Bell's Rye Stout
An abundance of rye grains provide a spicy twist to otherwise traditional stout flavors. A unique approach to an entirely new style of stout.
3.6
548 reviews
Comstock, United States
Community reviews
Bottle to snifter (thanks jmikolich). Looks solid; cola with razor-thin light beige lacing (when swirled) and very little carbonation. Smells solid too; malt and rye. Tastes like it smells with some spiciness (presumably from the rye). Average on the palate with a dry finish. A little thinner than I’d prefer, but still a solid beer.
12oz bottle thanks to jmikolich, pours a dark brown/black with no head. Aroma of slight rye, molasses, and chocolate. Smooth texture, with hints of rye spice throughout with a nice not overbearing or harsh roast, sweet chocolate, there is just a hint of bitterness and spice on the finish. Easy drinking, really nice!
I enjoyed this, though I had it along side Black Note, so probably not a fair comparison. I didn’t get a huge "rye" flavour here, that element was more subtle than I was expecting. Overall, though, a high quality stout.
Chocolate and spicy rye nose, roast malts and hints of coffee. Black in color with a tan head, decent retention and nice lacing. Smooth coffee and roast flavors, spicy rye bread and chocolate, low bitterness, great balance, smooth chocolate finish. Medium to full body, silky texture. Nice.
On tap at Bells. Pours a dark black with slight chocolate foam head. Aroma is an earthy roast malt. Very light chocolate and the taste is very smooth roast malt, some spice notes apparent. Reminds me a bit of a black lager. Very good!
On tap at the brewery. Pours dark brown with a thin beige head. Some lacing. A subtle roasted malt aroma. Roasted grain, coffee, vanilla, and chocolate flavors with just a hint of the spicy rye flavor that I was expecting. Still a very good beer. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel with low carbonation and a dry finish.
Sampled at Great Taste. A smooth black beer that is sweet enough to be naughty and comforting but stops well short of cloying. Light on the roast, bigger on the chocolate. Has a grainy edge but pepper or spice notes from the rye were not obvious. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Bottle. Pours dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma of roasted malts and spicy rye. Flavors of roasted malt, rye, caramel and salty licorice. Not as roasty as some stouts and little to no coffee/chocolate flavors. Still, interesting and pretty tasty.
At hungry monk. Pours black with espresso head. Aroma has fudge, cocoa, spice. Taste Is sweet with spice and bitterness. Medium bodied. Dry finish. Good.
On tap in a tulip. Pours black with a lacy, beige head. Aroma of roasted malts, some rye, some chocolate and coffee, and floral hops. Flavor about the same. Smooth texture. A pretty good beer.
Tap at Eccentric Cafe. Light rye malt aroma. Black/brown with a small tan ring. Sweet malt flavor with a dry sour finish.
Glass at the brewpub. Almost blavk with a thin ring. Dark fruitbinbthe aroma. Thete is some coffee and maybe dark fruit. It was served too cold and might take time to warm. Rye is a subnote but dfinitely adds. Some espresso. That chocolate grows with warming. This is very good but I am not quite blown away. Almost, though.
On tap at the the Bell’s Eccentric Café in Kalamazoo, served in a tasting glass. Pours dark chestnut-black with a small tan head. The head fades slowly to a thin cover and leaves a small amount of lace. The nose has notes of roasted, charred malts, coffee and lots of chocolate, along with earth and a hint of rye. The flavour is nicely balanced between semi sweet malts and earthy hops; there are also notes of chocolate, coffee and earth. On the palate, it is full in body with a smooth, creamy texture and soft carbonation. Overall, this is a very nice stout, rich and creamy in texture, with plenty of chocolate and subtle roasty elements. 2011-08-14
GTMW. Deep black. Coffee and roast with very mild rye spice. Well rounded roasted malt and coffee. Some rye, but not enough flavor to notice without knowing it was supposed to be there. Mild fruitiness. Finishes with some acidity and dryness. Residual roastiness. Well put together stout.
On tap at Bell’s. Aroma: Roasted malts, coffee, burnt toast and grain. Appearance: Black-brown, no head. Taste: Very sweet, caramel and milk, light bitterness. Palate: Medium bodied and fluffy. Overall: Nice aroma and palate but it was too sweet. Could have been good but I didn’t like it.
On tap, Cap Ale House Innsbrook. Deep brown/black, nice slight head persisted well. Aroma primarily of chocolate. Flavor surprisingly complex, lots of chocolate, a peppery note, and a fantastic creamy mouthfeel. The rye gave this a great slickness. As it warms, an anise hop note emerges on the finish. Really outstanding brew, loved this.
