Bells Bourbon Barrel Aged Cherry Stout

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

Bottle from mmm///beer, thanks a million. Wow this is one unique beer. I poured this into my Gulden Draak tulip and watched the black, viscous liquid coat the glass as it poured. I sniffed the bourbon and chocolate aroma for 5 minutes as I warmed the beer slighly in my palms. I smelled liquid raisins and possibly a dried cherry aroma. I watched the thin brown head stick around and watched it flow around the contours of my glass as I swirled it. The flavor hit my tongue with a bourbon flair followed by a tart, fleeting taste of cherries. The finish is bourbon follwed by more dark, bitter chocolate. By my palette this is a masterpiece, but I could see how some would not appreciate it. Like fine art, some will covet it while others will sneer. Bravo Bells. Bravo!

Bottle: Batch 7777 from the Eccentric Cafe: Pitch black pour with a rocky, deep tan head. Basically this comes off like a bourbon-soaked cherry covered in fine chocolate both in the nose and taste...some mild woodsy tones noted. Amazing brew!

12oz bottle via trade with mmm///beer. Pours like motor oil with a small, chocolate colored head. The nose had hints of tart cherry, bourbon and oak. One of the better brews I’ve had from Bells.

Courtesy of northernbrews Bottle: The aroma consists of bourbon, butterscotch, chocolate, and light tart cherries. It pours a dark brown,virtually black, with a moderate beige head. The flavor starts with chocolate and very faint butterscotch. The bourbon presence is subtle. The finish has some moderate tart cherry notes. Much better than the regular cherry stout. So much better, that I need to revisit the regular Cherry Stout in order to see if I like it better than my old rating.

[Batch 7777] Poured a dark brown / chestnut color with a small, tan head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of bourbon, vanilla, cherry, charred oak, roasted malts, and a bit of cocoa. Taste of vanilla, roast, dark chocolate, toffee, bourbon, sweeter cherries, and a dry, oaky finish. Another thanks to Steve for this gem!

12 oz bottle from batch 7777 courtesy of sprinkle. Pours black with a medium sized diminishing tan head. I found myself continuing to just revisit the aroma over and over. Nose was black cherry, molasses, vanilla, wood, bourbon, and light chocolate. The flavor had more cherry, molasses, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon and oak. There was also some acidity that accompanied the alcohol especially as it warmed a bit. This beganon the sticky full side, but thinned a little as it warmed up. I am happy to have sampled this excellent beer.

Bottle, batch 7777. Pours dark with a thin creamy head, no lacing. Aroma is very cherry, almost overly so. Also present are wood, vanilla, and bourbon. Taste is, again, very cherry. Cherry takes on a tart flavor, though also very sweet. Other flavors only serve to accent the heavy cherry; those are oak, bourbon, and vanilla. While this is a ’sweet stout’, it’s almost like a sweet stout and sour hybrid, as the finish is very tart. Mouth is pretty creamy. Overall, this isn’t really what I was looking for or expecting. The cherries are over the top, and would benefit from being a little more subdued.

Much thanks to hopdog for sharing this one! Pours a deep black with a medium creamy/bubbly tan head that left some lacing. Aroma of vanilla, tart cherry, cherry pie, caramel, light chocolate notes, vanilla and some nuts. Flavor of tart cherries, cherry pie, vanilla, some caramel, light chocolate notes and some tartness that lingers. Really impressed by this beer!