Bells Cherry Stout

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Sweet Stout
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Bottle. Pours in black with a creamy beige head. The aroma is sweetly malty with notes of hops and some dark vinous fruit. The flavor is big, malty with sour cherries playing against an almost cloying sweetness. Some of the usual stout flavors are here in the background (espresso, liquorice) but they are bit players. This was very different and although it is not something I would have in any volume I appreciate the complexity on display here.

Bottle: Pours very dark with a smalll head. Aroma of chocoate and cherries. Flavor is same as aroma. I really did not like the combo, but it was not bad.

The aroma is first cherries and then malty. The aroma was not as mighty as I hoped it would be. The color of the pour was like a nice cup of coffee, with a tan head. The flavor was similar to how it is advertised--a stout with a cherry finish; however, I did not find it to be very powerful or rich. The mouthfeel was a little thin, but I thoroughly enjoyed it for this particular beer. All in all I think it’s the perfect Valentine’s day beer, encompassing all the sweet and bitter notes of l’amour, and a great compliment to a big heart-shaped box of chocolates, whether it’s shared or hoarded.

In short: A black-forest cake in a bottle. Absolutely delicious and drinkable in very large quantities. Underrated.
How: Bottle 12oz from elmatador00, thanks a lot James
The look: Black body with a small tan head
In long: Lots of chocolate cake and quite a bit of cherries sourness. Feels light and ends up ridiculously drinkable. Slim but creamy and very pleasant body with lots of bubbles. A little milky/ice-cream notes. A little pineapple acidity makes it even more drinkable. Really I don’t know what else to say than this is the closest thing to a black-forest cake in a bottle, a flavour that us cheese-noodles eating beer-geeks are not accustomed to.

Bottle. Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate and slight cherry scent. Very dark pour with a thin head. Nice maltiness. Cherry tartness very evident, especially in the aftertaste. Was pleasantly surprised by this one.

Acquired this little treat from my man Acknud in Kentucky. Pours a dark, dark brown with tan head. Nose was malty, coffee with some cherry background. Flavors were the same. Normally I am not impressed when someone has to reinvent the wheel by adding a fruit flavor to an otherwise good beer, however, this one works. Cherry flavor was just right. Very much in the background.

Pours black with a brown head. The head is fully diminishing with good lacing. The aroma is toasted malts and a hint of cherries. I’ve had this before and remember the cherry flavor tasting like cherry concentrate. This bottle has aged for a bout a year. The initial flavor is a little sweet a little tart and almost a stale flavor. I think the aging has fixed the cherry concentrate issue but brought about a staleness to it. The body is medium, the texture a little watery and the carbonation lively.

Bottle thanks to franksnbeans. Poured a deep brown color with ruby highlights and a fluffy tan head. Aroma of tart cherries and a bit of chocolate. Flavor was tart and fruity initially, much stronger than I anticipated, and finished with a roasty, sweet chocolaty malt finish. Blended together much better than I anticipated, also. Nice body and texture for a 7% brew. I liked it quite a bit.