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Color is a super thick black with a large inch tall tan head that crumbled down super slowly leaving a puffy diveted landscape for a top that stays present til about half glass, which then stays as a hazy skim and smaller bubbles. A hefty head for sure. Leaves lace in thickly sticking sheets.
Ahhh the smell is just lovely, its all dried espresso coffee, very roasted and very dried and uniquely so, reminds me of true espesso thats served in Eastern world cafes. Dry and roasted, somewhat bittering too in the smell.
Taste is crazy espresso, deeply roasted dryish malt tones with all sorts of dry roasted bitterness thats very easy to handle.Finish is nice and levels off nicely leaving lingering espresso dryness, slight hop bitterness and light deep dark chocolatey tones across the palate.
Its partially full, quite rich, barring heavyness, and silky smooth and packed with nice espresso flavors that are a bit overpowering at first if your not ready for it, but once it settles in, its fantastic. Makes for a great dessert beer and conversational piece to share with friends. If you like coffee in any form, this is a must try, and if you like highly flavored stouts this is a big must try.

Served In: Pint Glass

Color is standard - dark/black with brown foam. Smell is all coffee. Overly strong coffee. RyanC mentioned that he thinks this one is a mini-me version of Breakfast Stout, but the smell here is far more linear than that. Obviously, that's because this is a "coffee stout" without the other stuff like oatmeal or chocolate. Taste has the strong coffee taste in the beginning and the end. In the middle you get that roasted grains taste. However, it's not a strong as the smell leads you to believe. It's far less overwhelming on the coffee. Actually makes it a bit better, I think. Feel is solid, medium and silky.

Overall, I like this one despite the fact that I don't really like coffee. It's odd, but true.

Served In: Pint Glass

Really enamored with this one. I view this one as a less complex Breakfast Stout, and I mean that in the best possible way.

You know you're in for a treat when you smell this one. Fresh brewed coffee, dark roasted malt, and a hint of chocolate. Standard well-made stout darkness, with a creamy two-finger head.

Taste mimics the nose almost perfectly. Rich, bitter coffee flavor followed by a hint of sweet chocolate on the finish.

While the taste of Bell's Java is great, it's the mouthfeel that I love most about this brew. A nice medium body on this one that goes down so smooth. The most drinkable coffee stout I've had to date.

This stout will warm me up on the four days it's cold in South Carolina. Luckily, today happens to be one of them. Bell's has another stout that's a winner.

Served In: Pint Glass

Ava Java. Pours a jet black with very limited reddish hues on the edge of the glass, very dark. A good pour leaves a frothy but quite bubbly head that soon disappears. Not much on the retention department and next to no lacing.

Overall the nose is very astringent. Roasted malt is the first aroma with a lighter coffee smell in the back end. Some earthy notes mostly. Although the coffee notes came out more as it warmed.

The taste remains strong with roast and coffee notes but a stronger chocolate malt flavor really comes out. Very strong in astringency but some hints of a caramel sweetness as well. Hard to pick out anything else. Some bitterness and a lactic quality that is more off setting than pleasant. Finishes with a bit of alcohol/solvent.

The body has a mid carbonation feel to it. Some oily burnt textures. Also some solvent alcohol remnants remain through the finish. Overall I could use more of a coffee presence and less of roasted quality. Some strong alcohol notes that are off setting as well, but ok.

Served In: Pint Glass

*Uploading my old reviews, this one has a review date of: 8-24-07. If I can acquire the beer again I will re-review it*

Got this beer from the generosity of upsjeff, thanks.

Beer pours a black color with a fingers worth of mocha foam. The smell is intense with coffee, chocolate milk shake, cocoa, slight vanilla, toffee and subtle notes of wood or aged hops. The taste is much like the aroma, a strong coffee and chocolate malt profile upfront and a slightly dry cocoa finish. This is a very well made coffee stout. Mouthfeel and carbonation seem just right for this beer and alcohol, what alcohol? It is very well hidden behind the robust coffee and malt flavors. So far all of the Bell’s stouts I have had the pleasure to try are winners in my book.

Served In: Bottle

I have had this on tap and in the bottle. If you love coffee then get this on tap if possible. I thought I was drinking black coffee when I had this at the Muddy Pig. From the bottle this is still great and if you give it a bit of age it really mellows out well. Dark pour with a small tan head. Strong coffee aroma along with roasted malts. Bitter coffee in the taste with some sweet undertones and a slight bitter finish. A coffee lovers must!

Served In: Bottle