Bells Bourbon Barrel Aged Cherry Stout

The Dan Journal #303. Tasted 9/14/09 with Keir (2 down) and others. 12oz bottle. Batch 7777. Bottled Nov 10 2008. Dark and opaque. Ring of dark Khaki head. Aromas of vanilla, chocolate and dark cherries. No real surprise there. Subtle smokey note. Full bodied with a total tart cherry flavor. Vanilla woody flavor from the barrel aging. Very tart. The chocolate and coffee flavors from the base stout is well overshadowed byt the tart esters. Well crafted and a true treat to finally get to sample.

FOBAB 2009- pours a deep brown with a small tan head. notes of bourbon, cherry, toast, mold, earth. wood. A chocolate, cherry, bourbon, cream, booze, vanilla mix. like it or leave it.

Batch 7777. Pours dark --black with very thin head. Nose is deep bourbon, sugary, and alcohol. Taste is tart, subtle cherry flavor, mild bourbon. Dry on the palate.

Sampled from 12-oz bottle and shared by BDR during Darkness Day 2009 in Brooklyn Center, MN. Pours a semi-clear dark brown colored brew with a thin tan head that dissipates to a film top. Aroma of bourbon and tart cherries with a hint of toasted dark malt and chocolate. Taste is medium to full bodied, thin carbonation with flavors of bourbon, vanilla, tart cherries and chocolate. Finish continues the bourbon presence, some some cherry aftertaste that slowly disappears.

Shared by BDR. I smell butter in the aroma, but also bourbon. Flavor has less sour cherry than the original, which I don’t think is a good thing. It also has bourbon, and that doesn’t help the beer either. Carbonation is lower. The cherry flavor is still there. While I would say many great beers are ruined by bourbon, this is still good, but much different.

12 oz bottle shared by beastiefan2k. Batch 7777 marked on the bottle, meaning this was bottled on November 10, 2008. Pour is deepest brown with ruby highlights and a 1/2 inch tan head that falls fast. Aroma of Bourbon, wood resin, alcohol - that’s about it. Taste is big malt cherry dark skin fruit (dried sweetness without the tart or sour), followed by mild bourbon (much more tame in the taste), and then a brief char roastiness to the end. This brief roastiness is the only indication that this is based on a stout. Palate is flat for the most part, alcohol is subdued, some licorice peeking through and the longish finish. This beer was done well enough, I suppose, just not entirely my thing.

Thanks to ucusty for this gem! Pours dark brown/black with a small dark brown head. The aroma is of bourbon, wood, vanilla, chocolate, and cherry. The flavor is tart up front with berry and cherry flavors giving way to a smoother bourbon and wood feel. Not too overpowering with the barrel flavors, which is good. Very sublte, yet extremely tasty. Almost like drinking liquid cherry pie. Interesting and well balanced flavors. This is what every barrel aged beer should be.

12oz Bottle courtesy of dkachur at Immy’s Backyard Throwdown, Batch 7777. Pours black in color with brown head. Aroma in the face cherries and bourbon. Taste bourbon, cherries, roasted malt and chocolate with bitter finish.