I really like this stout. They say it has a spicy twist, but I don’t find it too much in the bottle that I got. What I do find is a fantastic, balance, chewy flavor. Nice long finish, feels great on the palate. I could drink a 6-pack of this stuff easy. Great session stout.
ugly beer, dark muddy brown with no head on the pour, a light tan watery rings forms... I’m confused on the nose, this smells like a creamy oatmeal stout but its supposedly rye, the rye does show off some spicey notes, lots of chocolate, lots going on but I’m intrigued... this is a hoppy dry stout, not at all what I was expecting, coffee, rye, hops, a touch to bitter... so-so, wouldn’t have again
thanks foppa78! batch 9399. dark roasty dry aroma, unique, must be ample rye. coffee colored, small head. great use of rye, love the combination of dry texture and roasty grain.
pours deep brown...nearly black...with a thick tan head that dissipates quickly. aroma has dark fruit, chocolate, notable rye, and slight alcohol. flavor has chocolate, coffee, notable rye, roasty malts and a hint of spicy hops. mouthfeel is very creamy with a lingering, dry roasty finish.
on tap - Sergio’s (Louisville) Exceptional! Dark, typical appearing stout. Taste is of burnt caramel and butter rum, buttery taste grows beautifully through a clean carbonated finish. Every bit of the standard set by Expedition and Kalamazoo (also by Bell’s).
12 oz bottle from Big Top. Pours a deep brown color with a slight tan head that quickly dissipates. Aroma is caramel and roasted coffee. Flavor is roasted chocolate. An ok beer.
12oz bottle, batch # 9370, courtesy of secret santa! thanks, shawn! pours a dark brown with a very thin, beige head and a light ring of lace. aroma is very nice, exactly what i expected, with dark, roasted malts, licorice, and toasted pumpernickel bread with hints of raw barely, chocolate, and light coffee. flavor is great with the roasted malts, dark chocolate, and coffee grinds coming forward with the unique, spicy, dry, rye notes coming through on the back end in the form of pumpernickel loaf and fresh caraway seeds with just a hint of dark fruits on the finish. palate is medium bodied, dry, and lightly carbonated. overall, another well done stout from bell’s.
Pours a dark black that doesn’t appear to be too viscous. A pretty decent-sized medium brown head. Plenty of rye and roasted malt in the nose. Flavor is similar along with a little bit of coffee. Medium to full body with good carbonation. Drinkability is pretty high. Good take on the rye beer category; one of the more unique ones I’ve had within the style.
Serving type: on-tap
Reviewed on: 03-17-2010
Appearance: dark black-brown with a meager head of khaki proportions. A slow trickle of bubbles makes their escape from the bottom of my glass to the top. Slightly see through.
Nose: dry and spiced at the same time. Spice and dry wood dominates the back while crumbly, slightly burnt chocolates dapple in the front of the line. Ash is a shadow just barely noticeable. Dark fruit stones and black root add more depth and earthiness.
Palate: surprisingly smooth given her roasted palate. Hershey’s chocolate is a slow stream making its way from first quaff to last. Dry in the back; lingers long in the finish with chocolate graham crackers and chocolate truffle powder. Rye spice and fruitiness in the middle along with black cherries and plums. The dark fruits are interchangeable while the rye and chocolate are a solid presence throughout.
Final Thoughts: another tasty stout from Bells who seems to be the king of stouts, not that I am complaining. I missed this rye train in Vero but was lucky enough to find it in Melbourne, a hop-skip away from my hometown and a drive I have done hundreds of times over the years. If you like stouts and you like rye, this is a no-brainer. And even if you don’t, try and you may just find it to your liking.
Bottle. Pours an almost black color, looks more brown to me with some reddish notes in the bottom of the glass. It has so much sediment that you can’t see through it. The head is small and tan. Aroma is of roasted malt, a mix of milk and dark chocolate, coffee and a decent of amount of rye bread notes. Flavor is of rye bread, roasted malt, coffee, cocoa, slight amount of hop bitterness and some slightly earthy notes. Body is medium to full, with a sliky smooth and slightly dry mouthfeel. Overall a pretty good Stout, love the rye notes.
Draft at Maduro. Pitch black, nice steady off-white head. Sweet and sugary. The rye gives it a slightly unique feel, not unlike a Caribbean Stout, minus the pungency. A little thick and sticky but still enjoyable. Overall a good quality beer, but not World Class.
Served from a 12 oz bottle form Crown in Indy. The appearance is a deep ruby brown with a medium tan head. A nice sweet malty nose with a subtle spicy note and some rich dark chocolate. The flavors are hard candy-like chocolates, almost like a tootsie pop, grainy rye almost woodness. Very tasty. The mouth is a little more carbonated then I would prefer. The spice tones of the rye add to the effect more too. Medium bodied.
Draft at Hopcat RBSG. Pours a deep brown black with tan head. Nose is spicy with notes of caraway and anise as well as pumpernickel and chocolate. Light hop notes come through as well. I get a bit of cocoa though not much of a strong roast presence. On taste, more cocoa and rye breadiness with a slightly astringent finish due to the rye that is present. Interesting stout that is a nice addition to the line from Bells.
Probably just a flavor I don’t know to recognize, but little distinguished itself in this from a typical, good stout. Dark coffee, some chocolate, a little smoke and dusky spice. Pretty good.