Bells Cherry Stout

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

Ah, the first chill of autumn is in the air and a thick rich beer like this starts to seem appealing. This bottle’s about a year old, and some of the underlying roasts of the stout have abated, which is a shame. The fresher bottles were more notable for the contrast between this feature and the deep, dark cherries. But it’s definitely still a dillie, nice and dark, with sweet subtleties in the finish.

Bottle from ucusty. Dark brown/black with a thin head that went quickly. Aroma of chocolate malt, cherries, tart and sweet. Flavor has nice tart cherry with roast and chocolate. A bit of smoke rounds it out. I liked how the cherries lent an interesting sweet tart thing that went very well with chocolate and roast. Leaves a tart roast on the palate.

Poured a syrupy looking flat black with a thin, sticky brown head. Smells of fruit, apples, pears and cherries with none of the roasted malt flavor you’d expect. Really doesn’t taste like beer at all. The sweet cherry and fruit flavor overwhelms any other subtle flavors. The finish brings a touch of the roasted malt combined with the sourness of the cherries. Even if you don’t like beer, you’re likely going to like this. Stout drinkers might be disappointed, but anyone looking for a quality niche beer has found it.

pours like used motor oil with a very small very dark brown head.aroma is strong cherries, some malt, and a little alcohol.no lacing and the flavor is of strong tart cherries with a malt middle and end. has a little carbonation feel to the tongue also a little oily mouthfeel. its more thin in the mouth more than it looks so medium to full in that regards. towards the end of the glass it gets a little salty but all in all not bad. i agree that it could do with just a little less cherry but just a little and a better head.

Pours a dark black with a short-lived brown head and some lacing. Wonderful chocolate aroma, brown sugar, very sweet! Tastes very interesting - my notes are incomplete (tasted this a month ago) but I do remember it being like black forest cake, not like a cherry dunkel but more like a belgian stout, where you still have that odd cherry sour taste but it’s creamier than a strong ale or porter. Nice!

Bottle at Jerry’s. Black with good, creamy cappuccino brown head / Toasty, cherry and chocolate nose / Medium body, very tart and acidic, with good malt and hop balance, and fair finish / Flavors of tart cherries, unsweetened chocolate, and dark roast coffee / Curious - needs to be considered on its own terms - almost a sour ale. Needs a little more body, but a fine beer. Despite the cherries, really a dry stout, I’d say, or a fruit porter.

Bottle. Pours very dark/black with smallish head. The cherries are definetly present in the aroma along with malt and some chocolate. Flavors include sour cherries, roasted malt, and chocolate. The cherries do not get in the way of the rest of the flavors. I have not tried aging these but will start right away.

Really surprising. Unlike anything that I have had before. Strong cherry aroma with a maltiness. Taste was complex...All the makings of a stout except the palate. Tons of tartness and acidic palate. Good stuff