Batch 9000 - Bell's Brewery, Kalamazoo

Everyone I've ever talked to about Bell's beers has nothing but nice things to say about them. Their beers have been hit or miss with me... I've not has a beer from Kalamazoo that I've hated but there are been plenty which have been forgettable. When I first hear about the Batch 9000 I was intrigued. First because this beer was a limited release to commemorate the 9,000 batches of beer brewed at Bell's, but also because it was brewed with molasses and licorice... that's something you don't drink every day.

I put off buying the Batch 9000 for a while because, well... it's nearly $20 a six pack. There's a psychologic problem I have with paying nearly $20 for six bottles of something I might not like... I don't have quite the same reservations when it comes to 750ml bottles because there's only one of them. With the six pack it feels like they're forcing you to commit to six bottles when they could easily split up that $20 six pack into more affordable 4 packs or single 12oz bottles. This isn't unique to Bell's, it just seems like they release more higher priced limited edition six packs than other brewers.

Enough about the price, what about the beer? The packaging doesn't say much about the beer, just that it was brewed using molasses and brewer's licorice. I'm not a brewer or a licorice expert so I can't tell you what exactly brewer's licorice is, but characteristics of layman's licorice show up in this beer right from the get go. Pouring this beer into my Bell's tulip glass the first thing I noticed was the thickness of this beer. It almost seemed viscous and there was practically not head whatsoever. The aroma of the Batch 9000 is familiar, with hints of Bourbon, chocolate and dark fruit. There is also a layer of molasses and vanilla that make things a bit more interesting. The aroma is quite complex with many layers, all of which are present in the flavor of this beer.

The flavor combination in this beer is dangerously sweet. When you hear about a beer having characteristics or flavors of molasses, chocolate, bourbon, cherries, figs, vanilla, etc. you'd be right to think it'd be too sweet to be a good beer. Bell's Batch 9000 has all of those flavors and yet remains very drinkable, even at 12.5% ABV. The darker elements like molasses, bourbon and chocolate do a good job of masking the alcohol flavor while still being a great combination of flavors. Fruity flavors like cherry, fig and prune are phantom flavors that your mind has been tricked into picking up. It's a great exercise in brewing magic to try and unravel all of the flavors woven into this beer.

I really, really enjoyed this beer. It's a shame that this Batch 9000 will only be with us a brief time before everyone moves on to the next commemorative or seasonal beer. The one good thing about committing to a whole six pack of Batch 9000 is that I now have five more bottles to tide me over until batch 10000 arrives.