The Apocalypse must be upon us. It just has to be. I mean, how the hell could I not like a stout? Is that even possible?
As sad as it is for me to write, I think I’ve found a stout that I’m not particularly a fan of. I’d seen Bell’s Cherry Stout on the shelves of just about every store I’ve been to over the past couple of years. Each and every time I passed over it in favor of something else. Did I instinctively know that I wasn’t going to like it? Who knows.
What I do know is that every time I saw it, I was filled with trepidation. Finally, however, I sucked it up and purchased a bottle on my last run to the store. It was high time to find out if I was avoiding it unnecessarily or if my instincts were right.
Appearance
This stout pours a deep, dark, almost black in color with a faint red hue to the edges. The head was reddish brown and faded quickly to a thin lace.
Aroma
The initial impression I got from the smell of this one was chocolate covered cherries mixed with some espresso. That would make sense as it’s a stout with cherries. It certainly smelled inviting, even with the alcohol presence tingling my nose.
Taste
It’s certainly interesting. The cherries hit pretty hard right up front, then mingle with the chocolates and coffee flavors before fading. They don’t fade completely though and leave a bitter finish on the tongue. The Cherry Stout is much like Bell’s Expedition Stout in terms of it’s carbonation levels — it’s relatively lifeless in that regard, but not nearly as thick.
Overall
I don’t know. Part of me liked this one as I struggled through the glass, but a majority of my brain just couldn’t give it the collective thumbs up. I’m glad that I finally got around to sampling a bottle, but it’s not one that I will be requiring in the future. And, that’s tough for me to say about a stout.
Rating: 3/5
September 21st, 2008
beer_nerd said:
I really disliked this beer. It looks great, it smells great, but it tastes like someone poured Robitussin in a cup of coffee that someone poured after it had been sitting on the burner too long.