(Editors note: we’ve stockpiled enough Bell’s Batch 9,000 to review it every six months to a year to see how it is developing, aging and changing. Feel free to read through from the six month old tasting to the most recent review. However, if you’d like to jump around, be our guest, and read more about Bell’s Batch 9,000 after six months, one year<\/a>, two years<\/a>, two-and-a-half years<\/a>, three years<\/a>, three-and-a-half years<\/a>, four years<\/a>, five years<\/a> and six years<\/a> in the cellar.)<\/em><\/p>\n \n6 MONTHS<\/strong><\/p>\n Ryan:<\/strong> The first tasting of this beer back in early February of 2010 revealed a hot, boozy, syrupy mess.\u00a0 It was a fantastic hot, boozy, syrupy mess – but still a mess.\u00a0 The 12.5% ABV was very apparent as was the molasses and brewers licorice used to brew this beast.\u00a0 I almost expected this beer to crawl out of the glass like a sludgy cup of strongly brewed coffee. This beer was built for the cellar, no doubt about that.\u00a0 That’s why we’ll be pulling one from the cool depths of my chest freezer every six months (roughly) to let you know how it’s developing.<\/p>\n At six months in the booze has backed off some and the flavors are starting to blend, but this beer is still in its infancy.<\/p>\n Fresh plums, black licorice, molasses and booze fill the nose after a clean pour into a 4 oz tasting glass.\u00a0 Take a sip and you get snippets of brown sugar, licorice, molasses and what can best be described as purple grapes or concord grape juice.\u00a0 Surprisingly the booze is far less pronounced in the taste as it is in the smell.\u00a0 In fact, the 12.5% isn’t even noticeable.<\/p>\n If you let this beer warm a bit, which i highly recommend doing, you’ll pick up almonds on the nose and a bit of nuttiness in the aftertaste.<\/p>\n This beer could very easily pass for a port or an after-dinner drink; very dark, very thick, and very complex.<\/p>\n So, to recap, same booze on the nose – less in the taste.\u00a0 The licorice and molasses are blending nicely and new flavors of purple grapes and almonds are starting to develop.\u00a0 Looking forward to trying this again in another six months.<\/p>\n Karl: <\/strong>For starters, I love that Bells decided to call this a \u201cmalt beverage.\u201d \u00a0In my days of pre-beer-dorkdom a \u201cmalt beverage\u201d was only served in 40 oz bottles, or alternatively a Zima only to be tracked down on request of whatever 22-year-old girl one of us idiot Busch-swillers was trying to woo. \u00a0Remember Zima? \u00a0A refreshing malt beverage? \u00a0Thems were the days. \u00a0Ah, memories.<\/p>\n So, back to Bells – we\u2019ve sampled the Batch 9k previously and didn\u2019t think to take notes on it but I do have a vague recollection of a complex, hefty beer sticky with molasses and with an undercurrent of that brewer\u2019s licorice mentioned on the label beneath. \u00a0So what did about 6 months of rest do for one of these 12 oz bottles?<\/p>\n Out of the bottle I got the same scent of booze and plum that I remember coming off of it previously. \u00a0The sharpness of the booze might have been a little bit more pronounced, but it quickly backed off and developed a certain woodsy characteristic. \u00a0A few minutes later, I revisited the nose and discovered that some lightly toasted cocoa scent had emerged. \u00a0This was worth opening just to experience the change of scent alone.<\/p>\n The 9k poured cola-colored with a certain purple tone to it, making it sort of maroonish. \u00a0It was certainly lighter in body than I remember, having dropped back to a medium heft but not quite edging into wateriness. \u00a0The molasses flavor had receded somewhat and allowed the sweetness of the licorice flavor to emerge, and there was a new herbal finish to this that lingered a while. \u00a0I recently had an aperitif at the Publican (very lah-dee-dah, I know) which was a lot like Campari and bitters and reminded me a lot of the finish here. \u00a0Beyond that, interestingly enough, it smelled like booze, it burned like booze as it settled in and yet it didn\u2019t have that dramatic liquor burn on my palate.<\/p>\n Between the sweetness, the presence of that high ABV and the way the licorice responds to the other ingredients to make something approaching grape-like, one word emerged to describe this: It\u2019s port. \u00a0If you handed me this and told me it was a glass of port I\u2019d probably believe you. \u00a0And ask for seconds. \u00a0I\u2019m not sure the aging process had made too much of a change other than the slight lightening of the body as well as the emergence of the licorice and more sweetness. \u00a0In another year, I think we\u2019d see some significant changes.