Cherry Stout
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

 

Nice dark beer with a decently sustaining head, but it sort of goes downhill from there. Mostly the taste deviates from expectations. The flavors aren't off, but they seem out of balance. The tart cherry dominates the beer early, with the stout actually detracting from it. The nose is absent at first, but the beer is cold at this point.

With warmth, a chocolate mint Oreo starts to show in the nose - I have no idea where the mint is coming from. It's a little weird but not outrageous. Then the taste opens with that tart cherry, followed by a hint of roasted malt before a fleck of mint, and then more tangy cherry notes. Bakers chocolate seeps in slowly as it warms, but I want a stout with some cherry accent and this comes across as the reverse.

 

I was curious about this stout because having a stout brewed with cherries sounded interesting. The look was a highlight with the dark opaque look through the dark ruby red-black color. The smell was faintly of cherries, which was a promising start. The taste was interesting and slightly threw me off a little bit with how faintly sour it was with the flavors of imperial stout on the tongue. The feel was mostly clean. Overall pretty good, but I think I would prefer the Expedition Stout more.

Black with one finger thick., brown head. The aroma of chocolate malt and cherries. Slightly sweet taste with some cherry sourness. Moderate, roasted bitterness.

 

 

 

 

Poured into a goblet. Totally opaque, deep black color. A faint beige head on the initial pour that fades to a light ring.

A slightly tangy cherry aroma. Maybe some faint sweetness as well but not much.

A very sour-like cherry flavor. A mildly bitter chocolate taste is there but not like a deep, rich stout would have. The ABv isn’t noticeable.

Thinner consistency with medium carbonation.

Not a bad brew but not a top-tier stout by any means. The cherry flavor dominates and taste slightly cough syrupy. Not bad but not great…cheers!

 

 

October-November 2023 Limited Time Offering Release - 6 pack
12 oz. bottle dated 10/03/2023 - 7.0% ABV / 17 IBUs
Brewed and bottled in Comstock, MI
Poured into a Bell's branded tulip snifter glass

Look - Pours a thin reddish-tan head that leaves nice lacing. Opaque, black appearance.
Smell - The scent is faint cherries and dark chocolate.
Taste - The taste follows the nose with cherry being the most dominant, and has a decent tartness upfront. It fades quickly leaving not much of an aftertaste.
Feel - Medium bodied with a sharp mouthfeel that finishes dry.
Overall - The cherry flavor borders on medicinal and kind of overpowers everything else.

 

 

Poured from 12 oz bottle into pint glass. Thin beige head, mild lacing, dark brown color. Mouthfeel is heavy with a dry finish. Flavors chocolate, caramel, tart cherries, dark roasted barley, earthy hops. Overall: very good.