Imperial Black Cherry Porter
Short's Brewing Company

Imperial Black Cherry PorterImperial Black Cherry Porter
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From:
Short's Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
Baltic Porter
ABV:
8.75%
Score:
89
Avg:
4.02 | pDev: 9.2%
Reviews:
37
Ratings:
45
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 14, 2014
Added:
Oct 13, 2007
Wants:
  35
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by kbeals:
Photo of kbeals
Reviewed by kbeals from North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
A- Pours out jet black with two fingers of fizzy brown head. Good head retention and lacing.

S- Chocolate, vanilla and sweet caramel malts. Cherries come in very subtly with just a touch of tartness. Overall, pretty complex.

T- This is where the cherries stand out a bit. The tartness of them sticks out just enough so you definitely know that they are there. Hitns of chocolate make it taste like chocolate covered cherries. Absolutely delicious.

M- Heavy body, smooth with little carbonation.

D- The sweetness of it gets to me a little bit, but the tartness of the cherries helps to balance it out a bit. Lower ABV helps make this a pretty good drinker. Another great brew form Short's!
Apr 05, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of SerialTicker
Reviewed by SerialTicker from Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Had this on-tap at HopCat Detroit's grand opening.

One of the more interesting beers I had ... a bit different than I was expecting. The smell isn't what I was expecting as it gives off almost a smokey smell. This has a pretty ash/char-like malt flavor with a really nice cherry flavor with a little tanginess. Aftertaste is some more of that almost burnt malt, but it works really well. It really tastes like a porter rather than a stout due to its thin-ISH feel. I wasn't huge on Bell's Cherry Stout, but thought cherries in a dark beer like a stout or porter could easily be great, and Short's did it. I might like more of a chocolate flavor in place of the char-ish character, but it's still damn good.
Dec 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.7 by acostuhhh from Michigan

Dec 13, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by chewymangos from Indiana

Nov 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by zestar from California

Jul 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by JohnnieNepal from Michigan

Apr 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by tectactoe from Michigan

Apr 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by t0rin0 from California

Jan 05, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by monitorpop from Michigan

May 20, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by imperialking from Illinois

Jan 20, 2012
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

4.22/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to Chris for sharing this one at Saturday's tasting.

A: The pour is dark, dark brown, some might call it black. Very little carbonation and no head.

S: A strong note of fleshy black cherries along with a nice bit of dark chocolate and a mild roasted character. Pretty solid combination here.

T: The cherries are fairly sweet which is balanced nicely by the roasted malts of the base porter. A good underlying chocolate flavor which provides a bit of sweetness and very little bitterness.

M: The carbonation is very low, nearly non-existent but it doesn't seem to distract from the enjoyment at all. Medium in body and still a bit light on the tongue even with the lack of bubbles.

D: I was surprised how much cherry flavor was still present in the beer, but pleasantly so. The alcohol is well hidden and a really nice drinking experience.
Jun 14, 2010
Photo of klikger
Reviewed by klikger from Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
2 to 3 oz. from a 2006 750ml bottle poured into a tulip glass

A - Very dark red in color; small brown head with light lacing.

S - Maraschino cherries and not much else

T - Roasted malts and cherry juice dominate the taste, with very little, if any, hops still detectable. Finishes a bit sweet for me.

M - Lighter than I'd expect, with no carbonation to speak of. That said, it still feels good.

D - A few sips were enough for me.

This was an interesting taster, and I'm glad that I tried it. Although the age on the bottle may have made it slightly past it's prime (?), I can't help but think I'd feel mostly the same if trying a new batch. I'll have another sip next time I see some, but I won't be seeking this out.
May 06, 2010
Photo of levifunk
Reviewed by levifunk from Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had at Madison, WI BA Tasting #2

This is an '06 bottle.

appearance - black, looks to be quite thick.
smell - malts, smokey like a BBQ. not picking up the cherry.
taste - tastes like charcoal. malts and a bitterness.
mouth - much more fluffy than I expected. its thick, but has a strong carbonation.
overall - I would say 4 years is past this beers prime, but have never had it fresh. Another BA'er, who has had it fresh, agreed with me though. Some people said they could still taste the cherry, but to me it was not there.

I'm going to give this 4's across the board so as not to mess with its rating, but know that at 4 years, I would rate this much lower.
May 05, 2010
Photo of Deuane
Reviewed by Deuane from Pennsylvania

4.27/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A-Deep, black/brown with a thin dark tan head that left spotty lace.

S-Nice combination of aromas to include dark, bitter chocolate, sour cherry, astringent oak and a light whiff of espresso.

T-Tart, sour cherries up front with a nice backing of chocolate malt, lesser amounts of roasted caramel malt and touch of espresso. Mild shot of earthy hops thrown in for good measure.

M-Medium bodied, fairly rich with a drying finish. Long lasting bitterness from the chocolate and espresso combo.

