Bell's Harry Magill's Spiced Stout
Big and bold, this stout will warm you with flavors of maple, ginger and molasses. Perfect for complimenting your holiday cheer
3.6
240 reviews
Comstock, United States
Community reviews
Sampler at brewpub. Pours black with a khaki head. I love how they put Harry Magill’s name in real small type on the sign. Not a lot on the nose. Solid molasses and brown sugar notes on the tongue. Not sure I’m getting a lot of coffee notes. Finished clean. Solid.
Thanks SJ. Nice notes of warming ginger, spice, moleasses and nut meg. Body was medium, with a sweet / spice finish. Not bad.
Sample at Raleigh Rare Beer: this is just not for me. was beyond my normal palate.
Got bottle from out east from friend. I don’t see bells here in CA. Great spice with great stout sweet stout characteristics. Caramel, slight smoke great coffe and allspice. Excellent brew
On two at Eccentric. Pour is dark brown with aromas of molasses, nutmeg and maybe something else that is pie related. Flavor is smokey. Didn’t see that coming! Smoke and molasses seem to drive the show with a decent stout presence under it all.
On draft, leftover from a tap takeover. Happy to see it, as I’ve never had it before. Pours pitch black with a thick mocha head that leaves impressive clingy, drippy, intricate lace. Nose involves toasted malts, dark chocolate, a hint of smoke, and some nutmeg. Medium to full bodied, creamy, oily, with a lengthy toasty and spicy finish. Pretty tasty, the spices weren’t too dominant, but complemented the stout body nicely.
On tap: The aroma consists of heavy nutmeg, ginger, and clove with just a touch of chocolate. It pours a a dark brown with some faint orange highlights around the edges of the glass. It has a one finger beige head that quickly fades to a thin film. The flavor starts with a quick dose of chocolate and cinnamon. The finish has moderate-heavy nutmeg, ginger, clove, a hint of anise, and roast. It’s medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Overall, it’s a little too heavy on the spice for my liking.
Earlier Rating: 2/28/2005 Total Score: 3.4
Bottle: Obviously coffee but lots of clove and ginger. Pours a dark brown, virtually black with a tan head with decent retention. Lots of malt up front with maple syrup. Gingery coffee finish with a sourness that really hurts this beer. Would really like this beer if I could get past the sourness in the finish.
Tap: deep, deep brown, almost black with a creamy, semi-chunky mocha foam. Aroma is moderated spiced with mild notes of molasses, cocoa, ginger, some faintly roasted malt, & a hint of cola. Taste has heavier notes of molasses & ginger, balanced well with roasted malts, bitter cocoa, & reminders of cinnamon. Easy drinking stout, nice & spiced without being too over the top. Lightly sweet finish. Better than many pumpkin stouts out there.
Draft to taster at Eccentric Cafe. Looks good; a dark cola with beige lacing. Smells of dark malt and ginger. Tastes like it smells with a solid mouthfeel. Not bad.
On draft at Eccentric Café. The pour is dark, with reddish qualities. The head is thin, no lace. The aroma is full of the spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, not really what is expect in a stout. The flavor is also very spice driven. It's similar to a Christmas ale, and not at all what I was expecting for a stout. Based on the spice designation, it's not too bad.
Aroma is ok, cinnamon, nutmeg, roasted malt. Appearance is a dark brown with a light tan head. Taste is heavy ginger and nutmeg, Christmas cookie. Mouthfeel is light, carbonated. Overall...meh. Drinkable.
Tastes like you took all of your Christmas table sweets, including the yams, and threw them in the coffee pot. Unique beer. Try one if you can.
On tap at Crunchys. I think Bells really nailed what they were going for here with a strong spice taste, but it is just not a taste that appeals to me that much.
