Grays Black Cherry Velvet Stout

Brewed by Grays Brewing Company
Style: Fruit Beer
Janesville, Wisconsin USA

First from a growler, second on draught at the Grays Tied House brewpub in Verona, Wisconsin. Pours a deep brown almost black with a tan head that does have a red hue. Strong cherry aroma with a hint of chocolate and coffee. With the strong aroma, one would think that the cherry would overpower, but I was hit with the chocolate and subtle hint of coffee, before the sweet cherry aftertaste. Much more of the sweet Maraschino than the more tart cherries. Very sweet smooth Stout.

More thanks to Skyview. This is a great fruit beer. The fruit flavor is powerful in the aroma and finish, and there is none of that cough syrup clavor that ruins so many of these beers, maybe just a little cough syrup. Aroma with maracaino(sp?) cherry and chocolate. Black in color and low carbonation. Flavor has more fo the same qualities, and a thick, smooth palate that makes it a pleasure to drink.

This one deserves some attention. Tinged with a purple-pink head, it promises interest, and it delivers. Maraschino aroma, but the flavor is much more rich, with layers of chocolate cake, chocolate bars, roasted malts, and cherry. I didn’t find it sickly or artificial--well, maybe it is a bit, but it’s still luscious. The palate is not so well executed--just average. Still, very good beer, with a great aroma. (growler from Skyview, who has to be one of the most amazing friends of beer and beer drinkers that I’ve encountered among the very generous Ratebeerians in the UK, Atlanta, D.C., Texas, and wherever else I’ve met Ratebeerians. Thank you.)

[Growler] shared by skyview. Pours deep brown with an interesting pinkish brown head. Aroma is crazy loaded with cherries, fresh, borderline obnoxious, but not quite. Tastes like a blend of two different beers that don’t quite mesh. Burnt, roasted barley, black cherry, and a dryish roasted finish.

The last Mystery Growler, courtesy of Skyview. Mostly black color, with just a hint of red around the edges. Medium head. Big, huge cherry aroma, mostly Maraschino. Yeah, that continues on to the flavor in a big way. A little bit of coffee and chocolate from the malts. Chalky finish. Very sweet, but I found it really enjoyable.

On draught at the Grays Tied House brewpub in Verona, Wisconsin. Pour an opaque near black brew with a fast dissolving tan head that dissipates nearly clean. Aroma of heavy cherry with a touch of dark chocolate and toasted dark malt. Taste is full bodied, very light carbonation with a flavor quite identical to an Irish dry stout and a loaded Vicks cherry flavored Nyquil. Finish has a long lasting dark cherry aftertaste that hides some of the toasted dark stout malt. Definitely one heck of a cherry bomb style stout.