Charm City Sour Cherry Ale
The Brewer's Art

- From:
- The Brewer's Art
- Maryland, United States
- Style:
- Fruit and Field Beer
- ABV:
- Not listed
- Score:
- 86
- Avg:
- 3.8 | pDev: 11.84%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 8
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- May 05, 2018
- Added:
- May 26, 2004
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 5
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland
4.42/5 rDev +16.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.42/5 rDev +16.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
On tap at Alewife, a joint which I really liked.
Never heard of the beer, or the brewery, before, but I figured I might not ever be in Baltimore again so I may as well give it a try.
The menu was limited in its description. Dude said it was just a cherry beer. So I ordered it, figuring it would fall somewhere between New Glarus’ Belgian Red and Sam Adams’ Cherry Wheat. I didn’t figure it would fall like exactly in between those two, but it somehow did.
It pours dark red but not that dark and not opaque. Whereas Belgian Red looks like pressed juice and Cherry Wheat looks like a wheat beer with a reddish tint, this looks a combination of the two. Medium effervescent, probably filtered, quite clearly a beer but still very pretty.
Smells a little weak but very interesting. Organic cherries are firm and sweet but without any tartness, and then that’s balanced nicely by a light and malty grainbill.
Tastes a bit firmer than it smells but still delicate and balanced. Cherry juice sweetness up front, again without any sour or tart nodes, a mixture of cherry juice and an unhopped blonde ale in the middle with just a little bit of tartness shining through, and then ends thick and juicy. The body’s finish is similar to that of a good lambic, but other than that it absolutely does not resemble a labmic.
A strange beer, but very easy to drink and quite expertly brewed.
Apr 14, 2016Never heard of the beer, or the brewery, before, but I figured I might not ever be in Baltimore again so I may as well give it a try.
The menu was limited in its description. Dude said it was just a cherry beer. So I ordered it, figuring it would fall somewhere between New Glarus’ Belgian Red and Sam Adams’ Cherry Wheat. I didn’t figure it would fall like exactly in between those two, but it somehow did.
It pours dark red but not that dark and not opaque. Whereas Belgian Red looks like pressed juice and Cherry Wheat looks like a wheat beer with a reddish tint, this looks a combination of the two. Medium effervescent, probably filtered, quite clearly a beer but still very pretty.
Smells a little weak but very interesting. Organic cherries are firm and sweet but without any tartness, and then that’s balanced nicely by a light and malty grainbill.
Tastes a bit firmer than it smells but still delicate and balanced. Cherry juice sweetness up front, again without any sour or tart nodes, a mixture of cherry juice and an unhopped blonde ale in the middle with just a little bit of tartness shining through, and then ends thick and juicy. The body’s finish is similar to that of a good lambic, but other than that it absolutely does not resemble a labmic.
A strange beer, but very easy to drink and quite expertly brewed.
Reviewed by Lucular from Maryland
3.16/5 rDev -16.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
3.16/5 rDev -16.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A little bit of tart, a little bit of sweet, a tiny bit of cherry flavor (although the beer was certainly red with a twinge of brown), and a hint of honey with vinegar. Not what I was hoping for and IMO not very good.
Sep 04, 2015Reviewed by BillRoth from Maryland
3.77/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Went very well with food. Nice complex brew with decent balance of a lighter Belgian brown with some up front astringent tart cherry skin flavors.
By itself though the tart became more bitter. OK with hops but not what I'm looking for with fruit.
Still heads above most breweries who don't really have a clue.
Brewer's Art people know their beer, and make really great beers. No one should expect that every person will jump on board with every flavor profile. Get this beer... But I'd suggest you get it with some great food...ie Go to Brewers.
Aug 05, 2015By itself though the tart became more bitter. OK with hops but not what I'm looking for with fruit.
Still heads above most breweries who don't really have a clue.
Brewer's Art people know their beer, and make really great beers. No one should expect that every person will jump on board with every flavor profile. Get this beer... But I'd suggest you get it with some great food...ie Go to Brewers.
Reviewed by bluehende from Delaware
3.21/5 rDev -15.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.21/5 rDev -15.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
I was very disappointed with this one. Do not call it a sour with only cherries in it. The little bit of sour comes from that. If they didn't have sour in the name I would have rated it higher. There is a little tartness coming from an actual nice cherry taste. I am not sure cherries really worked that well with this.
Apr 25, 2015
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