Beer Worth Smuggling
Written: May 02 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beefy beer, plenty of flavor
Cons: Mainly Michigan availability
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| beerfly's Full Review: Bell's Double Cream Stout |
What a pour.
I've taken to drinking stouts in weissbier glasses lately, something I saw in Denver. The sensual curves and assertive size of the glass accentuate the bold darkness and creamy head of a good stout. A good-looking beer is a better beer.
And this is a better beer. Bell's Special Double Cream Stout is a beer that needs attention. This is not card-playing beer, this is not yakking with buddies at the bar beer.
Look at it: like the darkest tortoise-shell, a deep brown shaded by a ruddy cast, capped with a dark tan mortar. The beer absorbs light, then releases it slowly, changed to a more beer-like wavelength. Take a good look. Don't hurry.
Smell it: the promise of all things good in stout--dark baker's chocolate, hints of coffee, biscuity malt, the slightest hint of dark pitfruit, and the tingle of alcohol heat. Get your nose in there, almost touching, and breathe deeply.
Bell's (Kalamazoo Brewing) used to have terrible problems with infections and bottling stability. Every beer I had from them tasted like hot'n'sour soup with hot metal filings dunked in it, a terrible, acidic, pickled meat smell. Thankfully, about three years ago, they got a new bottling line, and the change has been striking. When I get Bell's now, smuggled east by my dear dear sister-in-law, it is superb, lusty and strong.
As is this. Ahhhh... The taste is full and rich, and worth the wait (I keep my Dedicated Beer Fridge at about 35 degrees to keep my beer fresh as long as possible; drinking just requires a little planning). The chocolate is there, the fruit comes through more in the taste, and the alcohol is there on the tongue. It all comes together and says "Stout." No other beer tastes like stout, except for some woefully mislabled porters.
At 7.5% ABV, this is a one or two bottle beer. But they will be cherished treats of your evening. I would definitely advise this as an on-its-own beer, an after-dinner drink or a companion for an afternoon's contemplation, preferable in a leather chair by a lakeside window. Guinness drinkers, this is the kind of beer you're in training for; don't fail to make the leap.
The Double Cream melts in the mouth, spreading over the tongue and palate as the last drops fade down the throat. It gives a long, lingering finish that is almost a benediction. Peace. I leave you... enriched.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
beerfly
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Member: Lew Bryson
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Reviews written: 88
Trusted by: 82 members
About Me:
One bourbon, one Scotch, one beer, eh? I'll take Kentucky Spirit, Scapa, and HopDevil.
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