<\/p>\n Andrew: <\/strong>I’m going to assume that most of our loyal, dedicated readers (Hi, Mom!) know about the Bell’s Batch Series, so I’ll spare you the history. I will say, however, that I love the how different each of the batch beers are, from Imperial Stouts and Barleywines to a Witbier and the most recent Batch #9000 American Strong Ale.<\/p>\n After cellaring the 9,000 for six months we were presented with a very dark purple\/brown beer that poured with no head at all. There was a lot going on in the nose, making it hard to pick up everything, but the molasses, booze and dark fruits were definitely the dominating scents.<\/p>\n The flavors matched up with the nose, extremely intense, complex flavors with notes of molasses, booze, dark fruit (cherries or plums?) and licorice. It was also very sweet, almost mouth puckering sweet. Oak and nutty flavors lingered in the aftertaste and left me feeling very dry-mouthed.<\/p>\n Honestly I don’t quite recall how the Batch 9,000 was fresh, but stay glued to GuysDrinkingBeer.com as we crack open another bottle of Batch #9000 every six months to see how it develops. Andrew:<\/strong> One of the perks of being a lowly legislative staffer in Springfeld was attending the fundraisers and receptions that lobbying groups would put on during the week. One of those was sponsored by the group representing Illinois wineries. It gave us the chance to try out many of the wines made right here in Illinois. One of the wines I tried was made with concord grapes, and it was exactly what you would expect it to be – a boozy grape juice, just like if you had fermented a box of Juicy Juice or something. What does this have to do with the Batch 9,000? Everything.<\/p>\n It tasted just like that – a really sweet, fruity, boozy beer. Or was it molasses, or a base for BBQ sauce? Regardless of what it was I liked it, though I wonder if it\u2019s teetering on the edge of being too sweet…guess we\u2019ll find out soon enough.<\/p>\n Ryan:<\/strong> Yup, I definitely got the grape jam or jelly component too – both on the nose and on the palate.\u00a0 But it was a little less one note for me.\u00a0 I also picked up some caramelized sugar in the aroma of this beer and caught some black licorice and brown sugar flavors too.<\/p>\n The real excitement came when this beer warmed a bit and produced some very distinct barbecue sauce aromas, not too spicy mind you, but a nice , mild barbecue sauce.\u00a0 I also noted, and this is my Karl moment of the night, baked sweet potatoes.<\/p>\n I’ve been impressed with how this beer has matured over the last year and am eager to see what’s in store in the coming years. 2 YEARS<\/strong><\/p>\n Karl:<\/strong> The \u201cBatch\u201d session beers are built to last, and are probably some of the first beers that I even realized were in limited release. Up until my first encounters with Bells\u2019 Batch X,000, all beers I ever really came across were year-round offerings, and I had never even really thought about the seasonality of beer or anything like that. THAT\u2019s how far back these Batch series beers travel in my consciousness, and here again we come across the Batch 9,000 – one of the first beers we tried for this little site.<\/p>\n The last time we enjoyed this, the operative word for me was \u201cport.\u201d Hearty, fortified, grape and jam dessert wine flavors throughout, even (or especially) after a year in the bottle. After another year set aside, the word \u201cport\u201d still applies, but shrink the font size a little bit. Tiny port. Lesser port. Small port. That\u2019s what this is now.<\/p>\n Still nice and dark in color, the 9k pours with no head and interestingly, no aroma. It still tastes of those grape and jam flavors, only less vibrant, and with a musty bitterness at the very back-end, like old baker\u2019s chocolate. Then, it disappears. A wave of grapes and bitter, and then the flavor is gone, washed away. I think the high point for this beer was definitely a year in; if you\u2019ve got any set aside, crack it now because I don\u2019t anticipate this will have much left to offer in the future. (Still, I imagine we\u2019ll be trying to find out in another year or so.)<\/p>\n Ryan:<\/strong> I beg to differ, Karl. I don\u2019t think this beer has peaked quite yet. And while I did enjoy it more fresh, I still think the Batch 9k is drinking very well.<\/p>\n I did pick up a bit of nose on this beer; some hearty molasses, soy sauce and an overt sweetness that I couldn\u2019t quite put my finger on.<\/p>\n But I will agree with you on the grape and jam flavors being a bit diminished. Although, in their absence I picked up a bit of brown sugar, molasses, dark chocolate and even some iced coffee on the finish.<\/p>\n What really struck me about this beer was the body. It was…perfect. The carbonation was sparkly and lively, but was balanced out by hefty mouthfeel.