3/28/03: on cask at the smokehouse. <br /> no head. gorgeous, opaque black coloration. no lacing. exquisite, rich cherry aroma with additional notes of roasted coffee. full flavor which is well balanced. cherries, chocolate and coffee to the taste with a somewhat tart finish. i like this one much better than bells cherry stout. i’m glad that there were leftovers from the night before at barley's mini RAF.

<b>Cask:</b><br /> Poured an opaque black color with no head. No lacing.<br /> Very roasted, malty aroma. A bit of cherry and a slightly sour aroma.<br /> Deep rich malt and cherry flavor. The cherry combines with the slight hoppiness to make a very complex brew. The alcohol was slightly apparent in the taste but not overly strong.<br /> Served straight from a room temp cask made this beer near perfect. Cask beer rocks!<br />

On tap @ the smokehouse: Dark brown to black pour with a tan head. Aroma of roasted malts, some chocolate and just a hint of cherries. Flavor, roasty, lots of chocolate malts, a pleasant hint of cherries, and some roasted bitterness on the finish. I really liked how the cherry was just an accent on the porter character, not the star of the show.

On draft at #2. Pours is almost black with deep red hues. The aroma is of dark roasted malt, with just a hint of cherries. Palate is full with good carbonation. The taste is very good roasted malt flavor with a hint of cherry taste--that doesn’t dominate the porter qualities. Slight hop kick at the end finishes off a very nice brew.

Dark brown with a tan head. Roasted malt flavor with just a bit of cherries and sourness. Pretty good and drinkable.