D-Much better than expected. Quite tart with a pleasant counter balance from the bitter qualities. Totally delicious and immensely drinkable.
Apr 09, 2010
Photo of nickd717
Reviewed by nickd717 from California

4.23/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750ml bottle via trade thanks to Tyson on BA.

Pours darkest brown with a light tan head that lasts and leaves great lacing and some foam on top.

Aroma is roast and black cherry, maybe a little chocolate. Not too sweet.

Flavor is really well-balanced and excellent. Black cherry, roasted malt, and dark chocolate.

Medium-full and very smooth on the mouthfeel with some roasty bitterness.

High drinkability. Overall a really excellent beer, as most of this series has been.
Mar 04, 2010
Photo of waltonc
Reviewed by waltonc from California

4.28/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to dukedevil0 for an epic trade. Many great brews involved in that exchange, and this was one of them. Pours an impenetrable brown, with nearly an inch of tan head that recedes to nice swirls in my New Belgium glass. Smells predominantly of chocolate and cherries. Flavor follows - again, chocolate and cherries balance each other out quite evenly. Neither is overbearing. There's a hint of tartness from the cherries, but it's subtle. The flavor is a little sweet, but far from excessive. Body is on the thicker side of medium. Overall, I think this is a fantastic brew. A refreshing change of pace from all of the barrel aged stuff I've been drinking lately. A great effort that succeeds based on creativity and skill, rather than merely dumping beer into a barrel and charging a premium for it.
Dec 18, 2009
Photo of ffejherb
Reviewed by ffejherb from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750ml bottle into goblet on 11/18/09. Thanks to Deuane for picking this up for me during a trip to Short's brewery.

A - Poured a deep onyx black body with subtle royal purple hues and a thick, creamy finger's width of mocha-colored head that reduced to a patchy film and sparse lacing.

S - Initial aroma is quite roasty with coffee notes and a hint of cherry tartness in the background. Subtle licorice, molasses and tangy fruit notes also emerged as the liquid warmed up a bit.

T - Like the aroma, the roasted malt character transfers over to the flavor with plenty of coffee and chocolate notes. A decent amount of nutty astringency appears in the middle through to the finish, while a subtle hint of vanilla smooths things out and bit and sweetens the flavor, while a mild dark fruit presence adds a bit of sour tang. Finishes with a slight cherry tartness.

M - Medium bodied with a pretty slick texture and ample carbonation. Finish is semi-dry with mild astringency and subtle bitterness on the palate.

D - While this didn't really feature the pitted fruit as much as I was hoping, I found this to still be a tasty, complex fruit beer, especially after it reached room temperature.
Dec 02, 2009
Photo of BigAl723
Reviewed by BigAl723 from Michigan

4.42/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On tap at Uptown Grille in Walled Lake, MI.

A: It pours a dark brown, even black with a hint of ruby. Very aggressive looking with a nice one inch head. It stuck around too.

S: A cold winter breeze, hints of cocoa and coffee, dark fruit, molasses, and obviously some cherry. A real nice fragrant porter. Very inviting.

T: Heavy chocolate, rye bread, fruit hints, and dark fruits at that. I really liked how at first you taste a lot of the sweetness and fruit and then it kind of settles down with some nice roasted malts. Topped off right at the end with a little more cherry of course. This is a solid brew. I'm impressed.

M: The carbonation seemed to be perfect because the overall mouthfeel was very smooth and medium to medium heavy.

D: Very drinkable for being a heavier porter. Very good, I could have been fooled if someone told me the ABV was lower.

Overall, another solid offering from "that brewery up north". At least that's what I call it because of it's close proximity to our cabins up north. Lots of flavor, real complex, good tasting, and easy to drink. Now that's my kind of brew.
Nov 19, 2009
Photo of tpd975
Reviewed by tpd975 from Florida

4.02/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Huge thanks to jdubfl for bringing all the Short's beers in for a tasting.

A: Dark black, small head, no retention or lace.

S: Lots of roast, notes of chocolate, sort of earthy, with some dark fruit.

T: Some chocolate, roasted malt, dark black cherries, and light brown sugar.

M: Medium in body, lower in carbonation.

D: Not bad. Not the best of the Imperial Series, but still good.
Nov 01, 2009
Photo of OChaos
Reviewed by OChaos from Michigan

4.16/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Picked this up at the brewery June 08... Finally shared with Dad and Big Port today..

Great appearance, dark as a stout, pours nice with a light tan head.

Great black cherry and chocolate malt aroma. Black cherry smell is nice on the nose with the chocolate following close behind.

Taste is much like the smell, nice cherry front with chocolate in the middle and a sweet cherry finish, this beer is much better then the carob stout I tried before.

Mouthfeel is a 5 for 5, nice think beer with appropriate carbonation for the style.

Overall, I was really happy with this one, as it warms the flavor is really coming out of this one. As I mentioned before, the carob stout really let me down and this beer makes up and more, would recommend to anyone.
Oct 06, 2009
Imperial Black Cherry Porter from Short's Brewing Company
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 45 ratings