The low tonight is between -5 and +3 farenheit.  Because I like beer, I needed to find a beer that keeps me warm in the cold.  Turns out, Imperial Stouts are just the right thing for that.  The epitome of a winter beer, if I do say so myself.  So, I was interested in finding a reasonably priced Imperial Stout.  My choices came down to Founders Breakfast Stout, which is a damn shame we’ve never reviewed; Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout, which I’ve stupidly never tried; and Bell’s Expedition Stout, which is a stellar beer and usually over-priced.  Today, however, I was able to find a great deal on the Bell’s Expedition, and as such am blogging it for our fine readership.

As you can see, this fine ale exhibits a strange characteristic for imperial stouts: it has head.  This is certainly not a bad thing, just different.  It’s quite thick, but fades pretty quickly.

The smell is comprised of lots of malt, chocolate, coffee, and alcohol.  It’s really sweet, in both senses of the word.

The mouthfeel is full, with minimal carbonation bite.  Very thick, coating the tongue and mouth wonderfully.

The taste is multi-faceted.  There is a lot of sweetness up front, while there is plenty of bitterness as it moves back on the tongue.  There are all sorts of flavors you could associate with this.  Coffee, chocolate, and oats are all very prominent.  There is a noticeable hint of alcohol in the flavor, which is really enjoyable.

Overall, this is a stellar beer, and I’m glad I finally got to review it for the site.  While it’s not the greatest imperial stout ever, it’s a hell of a good one.

8.5/10