{"id":13921,"date":"2014-05-05T09:00:33","date_gmt":"2014-05-05T14:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/?p=13921"},"modified":"2021-08-31T09:37:14","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T14:37:14","slug":"bells-expedition-stout-5-year-vertical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/bells-expedition-stout-5-year-vertical\/","title":{"rendered":"From The Cellar: Bell’s Expedition Stout 5 Year Vertical"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bell’s says:<\/p>\n

One of the earliest examples of the Russian Imperial Stout in the United States, Expedition Stout offers immensely complex flavors crafted specifically with vintage aging in mind, as its profile will continue to mature and develop over the years. A huge malt body is matched to a heady blend of chocolate, dark fruits, and other aromas. Intensely bitter in its early months, the flavors will slowly meld and grow in depth as the beer ages.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Bell’s Expedition Stout
\n<\/em>Russian Imperial Stout, 10.5% ABV<\/em><\/p>\n

Karl<\/strong>: After the Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout 5-year vertical<\/a>, drinking a few bottles of Bell’s felt like returning to familiar ground. At least, it did until we found just how varied five years of a RIS could really be. The flavors rose and fell, ebbed and flowed, hit highs and lows not often seen by a vertical like this. It was fun. You should try it some time.<\/p>\n

As always, we start from the oldest beers, beginning with…<\/p>\n

— 2009 —<\/h2>\n

Karl:<\/strong> There’s a difference between tasting “aged” and tasting “old.” This beer, for me, fell into the “old” category. Musty, salty, savory, dry, meaty, a little roasty and tons of raisin flavor — and in spite of all that, I still liked it. Can you believe it? There was still something sharp in there for just a second, like a flash of aggression before dropping back into the darker, rougher stew of flavors.<\/p>\n

This beer fades quick, too — not quite “blink and you’ll miss it” fast, but it does drop off pretty rapidly. Strangely, I noticed that this beer held onto its head and lacing longer than any of the rest. Why? No idea. Worth noting? Sure!<\/p>\n

Ryan<\/strong>: Odd. I didn’t find this beer to be “old” in any sense. Aged? Yes, but certainly not old.<\/p>\n

The flavors of a five-year-old Bell’s Expedition Stout were well-rounded. A creamy body showed off flavors of chocolate malt drank through a straw followed by a handful of Milk Duds tossed into your mouth. There was a touch of cola too. The finish was heavy on the coffee and a bit frothy too.<\/p>\n

Overall the oldest bottle held up well in the cellar.<\/p>\n

— 2010 —<\/h2>\n

K:<\/strong> Man, what the hell happened this year?<\/p>\n

All the complexity we noted in the 2009 just flat-out disappears in the 2010. Like, gone. My notes read, “I don’t know what’s going on here. Just weird. Everything just disappears.” Thinner bodied, no head, absent flavor. I can’t say that this was like drinking water, but after the rush of flavor from the 2009 and the upswing in taste in the 2011, where did this one go? Blocked out, covered up, just unsubstantial compared to the others. Where’d it go, Bell’s? Did you guys do something different this year?<\/p>\n

R:\u00a0<\/strong>I noticed something a bit different too, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. I didn’t think it was absent of flavor but the flavors it did have were a tad off-putting.<\/p>\n

The chocolate was more pronounced and the coffee flavors leaned towards espresso. There was some dark chocolate in the finish too but the overall complexity we noticed in the 2009 pour was lost in the 2010.<\/p>\n