Hi guys.  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying a Bell’s Special Double Cream Stout brewed by the Bell’s Brewery Inc. located in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

I tend to really like Cream Stouts, so I’m hoping that this is one that I can revert back to from time to time.

The website, bellsbeer.com, had this description of the Special Double Cream Stout.

Special Double Cream Stout derives its name from its smooth, creamy texture, not the ingredients. Completely dairy-free, this stout blends eight different specialty malts to yield a remarkable depth of flavor. With only a touch of burnt notes, Special Double Cream Stout focuses on the softer, cocoa & espresso-like aspects of roasted malt.

Sounds like a winner. 

This brew comes in a 12 oz. bottle and it has an ABV of 6.1%.

The beer poured a very nice, dark brown to almost black color with some faint ruby highlights around the edges and bottom of the glass.  A very nice, full, creamy, fluffy, smooth, kahki colored head was formed from a medium aggressive pour.  It was about two-fingers thick, had great retention and left behind some very pleasing lacing. 

Within the aroma, I picked up a nicely roasted, malty tone.  Bits of coffee and espresso with a touch of chocolate.  Neither aroma was very robust, but both were harmonized well with one another.  I also picked up on a bit of raisin as well as a small note of oatmeal and/or cream.  Pretty good fragrance with this beer. 

The taste brought forth a lot of the proper characteristics of a Stout.  Some roasted coffee and chocolate with a minor hint of bitterness underlined by a hint or two of some dark or burnt grains.  Like the aroma, the coffee and chocolate were not very pronounced, but rather subtle and fitting.  The dark fruits were minimal and the oatmeal savors helped to add a smidgen more sweetness. 

The mouthfeel was medium, rather smooth and very creamy.  It was mostly dry, however not quite as dry as I was anticipating.  It did do a nice job of leaving some flavor behind for me to enjoy between sips however. 

Well.  I’ve had better, more robust, complex Stouts before, but this one is solid enough to be considered a “very good” example in my humble opinion.  It has enough character to warrant some discussion, but it’s also straight forward enough so as not to distract from a simple afternoon of drinking.  It was very easy to down and I think, obviously, it pairs well with the cooler months of the year.  For sure, give the Bell’s Special Double Cream Stout a try if you see it.  It’s not going to knock your socks off, but it’s not a beer to scoff at either.

As always, thanks for reading and commenting guys.  I hope you all are still enjoying the reviews.

Until next time.

Cheers.

Score:  3.9 out of 5
Grade:  B+