Bells Bourbon Barrel Aged Cherry Stout

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

12 oz. bottle courtesy of a trade with dkachur. Pours black with a moderate brown head that completely disappears after the first sip and did not leave a single spot of lace. Very pleasant aroma of vanilla, bourbon, malt, oak, and some alcohol vapors. Although I am enjoying the aroma, I am not picking up any of the cherry. The flavor is vanilla, bourbon and malt. The cherry finally emerges in the aftertaste, along with some warming alcohol, and reminds me a bit of children’s cough syrup. Fairly smooth at the finish. Full bodied. An enjoyable beer, but not outstanding.

Cask hand pumped by Larry himself at the JCBF09. Perfect Black with a tiny tan head and just hints of red on the edges. Nose is intense cherry with some woody smoky notes, the complexity in the flavor is slightly lacking in the taste. Taste is like Raspberry Eisbock levels of amazing decadence. Chocolate covered cherries, little to no carbonation though there is a little natural carb, but its just perfect for what feels like the ultimate desert beer. I had 3 pours of this, everyone who tried it instantly fell in love with it that I saw and it really became better and more complex with each sip. Wood, smoke, and even slight bit of sourness at the backend all make this far better than any other fruit beer stout I have ever had. Simply Amazing and big props to Larry for standing in the middle of the field and hand pumping this cask for everyone.

At the pub and then from a bottle and there was a consensus. I cannot understand how this is so popular while to me, this brewery produces at least two dozens more interesting brews. The pitch black pour with its medium tan head does not generate that evocative a smells. The balance immediately leans toward the name of the product, cherries and bourbon and the result provides lots of fruity acidity that more or less fits the roastiness. Pleasant smokiness if the finish does not quite catch up as the heavy fruitiness makes it feels awkward and juicy. Never clashing, but with every sip, it makes me wonder why I don’t step over to change the content of my glass.

Pours black with some quickly fading brown head. The nose is pretty balanced with bourbon, cherry, and chocolate. The flavor is pretty well balanced as well, but there’s an abrasive oak tannin finish that I didn’t really care for. Medium body with semi-sweet finish. Tasty, but not great.

12oz bottle from lampeno420, thanks again Andrew! Aroma has notes of bourbon, sour cherry, smoke, wood, chocolate, dried dark fruits and alcohol. Smells 10x better than Bell’s cherry stout. Black in the glass with a rusty tinge along the edges. Average sized foamy brown head that mostly diminished and left virtually no lace. Flavor is sweet and sour with a medium tart finish. Palate is medium bodied and lively. Really liked this one. Nice blend of sour tartness and woody bourbon. Very nice.

<b>Bottle 12fl.oz.</b>
Clear dark black color with a average to large, frothy - creamy, good lacing, fully lasting, beige to light brown head. Aroma is heavy malty, roasted, chocolate, mjød (mead), cherry, wood, vanilla. Flavor is heavy sweet, moderate acidic and moderae to heavy bitter with a wood malt bitter dry dry finish. Body is medium, texture is oily - syrupy, carbonation is soft. [20081004]

Bottle thanks to golubj via some other person. Aroma of cherry, chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, and a slight hint of roasted malt. Flavor had a complex brew of flavors with alot of vanilla, caramel, cherries, bourbon and cocoa. Something that came across as red winey as well. Flavor is almost too rich to the point of being cloying. Still, it was very nice in moderation. Good stuff.

Bottle, thanks to someone. Black pour, a brown ring of head. Aroma is a lot of bourbon, wood, light vanilla, cocoa and cherry cordials. Flavor is the same, but the cherry wine-like fruit is more pronounced. Good woodiness and bourbon also, which is not too overbearing. Nice brew.