Tart Cherry W-n-B
Terrapin Beer Company

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From:
Terrapin Beer Company
 
Georgia, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
9.4%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.01 | pDev: 7.73%
Reviews:
40
Ratings:
144
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 29, 2022
Added:
Sep 16, 2016
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  28
Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout and it is a stout brewed with Jittery Joe’s coffee and Montmorency cherry juice added,
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by FriedSlug:
Photo of FriedSlug
Reviewed by FriedSlug from North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A big blast of coffee and cherry drift off of this nice brown beer with the dense tan head. Tons of lacing left by this beast. The taste is tons of coffee, chocolate and tart cherry with some tangy malt. Really solid beer.
Jun 17, 2017
More User Ratings:
Photo of Emichaelbray
Reviewed by Emichaelbray from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pretty solid. $8.99 bottle purchased from the rudest distributor in South Philly. The one on Front Street next to the liquor store? That chubby jerk and his sister who can’t count. Of course the $8.99 is pre-tax and the total never seems to work out. Anyway.
Solid pour in a wide wine glass. Almost no foam as expected. Some baby daddy ten times per year lacing hanging around.
Reading previous reviews I’m surprised how frequently the cherry is mentioned last or described as a “hint.” I noticed the chocolate-oatmeal-coffee, obviously, some very interesting malts but the cherry and other dark fruit really comes out.
The taste is not as strong on the stone fruit but it’s still there. Kinda dug the coffee towards the back. Not a big fan of coffee adjuncts usually but the subtlety renders it pleasing. A good oatmeal and baker’s chocolate rounds it out.
Finish is typical for a nearly 10% stout like this. Very little carbonation and thick mouth feel.
I enjoyed the beer. It’s labeled a 2016 and is definitely mature. I would like to cellar a couple and see how well it ages in the bottle. One note: there were… cherry sediments, I guess. Very unexpected. Perhaps note that on the bottle, friends?
I want to try it again but I do think it’s a bit overrated.
Oct 29, 2022
 
Rated: 3.74 by mattreitz49 from Florida

Oct 06, 2019
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tartness and roast are always a dangerous combination. Where one sees complexity another sees complication. But the clash of these flavor titans is nothing that Terrapin brewers shy away from; in fact, they embrace the duality.

Resting on their waking and baking laurels, their Tart Cherry Wake-n'-Bake pours with the same espresso black pour that we've grown to love. Its lathery mocha froth lays the foundation for a roasty and fruity set of aromatics that swirl around the properties of chocolate covered cherries with a welcomed coffee scent. Moderately sweet, the early palate is stricken with scorched sugars of sorgum, brown sugar and caramel for a softer start to the session.

Sweetness retracts quickly in favor of a roasty, toasty middle palate. Black walnut, burnt toast, campfire char, dark roast coffee, baker's chocolate all lay a robust coat on the tastebuds before the brightness of cherries offer a balancing acidity and its own tangy sweetness for a welcome reprieve from the element of char.

A broad and woodsy bitterness of brushfire and pine adorn the finish while the full bodied beer drinks slightly less heavy from its tart cherry impressions, its coffee liquor booziness and the bitter resins that extend into a long and roasty-winey interplay.
Dec 14, 2018
Photo of Jeffo
Reviewed by Jeffo from Netherlands

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Got this one from rutager a while back

From a corked and caged 375ml bottle into a snifter
Bottled 28 December 2016
Jittery Joe’s Coffee

APPEARANCE: A clear black pour yields a three finger, medium-thicker looking, creamy tan head with great retention. Black body with no carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a full cap and clings to the glass. A half wisp remains until the end leaving touches of lacing on the glass as it empties. Nice head on this one.

SMELL: Coffee beans, vanilla cream, milk chocolate, pure chocolate, oats and some roasted malts on the nose. A hint of cherries there but it’s mild.

TASTE: Tart cherries up front with coffee and milk chocolate, as well as some more light sourness at the swallow. Bold finish of bitter coffee beans, milk chocolate, vanilla cream flavors and some tart cherries. Roasted notes and a bit of booze as well. Pretty flavorful and way more tart cherry than the nose had indicated.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. A bit prickly on the palate, goes down fine and finishes somewhat sticky.

OVERALL: Good stuff. Enjoyed this one for sure. The tart cherries were rather mute on the nose but they came out really nicely in the flavor, and the rest of the base stout was definitely well put together. Worth checking out if you’re a coffee stout fan and like a little fruit here and there. Thanks again, rutger. Recommended.
Oct 24, 2018
Photo of SHODriver
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A: Poured into a snifter to a black beer topped by a finger of dense dark tan head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with some lacing.
S: Smells of coffee and chocolate covered cherries along with some roasted malts
T: Taste is tart cherries and coffee with some chocolate and roasted malts. Cherries and coffee keep coming back around which is nice. Swallow is huge coffee, cherries, and chocolate with some lingering tart cherry notes mixed with a little roasted malt.
M: This beer is fairly full in body with a somewhat silky mouthfeel. Carbonation is a little more than necessary but it drinks well. The beer has a drying finish from the tartness of the cherry juice.
O: Overall this beer isn't bad at all. It has some really nice flavors and some interesting complexity. Not sure if cherry juice is high on my list of things to add to a stout but it works out pretty well. It's worth a try if they remake it.
Jul 21, 2018
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Reviewed by Scottsbeer from Florida

4.4/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2016 19.9 OZ bottle, stored properly and enjoyed on 5/4/18. Had to use a utility knife to get the stupid wax off the cap so my bottle opener could open the cap. Why 16.9 and not 16? Why the wax? other than that I will continue with an unbiased review.

