Bell's Batch 7000 Ale

It's a snowy night in Kansas City. A perfect night for a deep, dark, sipping-style ale. Tonight, I opened a bottle of Bell's Batch 7000 Ale.

This is a rare beer. Bell's is one of the best breweries in the nation, and in the world. Batch 7000 is a commemorative beer to commemorate their 7000th batch of beer. It is a thick, almost syruppy brew that would be undrinkably sweet if not for a hefty shot of hop bitterness to balance out the malt. Despite its substantial viscosity, it has a pleasant, balanced aftertaste - a burnt caramel flavor with a spicy hop tang. Surprisingly, at 12% alcohol, it doesn'burn going down.

I picked up a 6 pack of this gem for $16 at Gomer's. It's definitely not a beer for quaffing, and it will never replace Natty Light at high school parties. But it was a fine accompaniment to watching the streets fill up with snow.