Bells Bourbon Barrel Aged Cherry Stout

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

12oz bottle courtesy of iceicebaby. Pours a menacing dark, muddy black color with a one finger tan foamy head that settles quickly but laces the glass nicely. Aroma is sweet and malty with notes of bourbon, chocolate, brown sugar, molasses, caramel, some hints of ripe dark fruit and cherries. Flavor is tart with notes of cherry, chocolate, brown sugar, bourbon, syrupy, light roast, some hints of vanilla and wood. Generally medium to full body with a pleasing tart cherry malt finish.

12 oz bottle courtesy of TheEpeeist, shared with my girlfriend’s brother. Pours a near black dark brown nearly opaque pour with small dark brown head that clings to the glass. Aromas throw some decent bourbon and barrel character, roasted malts, and light tart cherry. Initial is bourbon, a bit of warm booziness off the bat, oak and vanilla, roasted malts, moving into a tart cherry on the backend. Tannins throw in some bitterness and tartness on the backend, some subtle chocolate in the roast, coffee, some oak. Overall a nice experience, but I prefered the cherry stout base beer more. Cheers!

(Bottle via trade with pantanap, thanks Kan!) Pours very dark brown with a thin almost reddish brown head that recedes to mostly just the edges. Aroma of molasses, wood, bourbon, vanilla and cherry. Mouthfeel is oaky-smooth, very lightly fizzy, a little sticky on back end. Light syrupy film coats the inside of the snifter with some very fine rings that melt way quickly. Smooth flavor of molasses, cherry, wood, vanilla, bourbon and dark baker’s chocolate. Not quite as complex-tasting as it sounds but still quite tasty. All flavors nicely integrated. ABV well-covered. Nice.

Bottle. Pitch black with a creamy foreverlasting light brown head. Fantastic. Slight bourbon and vanilla aroma with a little roasted character. Sweet cherries in the background. The flavour is acidic cherries, roasted malt, bourbon, alcohol, vanilla and wood. Quite complex brew. Medium bodied. Interesting and challenging beer.

12 oz. bottle @ DLD ’09, from a chap who actually worked at Bells when they brewed this single-batch curiosity; poured a clear, pitch black w/ a modest tan head; aroma was heavy in bourbon, cherry juice, and roasted malt; flavor was heavy w/ acidic cherry sourness, warming alcohol, vanilla and a mild metallic note; medium bodied, ending smooth and slightly tart; an interesting take on the Cherry Stout, which is a lovely beer in itself. Much appreciated Brent!

12oz bottle. Wow... I’ve had bottles of the Cherry Stout with 2+ years on them, and they’ve been great. I’ve never had a bourbon barreled beer from Bell’s, but they appear to do them quite well. This beer, however was an absolute mess. Aroma of molasses, rotting wood, plenty of soy, alcohol, a bit of charred malt, wet, rotting wood, musty cherry juice... ugh. Pours a thick, impenetrable dark brown with a creamy and quickly dissolving dark khaki head. Flavor is just as messy as the aroma. Boozy cherry liqueur, assloads of offputting wood tannin, charred malt, vanilla extract. A bit of bitter chocolate, more molasses, soy sauce, fusel alcohol. Palate entry is initially rather thick and relatively creamy but by the finish the beer becomes watery and totally boozy. Finishes with a very brash tannic wood note and plenty of alcohol hotness. Thanks Eben! (oops)!

Bottle. Pour was thick and dark with a nice tan head. Aroma was a bit weird for it smelled like wet wood with some cherries. Real potent but not very enjoyable. Flavor, however, made up for that with a deep rich malt character, roasted malts, and cherry in the background. I had this put up next to the original cherry and the cherry in this one was a bit more hidden due to the high alcohol content and the flavors associated with it. Good brew, but could use some aroma work.

Pours black, little head. Vanilla, oak, whisky and cherry nose. Flavor is about the same, sweet. Very good.