Bell's Kalamazoo Stout 6Pk

Bell's Kalamazoo Stout 6Pk is a full-bodied American stout from Bell's Brewery in Comstock, Michigan, packaged as a six-pack at 6% ABV. Rated 89 on BeerAdvocate across more than 4,700 reviews, this stout stands apart through its use of brewer's licorice — a traditional but increasingly rare ingredient that adds depth and balance to the roast-forward profile.

Quick Facts: ABV: 6%  |  IBU: 51  |  Origin: Comstock, Michigan  |  Style: American Stout  |  Brewery: Bell's Brewery

Production & Heritage

Bell's Brewery was founded in 1985 by Larry Bell in Kalamazoo, Michigan, making it one of the earliest craft breweries east of the Rockies. The brewery moved its main production facility to nearby Comstock and is now part of the New Belgium Brewing family. Kalamazoo Stout is built on a grain bill loaded with black and caramel malts, fermented with Bell's proprietary house ale yeast, and distinctively flavored with brewer's licorice — a gelatin-free botanical addition that rounds out the aggressive roast character and tempers the 51 IBU hop bitterness into something smooth and drinkable.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Dark roast coffee and cocoa powder lead immediately, followed by toasted malt and a subtle undercurrent of black licorice. The nose is dense and inviting, with the warmth of a freshly opened bag of espresso beans.

Taste: The entry is creamy and rich with dark chocolate and bitter coffee merging into a mocha-like mid-palate. As it develops, molasses sweetness emerges alongside the brewer's licorice, while a firm hop backbone provides structure and prevents the malt from becoming cloying. The beer is utterly opaque in the glass, and its body matches the visual — thick, smooth, and satisfying.

Finish: Medium-long with a dry, lightly bitter edge driven by roasted grain and residual hop character. Black licorice and dark chocolate linger, leaving a clean but flavorful close.

How to Drink Kalamazoo Stout

Pour into a tulip glass or snifter at cellar temperature (50–55°F) to let the roast aromatics open fully; drinking it ice-cold mutes the complexity. For cocktails, Kalamazoo Stout brings serious roast depth: use it in a Black Velvet (paired with sparkling wine) where its coffee richness contrasts the effervescence; try it in a Stout Float with vanilla ice cream to play off the mocha character; or build a Stout Shandy with fresh-squeezed lemon juice for a surprisingly bright contrast against the dark malt.

Best For

• Cold-weather sessions around a firepit or after a day outdoors
• Introducing craft beer drinkers to the stout category without overwhelming intensity
• Pairing with a hearty weekend dinner like braised short ribs or grilled steak
• Gifting to a Michigan craft beer enthusiast exploring their home state's classics

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Kalamazoo Stout taste like? Kalamazoo Stout delivers a creamy blend of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and black licorice, supported by caramel malt sweetness and a moderately bitter hop finish at 51 IBU.

How does Kalamazoo Stout compare to Founders Breakfast Stout? Both are flagship Michigan stouts, but Founders Breakfast Stout incorporates oats, chocolate, and Kona coffee at 8.3% ABV, making it heavier and more dessert-forward. Kalamazoo Stout is leaner at 6% ABV with a drier, more hop-balanced profile and a distinctive brewer's licorice note that Breakfast Stout lacks.

Is Kalamazoo Stout good for sipping neat? Yes — at 6% ABV it is sessionable enough to enjoy across an evening while still delivering the full roast complexity that stout drinkers expect from a standalone pour.

Where is Kalamazoo Stout made? Kalamazoo Stout is brewed by Bell's Brewery at their production facility in Comstock, Michigan, just outside the city of Kalamazoo where founder Larry Bell started the brewery in 1985.

What foods pair well with Kalamazoo Stout? Smoked brisket benefits from the coffee and licorice contrast; dark chocolate brownies echo the beer's cocoa notes; sharp aged cheddar cuts through the malt richness; grilled portobello mushrooms complement the roast character; and chili con carne matches the stout's full body and hop bitterness.

What sizes does Kalamazoo Stout come in? Kalamazoo Stout is widely available in six-packs of 12 oz bottles, and may also appear on draft at select locations.

Is Kalamazoo Stout worth the price? Kalamazoo Stout positions as a mid-range craft stout, and its 89-point BeerAdvocate rating alongside consistent consumer scores on Untappd (3.7 out of 5 across more than 112,000 ratings) suggest strong value within the American stout category.

Why Kalamazoo Stout?

The use of brewer's licorice is the detail that separates this beer from the crowded American stout field — it is a traditional brewing ingredient that most modern craft breweries have abandoned, and it gives Kalamazoo Stout a subtle botanical complexity you simply will not find in most competitors. Backed by nearly four decades of brewing history at one of Michigan's founding craft breweries, this is not a trendy pastry stout or an adjunct-heavy novelty; it is a straightforward, well-constructed stout built on malt, hops, and yeast. The 6% ABV keeps it approachable without sacrificing the dense, opaque body and layered roast flavors that define the style. With an 89-point BeerAdvocate consensus and over 112,000 Untappd ratings confirming its consistency, Kalamazoo Stout has earned its reputation through longevity and quality rather than hype.