Chocolate Cherry Stout
McKenzie Brew House

Delivered to me in a chilled 12 oz. glass, the body was black with clear mahogany and ruby highlights beneath a creamy dark tan head that held well and left some very nice lace.

Although the nose was restrained, it offered a whiff of sweet cherry and some dark chocolate over a light bit of deep roastiness. Unfortunately, some alcohol showed as well.

The flavor revealed chocolate, a dull charred-roastiness, softly sweet caramel, spicy and somewhat grassy hops, alcohol, and cherry. It wasn't particularly rich, but all of those components were there to some extent, giving it some complexity. The cherry was fairly well wrapped up in what would otherwise have been a solid, bitter and roasty stout. It finished spicy and dry with a hint of cocoa, a smear of roastiness, and a solid, lingering bitterness.

The mild cherry note doesn't seem to really add anything to it, or help to balance it; and the hop flavors compete with the cherry as well. It has a gruff, roasty edge and raspy alcohol. Harsher than it should be. It doesn't seem as if it would catch the fancy of a stout lover as the addition of cherry is a little distracting, but neither would it satisfy the drinker looking for a cherry flavored beer. Overall, not bad, but McKenzie's has done better.