<\/p>\n I have two plans for the remaining bottles of this. (1) crack another one in 6 months to see what, if anything, has changed. (2) Use this a steak or brat marinade this summer.<\/p>\n Andrew:<\/strong> Looking back at some of my other tastings of the Batch 9,000, I found notes like, \u201c mouth puckering sweet\u201d (6 mos. tasting) and \u201cgrape-y, lots of concord grapes\u201d (1 year tasting). And while I wouldn\u2019t come close to using these same descriptions on the 2 year tasting, I think I actually liked this one the most.<\/p>\n The 2 year tasting remained thick and molasses-y with lots of dark fruits and just a little dry, bitter dark chocolate on the finish. As both Ryan and Karl noted, the sweetness from the grapes had backed way off this beer, but that allowed for a different kind of sweet, a brown sugar, molasses or chocolate kind of sweet to really come to the forefront of this beer. Still a very port-like beer.<\/p>\n I\u2019m with Ryan on this one (sorry, Karl, we really aren\u2019t doing this on purpose…) and think something special could still happen with this beer. 2.5 YEARS<\/strong><\/p>\n Karl:<\/strong> Two years, six months. That\u2019s plenty of time for most beers to be laid aside, and yet I feel the 9K could stand up to much, much longer. This beer is still just as great as it was at day one, with developing complexity, distinctly robust flavors and a hearty but slightly slighter (if that even makes sense) body.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Just opening the bottle made us all happy. Hot damn, does this beer smell good. In the glass there are waves of taste cascading around: grape, molasses, licorice, chocolate, all bouncing off of each other, all clarified by time and beginning to stand apart in contrast to the hot melange of flavor this had at fresh. The body has lightened but still has some legs to stand on, making this slightly more easy-drinking and pleasant. The only negative is a slightly off whiff of funk on the aftertaste – but barely worth mentioning, given the continued strength of this beer.<\/p>\n If I may ask, Mr. Larry Bell, I know you stopped doing the batch beers a while ago, but maybe if\/when you finally hit 18k, could we get this one again?<\/p>\n Ryan:<\/strong> My very first notes on this beer pretty much sum it up for me.<\/p>\n \u201cSmells like happy.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n And it tasted like happy too.<\/p>\n Interestingly, as we savored this beer, I read back our last tasting notes highlighting the fact that Karl thought this beer had peaked. Andrew and I, on the other hand, thought it had more in store. And thankfully, for our fragile egos, we were right.<\/p>\n The nose was both intriguing and tantalizing with rich and robust aromas of molasses, brown sugar, black licorice and ginger. Or, just plain happy. Not to be outdone by the nose, the flavors on the palate really delivered, with an underlying smokiness that lingered throughout each sip seemingly intensifying the back strap molasses, dark chocolate, cherries and vanilla flavors.<\/p>\n The body was syrupy, coating and thick.<\/p>\n We have said it before and we\u2019ll probably say it again (I\u2019m about to right now) this is why we cellar beer. Sure, sometimes we get some duds like the recently reviewed Abt, but then we get gems like the Batch 9,000.<\/p>\n Andrew:\u00a0<\/strong>When we last had the Batch 9,000 it had two years on it. At the time, I opined that, “think something special could still happen with this beer.” I was right. For once in my life I was right. Someone please mark it on the calendar.<\/p>\n God, I loved this beer. It was dense, complex, and excited and confused me, all at the same time. TONS of dark fruits, concord grapes,\u00a0molasses\u00a0and…caramel? It was still very port-y and got even more smokey.<\/p>\n The dry finish was exactly what I wanted on this beer and the slight booze burn was a welcomed surprise, too.<\/p>\n This is why we do this folks, beers JUST like this.\u00a0This beer is getting better. Can’t wait to have it at 3 and then at 3 1\/2 years. 3 YEARS<\/strong><\/p>\n Esters of bubble gum, red wine and sour grapes pop to the forefront, reminding us of all the other grape\/wine flavors we\u2019ve noticed in cellared Bell\u2019s beers in the past. How does this happen? What ingredient, what magic of chemistry produces this? we don\u2019t know, but if it something they\u2019ve been going for on purpose, well, they\u2019ve nailed it across the board.<\/p>\n Creamy yet sparkling, complex with a huge aroma and flavor, this still has everything it went into the kettle with – this beer is definitely and noticeably starting to decline, but it seems as though it\u2019ll be quite gradual.<\/p>\n Ryan<\/strong>: I am hesitant to say this beer peaked at 2 1\/2 years, but it just may have. It is still drinking amazingly well but, as Karl noted, it does appear to be on a bit of a decline.