Pint at the Bell’s tap takeover, Sam’s, Durham. After the face-shredding beers earlier in the evening, this one was (even at 8%) a mellow, warming, and welcome changeup. Thick, oily black pour with a filmy light brown head. Nice nose of yams, maple, and ginger, all undergirded by deep chocolate. Nice hefty body with a bit of oil and grit in the finish, very appropriate to style. Flavors were big without compromising subtlety, with coffee, spice, and ginger melding together in an organic way rather than the off-putting and artificial manner one often gets with "spiced" beers. Yet another terrific stout from Bells.
Great beer. Pours black with tan head. Nice warm spice aromas, along withoak, and toasted malts. Very oaky flavours with some nice sweetness and warming winter spices. Excellent.
On tap; this one didn’t work for me. Interesting concept and I think they accomplished their designs. Too much of a holiday beer profile, which has never appealed much to me. Ginger and nutmeg do shine through and drinkable for the ABV
On tap at Flanny’s, black pour with a tan head. A nice ginger spice with a tasty roasty cocoa backbone. It is a wonderful brew.
On tap during the Bell’s Eccentric Cafe event at the Hungry Monk. Pours a dark, dark brown with a bubbly head. Spicy, malty aroma with cinnamon and ginger. Airy, light flavor with toast, toffee, caramel, and lots of bread. Light body for a stout. Interesting.
On draft at Churchkey in DC. Pours black with a tan head. Aroma of ginger and nutmeg. Medium mouthfeel. Some chocolate and coffee notes. Bitter finish.
Draft at Churchkey. Very dark brown pour with a foamy light beige head. Nose and flavor bring really pleasant roast character with bitter chocolate and espresso mixed with a beautiful spice presence of cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread, almond, and allspice. Well integrated spice, medium bodied and complex on the mouthfeel. A really delightful brew.
Draft. Creamy large brown head atop black body with brown edge. Aroma is moderately sweet, bittersweet chocolate, some nutmeg, roast, ginger, light anise. Taste is moderately sweet, roast, some bittersweet chocolate, nutmeg, ginger. Soft medium body, low carbonation.
Tap, CK. Mahogany nearing on black. Quite spicy, with lots of ginger, and slight earthy maple and toast in the aroma. Spicy, earthy, toasted nuts and no sweetness to be found really. Medium to lighter body. Interesting not really my thing.
On tap at crunchy's in east Lansing. Like the name indicates there are lots of spices present. I am not a big fan of beers that smell or remind me of potpourri. This was a decent beer but I would not have it again.
Tap at sam’s. black with a medium sized creamy head. Nose is light roast, ginger, bakers chocolate, light honey/maple syrup. Flavor is similar--fantastic balance throughout, light spice, mild cocoa, coffee. Really fantastic actually. I might like this more than Kalamazoo! It’s that good. Fuck yeah.
Sampled from the tap at the brewpub. Pours black with a grayish head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has notes of nutmeg and roasted malts with a bit of underlying ginger. Flavor starts with strong roasted malts and are joined by a combination of ginger and nutmeg.
A nice spiced stout, ginger in the nose, nutmeg in the flavor. Woudl be good for the holidays.
On tap at Cock & Bull. Black color. Good thin dense light brown head. Decent lace. Big spice taste (nutmeg, some cinnamon, ginger). Light roasty malts. Some chocolate. Bigger body, smooth carbonation, dry texture. Drinks more like a dark spiced ale than a stout, to me. Light bitter taste, spice, mostly. Decent, but I wish it was more stout and less spice. For a solid stout with a definite holiday twist, I much preferred Sam Adam’s Merry Mischief
Tap at New Bohemia. Very dark pour with a spotty clingy head. Mild molasses nose, but a big molasses kick on the taste. Ginger is present too.
On tap at New Bohemia, has some sweet ginger and chocolate roast notes. Taste is big time ginger spice, takes over the beer, sample size is perfect.
On tap at New Bohemia tap takeover. Smells slightly spicy and and a sweetness. On first taste it is very spicy and starts with lots of ginger and finishes with sweetness of maple and molasses. Overall, nice and interesting and worth a taste!