Expedition Stout

When I was 8 or 10 years old, my parents decided that we should go on a road trip from Pennsylvania to Ohio. Now this was no ordinary road trip. Rather, we were going to search cemeteries in the hopes (almost wrote hops) of finding some long-dead relatives, especially including my Great-Great-Great Grandfather, whose portrait still hangs in their house. They had some scattered records and history from I don't know where, but it certainly wasn't the internet or my pal Google at that time. So we did know what 30 cemeteries to hit. We just didn't realize that some had grave stones and some did not, and some were in such disrepair that you couldn't make out the 150 year old name. I must admit, for my brother and me, it was quite the hunt, and we did find some stones with names we were looking for. We never did find the grave for the portrait relative, but one cemetery had so many of our relatives, we went to the parsonage of the church where it was located on a Saturday afternoon to see if we could by some chance access the church records.

It was so funny. The minister thought we were asking for money and he started to hand us some certificates for meals at a local restaurant. When he heard our real request, though, he was more than willing to take us to the archives. So there they were paging through ancient books of names, births, deaths, communions, etc. Jackpot! They found some of portrait guy's records, including birth and other informal information. His strange first name was apparently taken from the last name of the minister who had baptized him. We felt like the Bloodhound Gang from 3-2-1 Contact on PBS. In all, we learned a lot. And of course we were then rewarded with a trip to Geauga Lake and Sea World. That was our Expedition. Maybe this story would've gone better with a Dead Guy Ale (or Double Dead Guy), but I chose to make it a journey instead.

Now for Expedition Stout brewed by Bell's Brewery in Comstock, Michigan. This beer has a nice deep chocolate, toffee and malty aroma. Mmmm. Very thick, with chocolate and dark fruit flavors being the first things I notice. You definitely will taste some roasted flavors with some coffee and raisins mixed in as well. This is not a sweet beer at all, but is rather quite bitter. The 10.5% alcohol content also makes itself known as the initial flavors dissipate, and it provides a nice bite and long lasting warming presence. Expedition Stout then progresses into burnt flavor mode with some nuttiness. Long lasting flavors for sure. I'm not so sure about the aftertaste, maybe a little alcoholic combined with something I just can't put my tongue on. That's the only part I didn't like. For sure a nice beer and glad to have had it.

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