Bell's Expedition Stout

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.
Available October-March.

4.3

3167 reviews

Comstock, United States

Community reviews

4.1 7 year aged bottle to glass, thanks TJ! Moderate aroma of coffee and dark fruit, alcohol. Dark brown w tan head, foamy. Legs. Flavor is roast coffee with some dark chocolate cherry. Slightly hints of smoke. Alcohol and earthiness. Thick body w some creaminess, low to moderate carb, warming. Worth it.

4.8 Pours obsidian with a dark khaki head. Smells of leather and dried fruit. Tastes of plumb and cocoa nibs. Some honey sweetness and not overwhelming bourbon booziness. Great luxurious imperial stout.

4.4 12 oz bottle. Pours black with tall, long lasting, creamy, brown head and nice lacing. Aroma is of roasted malt, toast, dark fruit, chocolate and brown sugar. Body is full, creamy and smooth. Taste is of nutty, toasted malt, coffee, chocolate, brown sugar, dark fruit, spices and herbal hops. Finish is long and very bitter. Great brew.

4.0 Ten year bottle poured into a globe glass. Black hue with no head. Aroma is licorice, dark fruit, cocoa, and booze. Initial taste is cocoa, dark chocolate, roasted malt, dark fruit. Fades to roasted chocolate malt. Thick, oily body. Incredibly light carbonation (not surprising with the cellar age). I reviewed this a LONG time ago... But for some reason it isn't here now. Oh well. This cellars really well.

4.1 12 oz bottle from mix pack served in a shaker- poured a 2 year old/ 50 k mile used motor oil black color, one finger foamy brown head formed and lasted while I typed this out with one hand. Aroma is a heavy roasted malt, alcohol, and winter. Hits the mouth with a wide body, malt is strong and heavily roasted, alcohol rush comes in the middle but that’s fine by me, finish lasts and refuses to quit. Yum.

4.0 Sampled from the tap at First Draft Minneapolis. Pours near black with an earthy brown head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has dark grains and roast with a bit of chocolate and a hint of dark fruits underlying. Flavor has sweet dark grains and chocolate with dark fruits and a slightly bitter roast supporting.

4.0 12 fl oz bottle. Appearance of the pour is an intense dark opaque brown black, topped with a barely perceptible layer of brown tan froth which disappears almost immediately for good. Aroma is a mix of roasted malts, dark chocolates and a little coffee in harmonious balance. Taste is lightly bitter and smooth, dark chocolates, dried dark fruits like prunes and raisins, coffee and dark malts, again nicely balanced against each other, distinct and yet blending together well. Rich mouthfeel, oily and silky.

4.7 Butelka 0,33 l, rozlew 06.11.2015 r. Piwo smoliście czarne, nieprzejrzyste. piana jasnobrązowa, średnio niska, bardzo gęsta, opada do warstewki, piękna koronka. Aromat genialny, likierowość, szlachetny alkohol kojarzący się z destylatem, kukułki, praliny, czekolada, kawa, suszone orzechy, paloność, ciemne ciasto. W smaku słodkie, gęste i wyklejające z goryczkową kontrą, wyczuwalne są nuty deserowej czekolady, pralin, likierowe, kwaskowe kawowe, palone, kukułek, orzechowe, żywiczne. Finisz jest długi, pozostawia na podniebieniu posmak kawy i żywicy. Oleista wyklejająca faktura, pełnia wysoka do bardzo wysokiej, wysycenie niskie, goryczka średnia do średnio wysokiej, palono-żywiczna. Alkohol fenomenalnie ułożony, moc jest niewyczuwalna, objawia się jedynie jako szlachetna likierowość. Fantastyczne piwo, płynny deser czekoladowy, gęsty słodki i intensywny, nie wygląda by straciło cokolwiek na około czteroletnim leżakowaniu. Umieszczam je w top 3 risów i piw ogólnie przeze mnie pitych, absolutnie zasłużona wysoka pozycja we wszelakich rankingach.

