 cquiroga (370), Sylmar, California, USA
Dec 22, 2003
12/22/03. Poured out of 12 oz. bottle, obtained in a trade with bigbadbear63 on RateBeer 12/4/03. This beer pours with quite a large, fluffy and somewhat rocky dark tan-to-brown head on a vigorous pour. Dissipates after moderate retention and leaves decent, spotty lacing throughout the whole glass. Extremely dark brown body-- almost black-- with medium-looking oily consistency and a deep burgundy appearance around the edges. My kind of stout. Aroma is darkly chocolatey and very rich, dark chocolate-covered cherry scent poking through. Malty. Initial taste is quite tart, the sourness of the malt and cherries tearing apart most of the darkness and chocolate flavor that a normal stout would give. Very smooth mouthfeel, and medium-to-full bodied with a very creamy texture. The tartness lingers on the finish for moderate length and then fades to reveal-- there it is!-- the dark chocolate and malt backbone for a much lengthier, mellowed finish. Each new taste and new moment of the last taste reveals new layers of complexity and taste (to be fair, not all of them are great). Still, very impressive. Very interesting beer, variously reminiscent of a plain stout, a dry stout, and an oatmeal stout, and of course with the interesting dark cherry character I've not found in any beer of those styles. I've heard that this beer doesn't hold up very well against grocery store shelves, long-term aging in cellars, or The Elements in general, and considering I drank a bottle that had been shipped to me from half-way across the country and stored I-don't-know-how-long before that, I'd imagine this would be even better if fresh or on draft. As it is, it's a novelty that works and pays off not only with something new and interesting, but also with something pretty damn tasty.
checkmatei1 (316), Willow Grove, USA
Jan 7, 2009 Bottle: Poured a dark black color with almost no head. The aroma was coffee and chocolate. The flavor was like a stout with amaretto added. It was good, but not great.
Beaver (508), Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
Jan 7, 2009 12 oz bottle, batch 8731 (9/15/08). Pours a dark black with a creamy dark brown head that diminishes to a thin film that laces the glass.<br /><br />
The aroma is roasted chocolate malts and coffee with a little DMS. Cherries come out as it warms.<br /><br />
The flavor is a quick touch of roasted chocolate malts that is quickly overwhelmed by tart mouth-puckering cherries. As it warms the flavors blend a little better - more chocolate covered cherries. The mouthfeel is medium to full with creamy carbonation.<br /><br />
Overall, a bit one dimensional with the cherries in the flavor, but fun nonetheless.<br />
Firemoose15 (501), Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
Jan 5, 2009 Bottle in Secret Santa. Aroma of coffee and dark malt. Poured a deep dark black. Flavor was tart, dark chocolate covered cherry and to me oakey. Palate was smooth and enjoyable. I may have to see if I can get this local. Damn tasty, Bells wins again. Oh yeah this was a 2008 bottling.
pjweaver (125), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Jan 4, 2009 Pint Glass
Aroma of coffee and toasty stout malt. Fresh batch, the taste hits like a truck. All tart sour cherry with some milk and dark chocolate. Pours a dark ebony color, with a dark hot chocolate head. Sweet and boozy with a cherry cordial warmth. Cellaring a bottle to see how well it does in a year or two.
aplusbreaks (185), , Colorado, USA
Jan 4, 2009 12oz bottle pours black with reddish hues, mocha colored head again with reddish hues. Aromas of cherry juice, like the juicy juice crap I drank as a kid. Other aromas of roasted malt, and coffee. Flavors of sweet but tart cherries, roasted malt, and coffee grounds. The cherry is nice, but a bit much IMO. Could be a lot better if the cherry was toned down a bit. I here the Bourbon barrel version is a great example of that.
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