Bells Bourbon Barrel Aged Cherry Stout

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

(Bottle 35,5 cl) Courtesy of fiver29. Pours completely opaque black with a light brown head. Intriguing and intense bourbon aroma with some alcohol shining through. Medium body, the roasted malt accents are surprisingly subdued but the beer is dominated by a distinct sourness. The cherry notes turn up late but are strong and distinct and also add almond and coconut accents. No real bitterness but an acidic finish. Unique. 051008

Bottle. Very nice and distinct vanilla aroma. Fat cream and vanilla, hint of whiskey, some cherry. Black colour. Small stable brown head. Citric flavour, probably from the cherry. Plenty of vanilla and oak flavours. The cherry flavour starts in the sourness and ends with some citric fruitiness.

Black pour with a light brown head. Smells like a new world pinot noir collided with a stout with a splash of bourbon in the mix. Lots of cherries evident. Tastes of sour cherries on the entry, stout on the mid-palate, then some more cherry tartness and smooth wood tannins on the finish with just a hint of bourbon. The palate could be a bit thicker and richer ( I wrestled with giving it a 3 or a 4) but, all in all, a really nice, complex beer.

I really wanted to like this, particularly since it was a gift from a friend. Aroma and flavor was almost of a chemical nature - like glue. I love bourbon, cherries, and beer, but this mix just didn’t work.

12oz bottle via trade with drewbeerme, thanks Andrew. Poured very black with a fizzy tan head. Aroma smells like vanilla or butterscotch a little as well as cherries. Pretty good cherry flavor with a little woodiness in the backround, damn tasty beer.

thanks mike. pours a nice thick dark black with great head. smells so boozy, with a bit of cherries. the taste is actually pretty good, well balanced, not too much of anything. definitely better than the regular cherry stout.

Pours very dark with a nice burnt orange head. The aroma has a lot of vanilla, rich tart cherries, oak and just a touch of bourbon. Medium / full body with a bit of biting carbonation, but overall smooth. The flavor has a good blend of bourbon and stout with the bourbon not completely overtaking things. The aroma traits are still in effect. Good beer.

Sample at Wine and Cheese Place in St. Louis. Thanks, Paul. Lots of bourbon, vanilla, and oak in the aroma. Chocolate is present, so is a touch of alcohol and cherries. Palate is a touch fizzy but quickly becomes creamy, almost viscous. The only thing preventing this from being cloying, over-the-top chocolate is the presence of the vanilla-oak and tart cherry. Very nice. Lingers, but does not intrude.