4.1 Dark brown-black with med-light warmbrown head, thin, mod retention. Chocolate, caramel, bit of soy sauce, some bread crust, bit of cold-brew coffee. Bit of grass and pine sap. Yum! Medium-big weight, syrupy, med carbonation and burn, felty. Flavor is huge a bit of seeet malt caramel up front, big pine sap, touch of earth, some grain dust, dark roast coffee and burnt toast, some brown sugar, bit of molasses, big, minerally bitterness. Wow, I get it, really good non bba stout, would love a bba version though.

4.5 Bottle from Whole Foods, pours opaque black with thick tan head. Full bodied. Aroma of bittersweet chocolate and plums. Complex taste is rich chocolate, licorice and molasses, burnt malt. Decadent, syrupy mouthfeel. Lingering bitter chocolate finish. Superb!

3.8 12 oz bottle. Pours a dense dark black brown with a massive thick brown head. Scents of toasted malt and coffee. Tastes of coffee, vanilla and alcohol warmth. Sticky start to a chalky dry mouthfeel with the bitter toasted finish lingering with a licorice sticky ending. A big beautiful stout made to define what an imperial stout should be.

4.6 Found out of a bottle. Pours oil like, slow and dark black. Minimal dark tan foam. Chocolatety aroma. Great well balanced flavors with a slight booze hint. Great winter option.

4.2 Jer black pour, nose is licorice, dark fruit and malt. Big flavor with nice hop bite. Complex taste with everything melding nicely. Finishes clean with a slight bitterness.

4.2 Pretty aggressive pour results in black beer. Half finger mocha head, but a brown rimmed lacing. Whoa! Multi colored! Cool! Okay retention, excellent lacing. No floaties that I can see. Aroma is dark roasted malt. Coffee, light chocolate. Molasses. Tobacco Taste is dark malt. Vanilla. Tobacco, Grapefruit (kidding), chocolate. Bourbon and oak.. Mouthfeel is full bodied. Light alcohol burn. Burns a bit on the swallow. Smooth and rich. A bit oily. Overall it’s good. Shelf life is...unlimited...? It was bottled one year ago. It gets better? with age? Hmmm. Maybe I should have waited ten years? Anyhow...I would buy it again and I would probably recommend it.

4.2 Smell is oats, chocolate, coffee. Pitch black pour. Classic Russian stout with dark chocolate, coffee, silky smooth. Rich and flavorful but balanced at the same time.

4.2 samen met yves bij hem thuis een zwart kleurig lichaam met een bruinige kop en met een mout koffie chocolat donker fruit aroma een mout chocolat koffie donker fruit zoet alcholic droge bitter smaak met een alcholic bitter einde

4.4 Shared with Wim at my home. Black colored beer with small off-white head and no carbonation. Malty fruited coffee roasted aroma. Full sparkling palate. Finish is sweet malty roasted.

3.8 12oz bottle at home. Pours an inky black, small brown head, aroma of dark chocolate, molasses, roasted coffee beans. Taste is dark chocolate, tobacco, roasted coffee, sweet malts. Bitter coffee finish.

4.3 Аромат сладкий но умеренный, немного кофе и не самого горького шоколада, конечно солод отрывается во всей красе, сливочный, хотя легкие ноты хмеля есть, также немного темных фруктов и намек на сладкое пирожное. Цвет чернущий, пены почти нету, немного тонкой кофейной пленки. Вкус конечно отличный. Сладость очень выверена и круто коррелирует вместе с солодом. По началу снова много солода и сладости, немного изюма, намеки на сливу, но вообще шоколадные нотки, причем не только горькие, снова десертные позывы. При послевкусие кислинка но небольшая, затем средняя горчинка, но весьма продолжительная. Плавно сладость снова наступает со своей маслянистостью. Очень сбалансированный имперец.

4.0 Dark brown oil color with a thick creamed head good retention. Aromas brunt malt, chocolate, caramel, wood, toffee, toast. Flavors caramel, chocolate, wood, toffee, slight coffee medium to high sweetness slight burnt aftertaste. Nice Russian imperial stout. Not hard to make this style and better.

