Yuletide Cherry Porter
Barley Days Brewery

Yuletide Cherry PorterYuletide Cherry Porter
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From:
Barley Days Brewery
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.41 | pDev: 19.06%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
24
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 29, 2018
Added:
Nov 20, 2008
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  2
Barley Days Brewery’s Yuletide Cherry Porter, with its velvety texture and crimson hue, will warm you on winter nights. Malt and hops mingle with Ontario cherries to create a lush flavour in this unfiltered specialty brew.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of cyrenaica
Reviewed by cyrenaica from Canada (ON)

3.53/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
500ml draught
5.5% ABV
The Beerbistro (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
May 5, 2011
$7.95
The beer was a solid ruby red, with a light brown foamy cap. The aroma was roasted malt, cherry, and floral hops. The mouthfeel was medium bodied with medium carbonation. The flavour was dark malt, coffee, and cherry. Very drinkable.
Mar 29, 2018
Photo of ChrisCage
Reviewed by ChrisCage from Canada (AB)

4.31/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A- Love the artwork on the label...the beer itself is a cherry cola color...almost an exact replica! The head is caramel color and grows into a three finger thick head that is rich and dense looking....lots of small bubbles happening! I can't see what the carbonation looks like and the lacing is sticky on the side of the glass....it looks like it is oil like in thickness.

S- Heavy roasted/toasted malts that are on the verge of burnt, and there is all sorts of chocolate covered cherries as well...these are the most noted things....molasses, and a dry Earthy finish are also detected on the nostrils.

T- Flavors that border on black coffee...French Roast to be exact, dark chocolate hints and robust dark fruits such as the aforementioned cherries, and they are a bit tart. Black plums perhaps are blended into the flavor profile and Earthy soil is present as well....finish is clean and of fruity refreshment.

M/O- This is surprisingly light bodied and I think this would do quite well in warmer weather as a refresher! The carbonation is well balanced and smooth/creamy in texture....this is highly drinkable without being too filling! The alcohol is well hidden and won't catch up with a person anytime soon either....I highly recommend this one and would seek it out again!
Dec 16, 2015
 
Rated: 3.15 by Coronaeus from Canada (ON)

Feb 22, 2015
Photo of DaveBar
Reviewed by DaveBar from Canada (ON)

4.35/5  rDev +27.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Purchased a 6pk at the brewery on Prince Edward County. Served at 6deg C in a tulip

A- Opens very well and pours a nice brown high head that settles to a film in a minute or two. Very dark!

S- Nice malt here. It's a porter that some stouts will envy!

T- Nice porter with a hint of cherry. Not much cherry but you can tell there is some there. Nice malt and it's roasted well.

M- Very good. Nice and dry and creamy at the same time. A really good porter.

O- One of the best porters I have ever had. I have had many stouts that are not even in the same league as this porter. Worth buying again. I don't understand the low scores as this baby is pretty darn good.

On a separate note, nice 30 barrel system there. Pretty big operation and growing. Yes it's the 3rd wine area of Canada but this brewery is worth visiting. LOL they will keep feeding them to you free until your DUI so be careful!!

Food Pairing

This wonderful porter went well with........ Bacon and eggs! Not a FBS but I wanted to try it for breakfast. It was a good call.

Enjoy!
Dec 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by WillAndSarah from Canada (ON)

Nov 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Cycle69 from Canada (ON)

Sep 27, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by boszormeny from Canada (ON)

Apr 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by nullbort from Canada (ON)

Apr 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by TheSevenDuffs from Canada (ON)

Jan 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by CaptDavyJones from New York

Dec 25, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Molson2000 from Canada (ON)

Apr 25, 2013
 
Rated: 1.75 by Vyronian from Canada (ON)

Aug 18, 2012
Photo of JohnnyBarman
Reviewed by JohnnyBarman from Canada (ON)

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Took a risk and picked up a six pack - at nearly 16 bucks a pop, it's a bit steep, but sometimes those are the breaks for craft breweries.

Poured into a nonic. Dark coffee-chocolate in color, decent head, survives as a thick ring. A bit of lacing.

Nose is dry stout, a bit of coffee, sour-ish cherry, woodsy-ness. Not bad, actually!

This brew is dry and slightly sour with a nice woodsy finish. A bit sweet up front, probably precludes the possibility of multiple drinks in a session, but certainly nice on a winters evening. The tartness gets a bit much after a while. Moderate carbonation, dry finish.
Dec 20, 2011
Photo of bryehn
Reviewed by bryehn from Canada (ON)

3.92/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours an opaque black with a deep, brownish red visible around the edges and a small tan coloured head that hangs on as a thin collar and leaves some minor lacing.

Smells like dark chocolate, roasted coffee and fresh unripened cherry. It has a liqueur or boxed chocolate feel about it.

