Bells Cherry Stout

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

I was disappointed with this beer. I love Stouts (they are my favorite). I also love Bells (to an extent) but this beer was a miss for me. I see a lot of people giving this a good rating and I don’t get it. Bell’s Expedition Stout was amazing and so was the Kalamazoo Stout but this was a miss for me. The aroma was borderline formaldehyde. Was a bad example from Bells.

12oz bottle. Pours a dark brown, with little to no head. Aroma is cherry, coffee and a hint of some other sweets. Tastes malty and chocolate, only a hint of the cherry flavor that i was expecting to be a little more potent. Very good beer indeed. ($3.49) Batch: 8870.

12oz bottle. Pours a darkish brown with red highlights. Sizable brown head. Nose is some tart cherry, sweet malts and caramel. Taste is malty sweet up front with a touch of roast finishes with a big blast of slightly sour cherry. Very good. Despite the 7% this is dangerously sessionable. Very nice

12oz bottle from grape & gourmet. pours a very dark brown with subtle hints of red around the edges a thin tan head that completely disappears. aroma was subtle and pleasant with hints of dark, roasted malt, chocolate, some coffee, and distinctive tart cherries. honestly, i thought the flavor was quite good and a unique twist on a stout. sour, tart cherries dominate up front but aren’t too sweet allowing solid flavors of roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and big malts to come through. long lasting coffee finish with a hint of smoke and tart cherry. palate is slightly thin for a stout, but smooth with solid carbonation. overall, an enjoyable and unique offering from bells.

Bottle. Disclaimer: I didn’t like it at all. Tried it twice with exactly same conclusion. The taste of sour / tart cherries dominates and overwhelms. It’s not sweet at all, just feels flat because of the sourness.

12oz bottle from Orland Park Binny’s single rack. Pours dark brown with dark tan head with a reddish tint. Aroma is roasted malts, chocolate and cherries. Flavor is roasted malt, sour cherries, chocolate with maybe a smidge of coffee. Finishes with sour cherries and some sweetness. Palate is a little thin. Pretty good but not sure I could have more than one.

Black withthick meduim brown head, aromas of roasted malts and chocolate the flavor is sweet and tangy from the cherries,light in body not my favorite from bells but ok

Bottle - Pours black with no head. A pleasant cherry and chocolate smell leads into a taste that is cherries and not much else. There’s a bit of a malt backbone, but the tart cherries just dominate from the first taste through the finish. It’s a good taste, but there just isn’t much else going on. The surprisingly thin body was a little disappointing. I’d be interested to see how this would cellar.