<\/p>\n The nose is still teeming with the likes of molasses, red grapes and grape jam. The body has grown more complex; black licorice, soy sauce, beef kabob and grape jelly spread on a buttered biscuit.<\/p>\n Let it warm and sweeter flavors begin to emerge, namely chocolate covered cherries, raisins, prunes and bacon wrapped dates.<\/p>\n There was something strangely salty with this beer causing me to write down, and I kid you not, black olives. The saltines didn’t seem out-of-place, but was undoubtedly unique.<\/p>\n You may wonder how I could rattle off all of these different flavors and still say this beer may be declining. Well, while there were certainly a lot of things happening in my glass the three-year-old old Batch 9,000 seemed to be lacking a certain oomph. It didn’t seem be as aggressive as past samplings. Although, that may wind up being a good thing. 3.5 YEARS<\/strong><\/p>\n Ryan<\/strong>: So, here we are, Bell’s Batch 9,000. It’s been three-and-a-half years in the cellar and that oomph lacking at three years hasn’t returned. There hasn’t been a sharp decline either as this beer still carries a great deal of complexity and character.<\/p>\n Ever-present on the nose is that signature grape jelly aroma that has hung with this beer from the start. The molasses is there too but beyond that the nose seems to be fading a tad. Take a sip, however, and I’m reminded just how complex this beer is. Sweet and warming molasses and maple syrup hit the palate first followed by a glob of grape jam. A subtle smokiness swirls before exiting to make way for some soy sauce or even a bit of teriyaki sauce.<\/p>\n The saltines I noted in the three-year review above is still there but not as distinguishable. Also missing were the easily defined chocolate and dark fruit flavors. However the body remains thick and syrupy with a cola-like finish.<\/p>\n This beer remains a favorite of the Batch series but may certainly be on a slow and subtle decline. 4 YEARS<\/strong><\/p>\n The two-note nose of this now four-year-old beer still has that subtle touch of molasses and the anticipated grape soda, perhaps some star of anise too, but there’s also some red pepper flake.<\/p>\n Yup, Batch 9,000 has gone spicy.<\/p>\n That hint of heat in the aroma was no mistake. Front and center with each sip is a blend of peppercorns, paprika, mild chili powder and Tabasco sauce. It’s not a tough to swallow hot, but there is an unmistakable spiciness to this beer. The finish, thankfully, is mellow and smooth accentuated by bakers chocolate and vanilla beans.<\/p>\n Let this beer warm a bit and molasses, grape jam, blueberries and raspberries emerge pushing the heat to the background. Don’t get me wrong, the heat is still there, but far less pronounced.<\/p>\n This was a pleasant surprise, to say the least. After the last two tastings I fully expected this beer to continue its perceived decline. But clearly Batch 9,000 still has some fight left in it.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/batch9000.jpg\")
<\/a>Bell’s Batch 9,000
\nAmerican Strong Ale, 12.5% ABV<\/em><\/p>\n
\nIt did not.<\/p>\n
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\nKarl:<\/strong> The last time we tried the 9k, I noted that it was very, very grape-y and fruity, to the point where if you told me it was a glass of port, I\u2019d have believed you. \u00a0WARNING: DANGEROUS SIMILE USAGE AHEAD: \u00a0Like when Lone Starr went Plaid in Spaceballs, this beer has gone beyond beer, beyond port into…JAM<\/em>.*\u00a0 Grapes, jam, jelly, sweetness and rum, if this beer was Buddhist it would have aged itself into a new state of consciousness. \u00a0Dark, deeply purple and still just a little watery, this beer has gone straight through to bold, boozy, heavy, tough, hardcore grape and raisin sweetness. \u00a0And tartness. And another dimension of dark fruits and goodness. \u00a0With another year this beer could achieve Ludicrous Speed.*\u201dNobody gives Dark Helmet the raspberry!”<\/em><\/p>\n
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\nKarl<\/strong>: One of our longtime favorites and most consistently rewarding cellar experiments, after this long you have to ask yourself – does this beer still have it? The answer, on the whole, is yes – she\u2019s still got it. A little less of \u201cit,\u201d but it\u2019s still there.<\/p>\n
\nI suppose the only way to find out is to crack one open in another six months.
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\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Ryan<\/strong>: Not so fast my friend, says me to — me. “Slow and subtle decline,” or in transition? The last two reviews I have been saying the former but today I say the latter.<\/p>\n
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