12 oz. Bottle
Have never really had anything by Bell's Brewery before, but the guy at the bottle shop said they had a Bell's stout tasting not too long ago and most people enjoyed them, the idea of a cherry stout caught my eye above the others.
Like most stouts, appears black in glass with a thin lace of dark khaki head. During the pour, when it wasn't so concentrated, you could see a reddish tint. Smells of chocolate covered cherries and roasted malts. Really balanced and pleasant on the nose.
First taste wasn't what I was expecting: first you get hit with some decent roast malts that are typical of American stouts and a bit chocolate that's not really sweet. The cherry really hits you on the after taste with a nice sour tartness. Really solid cherry flavor, but surprisingly lacking the sweetness I expected/wanted from a cherry stout, especially considering such strong cherry flavor. The finish is a tad tarnished by just how sour and tart the aftertaste is (and a little bitter from the malt/chocolate). Alcohol isn't perceptible, and at 7% ABV it's not going to knock you out of your socks. Carbonation is mildly present.
Bell's Stout is not a bad beer. It just lacks balance. There's strong tartness, mild bitterness, and some pretty decent roasted malt flavor. And none of them get along. I think that had there been some sweetness, this beer could have gone from alright to great.
Overall Rating: 3/5
Have never really had anything by Bell's Brewery before, but the guy at the bottle shop said they had a Bell's stout tasting not too long ago and most people enjoyed them, the idea of a cherry stout caught my eye above the others.
Like most stouts, appears black in glass with a thin lace of dark khaki head. During the pour, when it wasn't so concentrated, you could see a reddish tint. Smells of chocolate covered cherries and roasted malts. Really balanced and pleasant on the nose.
First taste wasn't what I was expecting: first you get hit with some decent roast malts that are typical of American stouts and a bit chocolate that's not really sweet. The cherry really hits you on the after taste with a nice sour tartness. Really solid cherry flavor, but surprisingly lacking the sweetness I expected/wanted from a cherry stout, especially considering such strong cherry flavor. The finish is a tad tarnished by just how sour and tart the aftertaste is (and a little bitter from the malt/chocolate). Alcohol isn't perceptible, and at 7% ABV it's not going to knock you out of your socks. Carbonation is mildly present.
Bell's Stout is not a bad beer. It just lacks balance. There's strong tartness, mild bitterness, and some pretty decent roasted malt flavor. And none of them get along. I think that had there been some sweetness, this beer could have gone from alright to great.
Overall Rating: 3/5
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