Beer of the Weekend #196: Bell's Cherry Stout
The first course of today’s brown bottle lunch is Cherry Stout, brewed by Bell’s Brewery, Inc. of Comstock, Michigan.
Serving type: One 12-ounce bottle. The “9969” batch code printed on the back label corresponds to a September 15, 2010 bottling date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is a sinister, opaque black; no light passed through when I held it to my lamp. Two fingers of tanned head developed and dissipated quickly to leave a bubbly lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: Very smooth and enticing aroma of lightly roasted dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, and molasses. There is a slight hint of cherry in keeping with the namesake. It does not, thankfully, smell like chocolate covered cherries.
Taste: The mouthfeel is heading toward thick and creamy, but the flavor makes it feel watered down. Up front is a nice roasted character, which is followed by a soda-like, syrupy gap before the cherry kicks in. The cherry is tart and authentic, unlike other cherry beers that use processed syrup.
Drinkability: Once again, it smells great, but the taste is another story. I just don’t dig this style at all. Though there is promise, it is an overall letdown.
Fun facts about Cherry Stout:
-Style: BA classifies it as another Fruit/Vegetable Beer.
-Price: $2.89/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The only recommendation on BA is salad.
-Info from the Bell’s website:
-Cherry Stout is only available during the winter, so I do not think it will be my February recommendation in the LV.
-Bell’s pegs the shelf life at 12 months.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C+.
Serving type: One 12-ounce bottle. The “9969” batch code printed on the back label corresponds to a September 15, 2010 bottling date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is a sinister, opaque black; no light passed through when I held it to my lamp. Two fingers of tanned head developed and dissipated quickly to leave a bubbly lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: Very smooth and enticing aroma of lightly roasted dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, and molasses. There is a slight hint of cherry in keeping with the namesake. It does not, thankfully, smell like chocolate covered cherries.
Taste: The mouthfeel is heading toward thick and creamy, but the flavor makes it feel watered down. Up front is a nice roasted character, which is followed by a soda-like, syrupy gap before the cherry kicks in. The cherry is tart and authentic, unlike other cherry beers that use processed syrup.
Drinkability: Once again, it smells great, but the taste is another story. I just don’t dig this style at all. Though there is promise, it is an overall letdown.
Fun facts about Cherry Stout:
-Style: BA classifies it as another Fruit/Vegetable Beer.
-Price: $2.89/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The only recommendation on BA is salad.
-Info from the Bell’s website:
Tinted ruby-black, Cherry Stout gains its signature tartness from 100% Montmorency cherries grown in Michigan's Traverse City region. Rather than doubling up on sweetness, this tart cherry varietal serves as a counterpoint to the warm, dark chocolate notes from the malt bill. Lightly hopped for balance, this stout is one of the cornerstones of the Bell's stout portfolio.
-Cherry Stout is only available during the winter, so I do not think it will be my February recommendation in the LV.
-Bell’s pegs the shelf life at 12 months.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C+.
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