Bell's Cherry Stout

Brewed By: Bell's Brewery, Inc. in Kalamazoo, Michigan  

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 (bottled 10/08/2013)

Style/ABV: American Stout, 7.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Thank the good lord that today is hump day! About Bell's:

Bell's Brewery is one of the biggest names in craft beer. Once you get past the Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, and Stone phase, you start hearing about breweries like Bell's. Bell's began as a home-brewing supply shop, founded by Larry Bell, back in 1983. Bell's sold its first beer in September 1985. The brewery has humble roots like many of the first craft breweries, and the beer was originally brewed in a 15-gallon soup kettle. The beer was originally self-distributed, bottled, and delivered by hand during the company's first four years. In 1993, Bell's became the first brewery in Michigan to open an onsite pub. The brewery currently has two facilities, one in Kalamazoo, and one in Comstock Township, Michigan.

The Cherry Stout is a classic, perennial Stout. Or at least formally so. In 2012 there was a shortage of cherries, and the brewery was unable to make this beer. The beer is back for 2013. Punching in at 7.0% ABV, this beer is brewed with 100% Montmorency cherries grown in the Traverse City region of Michigan. 

Bell's Cherry Stout 

The beer pours into a dark black, opaque body that has some ruby red tonez on the edges in bright light. I kicked up a finger of rich, dark head. The head is the best part about this beer, with thick density and a rich brown color. There's some lacing, and head retention is nice. Good looking beer.

On the aroma: big roast, and tons of sweet molasses, caramel malt, and chocolate/cocoa sweetness. I'm getting a lot of rich cocoa sweetness on the aroma. There's a hint of acidic berry on the aroma, which is the usual aromatics you get with a cherry-spiked Stout. I don't know if I would peg the cherry on the aroma in a blind tasting. There's some hint of depth with the roast, a bit of toast, and some coffee and coffee creamer as well. Let's dig in.

Everything about the aroma is flipped on the taste. Aggressive cherry hits you up front with that acidic berry taste that almost borders on tart. The cherry/fruit flavor is pretty aggressive up front, especially at colder temperatures. As this beer approaches warmer temps, you pick up lots of roast and chocolate/cocoa. I'm getting some molasses, coffee, and plenty of cherry-chocolate and cherry-truffles. The finish is roasty. 

This gets a lot better as it warms up, so drink this warm. The mouthfeel here is dense and full-bodied, even with the helpful carbonation and sharp berry acidity that cuts through the thick Stout body. The 7.0% is completely below-the-radar. Palate depth is good, complexity is okay. You get cherry/berry kick with Stout-like roast and chocolate up front; that rolls into roast, coffee, chocolate/cocoa; the back end trails the roast, throws in some molasses and toast, with lingering cherry sweetness and a roasty finish. Not bad.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Decent Above-Average. Very nice stuff for a love-hate twist on the classic Stout. You either dig the addition of the cherries, or you don't. That said, this beer is the perfect Autumn Stout, and would pair well with ice cream, dry chocolate desserts, purple potatoes, steak or pork, and a rich/savory sauce that has a sweet edge. You could also pair this beer with steak and butter with some greens. Fantastic stuff, and I'm glad to see it come back for this year.

Random Thought: As it goes, I'm about to watch last Sunday's episode of the Walking Dead. Wish me luck...