L Poured down the center of the glass and beer has a dark brown with a slight ruby red color letting virtually no light through. One inch head that dissipated rapidly leaving a small island with some nice lacing on the glass just above the liquid.

S Dark malts, dark mocha and bitter chocolate, caramel, cane sugar and tart cherry .

T Milk chocolate, dark malt a hint of vanilla and some cherry up front. In the middle the chocolate changes from milk chocolate to bakers cocoa the caramel and vanilla meld to become a creamy medley and the cherry becomes a little tarter. The finish is nice as the chocolate flavors combine to become a nice semi dark Swiss chocolate, the tart in the tart cherry kicks in a sour note that is pleasant and the caramel combines with a roasted malt and dark fruit flavor with a slight smokey coffee finish. The coffee is a nuance but it is good. Could be that since this bottle has aged for a couple of years the coffee faded but I am good with just the nuance. ABV is not hot but there is a pleasant warming in the finish.

F Light for in imperial oatmeal stout when it is cold but gets thicker and chewier as it warms, with a creamy and lingering coating on the pallet. Carbonation is light to medium and perfect for the style.

O If it wasn't for the stupid wax seal and the extra .9 OZ I might rate this higher. Actually the extra .9 OZ really doesn't bother me but the wax seal does. The beer is in the top 15% in my opinion and worth finding but the wax seal making me work way too hard to get to the beer looses points. A great beer if you have patience to get rid of the wax,
May 05, 2018
 
Rated: 4.16 by Vylo from New Jersey

Apr 20, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by JeffKowalek from Tennessee

Mar 17, 2018
Photo of PA-hunter
Reviewed by PA-hunter from Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured 25oz bottle into snifter glass. 9.4% abv

Appearance- Dark brown, appearing black in the glass. Brown, mocha colored head, fine bubbles. Some lacing.

Smell- Coffee, chocolate, cherries.

Taste- Rich, chocolate notes, with cherry tartness. Cherry builds as the flavor increases. Coffee becomes much more prominent as well. Finishes extremely tart from the cherries, still retaining a coffee finish. Light chocolate notes on the back end as well.

Mouthfeel- Heavy in body with medium carbonation.

Overall- A bit aggressive with the tartness. not actually a sour, just a stout with a ton of cherries on the tart side. It is complex however. Made for sipping. Think chocolate covered cherries, just the extra tart variety.
Feb 11, 2018
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Rated by pathman from Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2/4/18 bottle
Feb 04, 2018
Photo of Pencible
Reviewed by Pencible from Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
A: This poured an opaque black with a little light tan head.
S: It smelled like fresh espresso and bitter dark chocolate, with some molasses and toasted oats.
T: It tasted like smoky French roast coffee and bitter dark chocolate, with some tart cherry and toasted oats and earthy molasses. It had a clean bitter and earthy aftertaste.
M: It was thick with moderate carbonation. Great big body.
D: This was a very nice brew with well integrated and delicate scent and taste. Lots of complex character that was rich yet balanced. The body was solid and the finish was relatively smooth with well hidden alcohol. So it was pretty easy to drink, but worth sipping. A few years might help it mellow even further, but it was still excellent fresh. One of the better non-barrel aged stouts.
Feb 02, 2018
 
Rated: 3.73 by socon67 from New York

Jan 28, 2018
 
Rated: 3.54 by scratch69 from Missouri

Dec 28, 2017
Photo of TH28
Reviewed by TH28 from Florida

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2016 vintage 500ml bottle. Appearance: Deep black and opaque with a fairly thick dark khaki head for an imperial stout. Nice lacing. Aroma: molasses, roasted coffee, and cherry dominate. All malt here, no noticeable hop aroma Taste: Rich, deep malt sweetness, quickly balanced by tart cherry, and finished with a deep roasted coffee. Bitterness just enough to balance Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy bodied with an oatmeal creaminess that has leaned more syrupy after a year of age. Low carbonation. Finish: Strong coffee roast is dominant, with a tart cherry undertone Overall: Really nice take on a coffee imperial stout by offering a tart cherry to balance the rich maltiness and roasted coffee notes. Very complex beer, with the oatmeal adding a nice creaminess to the body
Dec 09, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by oline73 from Maryland

Dec 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.96 by Gtwreck45 from Missouri

Oct 20, 2017
 
Rated: 4.12 by Jcarriglio from Florida

Oct 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by BabaBeer from California

Sep 29, 2017
 
Rated: 3.15 by Ryannotbryan from Texas

Sep 24, 2017
Tart Cherry W-n-B from Terrapin Beer Company
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 144 ratings