Bell’s Batch 8,000 Ale
Price: $13.99 for six
Serving: 12 fl. oz., 1 bottle
Calories: 283
Alcohol: 9.00% ABV
Bell’s Brewery says: Batch 8,000 is part of our commemerative series celebrating our progress with special brews. Our 8,000th batch is a special recipe to be brewed only once. It is a wheat ale spiced with Coriander, Orange Peel, and Paradise Seed. Best consumed fresh.
Joe says: Most breweries are somewhat hit and miss with their beers, but Bell’s is one of the few that, for me, consistently makes an enjoyable beer. Maybe there’s something special in the water out in Comstock, Michigan, or maybe Larry Bell just really knows what he is doing. Either way, Bell’s Batch 8,000 Ale is a once-in-a-lifetime event that certainly lives up to the quality that I have come to expect from Bell’s beers.
At 9% ABV, I was expecting this beer to zing like other similarly strong beers that I love (e.g. Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale). I was, however, pleasantly surprised by its smoothness—Batch 8,000 is so smooth that it almost drinks like a 5%. But be careful with this refreshing beer, because while it goes down easy, it still kicks like a kangaroo.
The combination of the coriander, orange peel, and witbier style gives Batch 8,000 a very autumnal flavor—it almost tastes like those dried apricots you see next to the raisins and dates in the supermarket. The actual taste probably sits somewhere in between Blue Moon (original) and Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale, but a bit stronger, beerier, and better. And, while it doesn’t approach the fruity blast of the delicious Pyramid Apricot Weizen, it hints at fruit just enough to make this the perfect compliment to a traditional US Thanksgiving turkey dinner.
At $13.99 for a case of six, the price is really the only factor that would rule out Bell’s Batch 8,000 as a staple beer for me. However, since this is a one-time limited release, I am going to buy some more while I still can—if I can track down a store that has any left.
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6 Responses to “Bell’s Batch 8,000 Ale”
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$13.99 for a six pack? WOW! Which part of the country did you purchase this?
Thanks for the caloric info - 283 Calories is breaking my diet
Joe is in Minnesota, about 600 miles from the Bell’s brewery. The link from ‘coriander’ in the description features one his photos.
We had to email the brewer to get that info. It is confusing that juice manufacturers are required to note ingredients and nutrition information on a product, but as soon as something contains alcohol that’s no longer required.
@Adam: The Admin pegged me correctly as a Minnesotan. Specifically, I bought the beer at Surdyk’s in Minneapolis because the little town I live in doesn’t have a great selection. So I usually pick up some fun new things to try whenever I’m in the cities. It keeps things interesting for me.
I think the price is that high for two reasons: this was a one-batch beer and it has a high alcohol content. For the record, I bought two more six packs after I wrote this review–it’s worth it. I’m saving a bunch for Thanksgiving, but it’s tough!
I should also add that since it’s a 9% beer, it’s a lot like drinking two beers, so at 141.5 calories per “beer” that’s not too bad, now is it?
Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale is one of the biggest, but most palatable Ales available. This was my default drink of choice. Unfortunately, there isn’t a distributor where I live.
Since writing this review, I have had Bell’s Winter White Ale and I have to say that it is very similar to Batch 8,000. While I didn’t taste them next to each other, the most noticeable difference was the Winter White Ale was not nearly as strong as the Batch 8,000 and the flavors didn’t seem quite as well balanced. They are, however, in the same ballpark if you are curious to taste it and can’t find any Batch 8,000 anymore.