KOTBR #32 In Review | Bell’s Special Double Cream Stout at Spencer's Stadium Tavern

You may have noticed a new name in the Knights of the Beer Roundtable list above. Matt, who has been serving as Kelly's groupie for quite some time, has now been officially Knighted after a full ceremony featuring mug clinking, congratulations and hugging, and a virgin sacrifice*. Because we're now an unwieldy seven (as opposed to a svelte six), we're once again we're revamping the way we do our reviews. This may be the last "KOTBR In Review" post ever. Just try to hold back your tears.

The Knights met at Spencer's Stadium Tavern, the potential goldmine located just southwest of Lucas Oil Stadium. After everyone warmed up with an Avery's Ellie's Brown Ale, we moved on to the feature beer - Bell's Special Double Cream Stout.

Gina started us off by call the nose amazing. But also saying "(it) also reminded me of an ashtray." She decided this beer would be a better choice in colder weather before awarding it a tentative 3.25 mug rating.

Jim complimented the Avery warm-up before moving on to the Bell's.

This beer, which was offered only in bottles, poured with a black coffee color and very little head. The nose on the Special Double Cream Stout has to be the most complex of any beer that we've reviewed (or that I've tried, for that matter). I definitely got the bizarre ashtray smell that Gina detected, but I also could smell molasses, pepper, raisins, coffee, licorice, and a yeasty odor that many Belgian ales give off.

Despite the compliments on the nose, he felt the taste was a little too peppery, and awarded the Special Double Cream Stout a 3.00 mug rating.

Kelly was last to chime in on the Bell's, and picked up some interesting notes in the nose:

It reminded me of the smell you get when you open a box of Whoppers – and I really don’t like malted milk balls. When I was a kid, my dad used to hide malted milk ‘jellybeans’ in my Easter basket, and laugh at me as I found the “surprises”. Ugh.

She then admitted that she's not really a fan of milk stouts before giving the beer a 2.50 mug rating.

All of the Knights would also like to give a shout out to the Pinkos* from Drinking Liberally, who were also in attendence.

*Jokes