3.0 I have been drinking this beer for a few days and the six pack was just finished. I am disappointed because the alcohol level is too strong and it just takes over the rest of the beer. Yes you do have the strong coffee flavor with the burned coffee beans aftertaste but the alcohol flavor dominates everything else. Too bad!

4.2 Bottle Matt bought back from San Diego, drank w him the night after Sonar. Pours a pitch black with a small reddish-brown head. Smells of dark malt and coffee, some smoke/ash and leather, plum, tart red fruit skin, spices. Taste is very bitter roasted black malt, dark coffee, peanut brittle and light toffee, medium sweetness, cranberry and some sticky tart fruit, spice. Finish is bitter, dark, a bit sharp and faintly smoky. Palate is just beautiful - creamy, slick, slightly sticky, finishes with some fluffy carbonation, dark and a bit smoky. Lives up to the hype! Aroma is complex and the body is smooth and incredible. Taste is a little more sharp and sweet. Rich fruit flavours balanced very nicely against bold dark bitterness and sweet nutty smoothness.

4.2 Bottle from Bottle Craft in SD at home in HK. Thick slightly slick black pour with light tan head. Aroma is rich roasted coffee, dark dried fruit, leather, sharp alcohol - big Russian imperial stout. Taste is similarly huge. Sharp bitterness, earthy chocolate and coffee, sweet and tart dried fruit, leather. Lots. Delicious. Palate is rich silky smooth but not heavy. Finish very bitter and alcoholic bite. Excellent example of this style. Sort of a traditional American-style take, and very big in every way.

4.4 Botella de 35,5 cl., fecha de embotellado 11/06/15, más de 3 años de guarda, color negro opaco, aroma a café, chocolate y fruta madura, sabor también a café, chocolate, ciruelas y uvas pasas, recuerdos a vino dulce, alcohol bien escondido, cuerpo medio-alto, excelente imperial stout, gran cerveza!!

3.9 Bottles from Highland 6-17-16

4.3 New to imperials. Strong but damn tasty. Had it a bottle from a buddy. Lots of coffee flavour

4.3 9/18 bottle, about 13C. Black with a tan head that gradually fades to a fat coat. Aroma of mocha, fudge, stewed blackberries, plums, some overt alcohol. Silky, enveloping. Very sweet with quite firm roasted notes and strong bitterness that lifts everything away. Thought I'd try this fresh first and that the bitterness might be too much but it works just fine for me. Huge chocolaty malt is tamed really by astringent coffee, then roast and finally bitterness. The fruity notes don't get a lot of room but are there. I don't mind the whiff of booze. Yes, great.

4.6 2/3/19 With A watching super bowl LIII after taking an NBME today. Jet black opaque with a good fluffy head. As dark and evil looking as expensive Nose is Immense roasty chocolate malt with lots of coffee as well. Deep and rich. Taste is bracingly bitter coffee malt with a hint of chocolate sweetness. Just a touch of sweet chocolate but this is overwhelmingly roasty bitterness. Crazy complex, rich and flavor-packed. Palate is thick, heavy and oily. Good amount of carbonation fluffs it out on the tongue. Finish is long, dry and very bitter. Overall, as flavorful of a beer as I’ve had. Explosively roasty, warm and bitter. This is awesome!

4.5 Bottled from Keepin'it Hoppy in Mestreech. Very opaque black with a average lasting lacing coffee brown head. Chocolate and alcohol nose. Aroma dark roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, plums. Flavour is bitter heavy sweet. Full body, oily texture, warming alcoholic sticky sweet finish.

4.1 12oz bottle. Pours dark, dark brown with a tiny brown head. Aroma is dark fruit, coffee, light chocolate, some tobacco, and a little bit of licorice. Taste is chocolate, dark fruit, roast, licorice, a little bit of tobacco, and some coffee. Earthy, bitter finish. Full body. Moderate+ carbonation. Thick, sticky, creamy-ish mouthfeel.