Bullfrog Black Cherry Bomb

Formerly brewed at Bullfrog Brewery
Style: Sour Ale
Williamsport, Pennsylvania USA

750ml via trade with BrianK. Thanks so much Brian. Shared at my halloween tasting 2009. This was most people’s favorite of the night. This is an amazing brew. Pours black with a light brown head. Nose is tart and sweet, not a stout nose whatsoever. Taste is super tart and sour, a big sour cluster fuck on the mouth. Also a nice bit of oak in there. Don’t judge this beer by its cover. GREAT.

From a 750mL Bottle. Courtesy of CharlesDarwin. Thanks, Tom! Dark brown, ruddy black body with a finger of foamy tan head. Aroma of chocolate covered cherries with a mild acetic character. Moderate tannins in the nose, both in the form of cherry skins and peppery oak. Cherries, chocolate, roast, and a mild acidity. Medium bodied, moderately carbonated mouthfeel with a mild acidity. Flavors of chocolate and roast along with plenty of cherries. Great balance between malt and fruit with an appropriate amount of acidity. The cherry flavors take on a bit of a marachino quality with the mild acidic note, the only real aspect I find less than impressive. Restrained funkiness adds additional complexity, along with some peppery barrel and alcohol notes. Overall, a well executed, enjoyable beer. This concept used to be one I’d frown upon, but Schooner’s Vindication changed all that; if that beer wasn’t such a wonderful calibration point in my head, I’d likely have scored this a point or two higher. Well executed.

Bottle via The_Epeeist, huge thanks Chris! Pours inky black with some ruby color, almost no head. Aroma is huge sour cherry, chocolate, funk, raisins. Flavor is sour cherries, chocolate, raisins, oak, light alcohol. Palate is somewhat full bodied, medium to light carbonation, finished tart and bitter from the chocolate notes. This was fantastic! Worth every penny!

Shared @ C-bus...13?!: Pours an intimidating deep brown with ruby highlights. You get your sour blast in the nose right up front, but then it fades to a chalky sweetness. I cought some white chocolate in the nose as well. Flavor is rich and malty, roasted, and yet there was some milk chocolate and vanilla overlay on the dark cherry. Finished with a nice roasted malt on the back end. Odd, but thoroughly enjoyable.

(750ml bottle) Pours a dark brown body with a medium-sized tan head. Aroma of black cherry, walnut, light roastiness, vanilla, chocolate, and raisins. Flavor of black cherry, caramel and roasted malts, raisins, figs, and chocolate.

Bottle at a post-GABF tasting, I imagine it was from acrdz. Poured a deep brown color with a moderate tan head that slowly faded to a ring. Aroma of chocolate malt, some oak, black cherries, and a hint of funky yeast. Definitely a interesting flavor, but very good. Tart, funky cherries right off the bat with some barnyard yeastiness and undertones of chocolate malt and a bit of roastiness with a hint of ash on the finish, along with some more cherry and oak. Low carbonation, full and biting on the palate. A very interesting, very good beer. Acrdz, hook a brother up!

Bottle pours black with a medium head. Has a black appearance. Aroma is sour cherry, yeast, slight malt notes, and chocolate. Flavor upfront was very surprising. I didn’t notice any sour notes in this beer. Yet when I tried this it was all sour. Simply amazing. After several tastes and it warmed up a bit I noticed several flavors including sour cherry, ash, and some chocolate caramel malt. Overall this was a great brew because it was such a surprise. Since I didn’t smell sour notes and got blasted with sour flavors was great!

750 corked and caged bottle from the brewpub. Pours a beautiful deep brown with a medium brown head. Strangely sour aroma for a beer of this weight, complemented really nice by the cherry, raspberry like elements. Big chocolate malt too. Roasted chocolate and some cherries come through. I would like to see the sour cherries shine more in the flavor. A really nice transition from the sweet, roasted chocolate to the woody, sour cherry finish. Really nice offering from Bullfrog.