It’s meant to be sipped slowly, and when you do that you get the benefit of the enormous amount of complexity which is afforded by the very cumbersome process of making a beer which is this huge, balanced, and precise. As someone who is attracted to bitter beers, this is great to drink because there is a large lingering hops flavor which stays with you between sips. Of course you wouldn’t want to drink too many of these at 10.5% ABV, but as a nightcap it’s kinda hard to beat. Another winner for Bell’s.
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