December 11th, 2016
31 Beers of December – Day 11 Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout
@BellsBrewery @danontap
To celebrate the Holiday Season, we have teamed up with beer bloggers and craft beer enthusiasts around the country to host the sixth annual beer advent calendar. This is the season of sharing and we intend to share our love of beer with you. We can’t believe it’s been 6 years already!
During the 31 days of December, we will be sharing our favorite regional/winter seasonals/holiday beers with the help from our fellow beer enthusiasts. We hope that you tune in every day, to hear our stories and share our holiday cheer.
Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout
Blogger: Daniel Fisher
Website: Life On Tap ; lifeontap.com
Twitter / Facebook / Instagram: @danontap / danontap Facebook / http://instagram.com/danontap
About Dan: ICraft beer advocate. Fine wines, spirits, & dining enthusiast. Business/Marketing Strategist & Project Manager. Proud husband and father. Anime/manga/sci-fi otaku.
Beer: Kalamazoo Stout
Brewery: Bell’s Brewery/Comstock, MI
Website: bellsbeer.com
Twitter: @BellsBrewery
Beer Details:
-Style: Stout with Brewers Licorice
-ABV: 6.0%
Commercial Description:
Named after the city where it all began, Kalamazoo Stout is one of our most classic recipes. This smooth, full-bodied stout offers a blend of aromas and flavors of dark chocolate and freshly roasted coffee, balanced with a significant hop presence.
Why I selected Kalamazoo Stout:
Until Bell’s started distributing in NYC fairly recently, I rarely get to drink this year-round offering from them. While the beer is not an imperial or barrel-aged, it does bring a warmth to me while I am drinking it during wintertime.
The beer itself:
The beer pours deep, dark brown bordering on black with a thin, light-brown and frothy head, small bubbles of carbonation and some incredible lacing on my glass. Roasted coffee and dark cocoa nibs lead the nose with a hint of the licorice. On the palate, the roasty malts have a “bittering” battle with the hops before cocoa nibs join the fray. Espresso on the finish and aftertaste, but smooth as silk with a great, full body though it only clocks in at 6% ABV.
What would you pair this beer with?:
While many pair stouts with dessert, I think richly-marinated, intense spice-rubbed or powerfully-flavored meats would definitely sing with Kalamazoo Stout. Wait, did I mention cheese yet? Richness or powerful flavor on this front also would work, be it gouda aged 18 months or longer to luxurious, milky bloomy rinds to spice-rubbed cheddars (Barely Buzzed) to hard Italian ones. On the dessert front, I would love to have this with spiced cake or cheesecake, coffee or mousse-based pies or just a few dark chocolate truffles.
About Life On Tap:
Inspired by the podcasting friends and new media junkies, my wife Sheryl and I decided to tread into The Podosphere on 7/3/2006. “Life On Tap” is just that: our lives through the eyes (or rather all senses) and the appreciation of some of our favorite interests: craft beer, food, and occasionally some fine wine and liquor. If there’s one thing I want readers/listeners/viewers to take away, it’s that craft beer is communal and best shared as often as possible with those you love. Remember our mantra: “Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.”
If you are coming down to New York City, please reach out and we can hit up some local spots for some excellent food and brew! lifeontap@lifeontap.com
About Bells Brewery:
Our journey began with a 15-gallon soup kettle, a quest for better beer and countless batches of homebrew. The passion and personality that began Bell’s continues today through our breweries and Eccentric Café. We continue to grow and evolve, dedicated to our mission; to be fiercely independent, 100% family owned, deeply rooted to our community, committed to the environment and brewers of inspired beer.
For more information, please visit: www.bellsbeer.com/