Tastes like freshly ground bitter coffee, with a strong chocolate tone. Dark cherry and plum-like flavours are very bright, fruity and juicy and mellowed by a roasted, slightly woody finish.

Medium-bodied with a low carbonation. Yeast creates a subtle prickly sensation on the tongue. The bright fruit tones linger in a moderately bitter aftertaste.

Because of its thick, roasted and bitter characteristics, I find this beer drinks more like a stout than a typical porter, which isn't a bad thing at all in my books. A pleasant surprise I'll look for again.
Dec 04, 2011
Photo of Foddz
Reviewed by Foddz from Canada (ON)

2.95/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
A: Pours a rich, very dark, not-quite black with a reddish tinge reminiscent of the cherries they've added. About 1 finger of head that leaves a persistant lacing around the rim of the glass.

S: Sweet and fruity, with some darker malt undertones. Cherries for certain, perhaps some plums, with caramel and subtle coffee aromas to balance things out.

T: You can definitely taste the cherries. Perhaps a little overmuch. Maltiness takes a back seat to the fruit flavours, but still exhibits a bit of the caramel and coffee that you'd expect from the nose.

M: A little thin, and a little dry, but not wholely without merit. Pleasant level of carbonation for what it is.

O/D: An interesting concoction, though the cherries are a little heavy-handed. I could stand to drink maybe one or two of these in a sitting, but the sweetness would become cloying before too long. Not a bad little brew and my first from this brewery. I'll be looking to sample some of their other wares for sure.

EDIT: Serving temperature makes a *world* of difference for this beer - first bottle was served relatively warm - maybe 10-12C from being in my car. Second bottle from the same 6-pack at fridge temperature had a completely different pour, nose, and taste.

Adjustments from second bottle:
-Almost no head formation and minimal lacing on the pour.
-Nose is very malt/chocolate/coffee with some cherry underpinnings.
-Taste is malt, chocolate, coffee, a hint of smoke, with much more subtle cherry flavouring towards the tail end. Hops seem to bite a bit more at this temperature as well. Taste is much closer to a typical porter than the previous sample. One might want to taste the cherries a little bit more - a friend has suggested optimal serving temperature may be around 6C, but experimentation is needed.
Nov 28, 2011
Photo of kwjd
Reviewed by kwjd from Canada (ON)

2.96/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Had on tap at the Rebel House. Pours a dark brown colour with virtually no head. No lacing on the glass either. Smells of sour cherries, chocolate with the mild roasted barley. Quite a sweet flavour of the chocolate, with some of the tartness from the cherry coming through. Flavour felt a little bit off. Mouthfeel felt almost syrupy more than it was smooth. I certainly did not want a 2nd pint of this, but I didn't hate it either.
Jan 14, 2011
Photo of biboergosum
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
On-tap at Volo.

This beer appears a very dark brown colour, with slight red highlights, and one finger of soapy off-white head, which leaves some sparse lace around the glass. It smells of dry chocolate powder, and some mild sour cherry. The taste is bittersweet chocolate malt, more sour cherry, and some alcohol warming. The carbonation is mild, the body medium weight and smooth, and it finishes quite consistently with more light choco-cherry essence.

A nicely drinkable and affable cherry porter, not too light, not too heavy, just enjoyable.
Feb 06, 2010
Photo of cratez
Reviewed by cratez from Canada (ON)

2/5  rDev -41.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
What a mess! Purchased from the Summerhill LCBO in Toronto with high hopes given the 'B+' rating (prior to MeisterBurger's review). This was a big letdown.

An aggressive pour generates three fingers of foamy brown head that dissipates in macro lager timing. No lacing to speak of, the beer just dulls to a blackish red body. Smell is a surprisingly awful mixture of burnt rubber, old tires, and soy sauce. Taste is no better, with harsh roasted malt and zero hop presence. The cherries produce a tepid fruit/wood character that fails to impress. This is all followed by a huge dose of MALT in the finish, which makes for an overly tart and astringent aftertaste. Very unpleasant, almost puckering sourness. Couldn't finish the beer!

Having paid $15.35 for a six pack, I feel ripped off. This is neither a porter nor a drinkable beverage. Avoid.
Dec 21, 2009
Photo of MeisterBurger
Reviewed by MeisterBurger from Canada (ON)

2.39/5  rDev -29.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5
Pours like crimson midnight, topped by a loose, ample tan head that has almost a slightly reddish tinge to it. Peculiar, bubbly lacing. Good retention.

Smells like cooked vegetables. Roasty. Not overly impressive, really.

The taste is mildly roasty, chocolatey with a sour cherry underneath. Slightly sour, bitter finish. The flavors you would expect to find are all present, but nothing really shines here, and the sourness in the aftertaste isn't exactly super-awesome.

Mouthfeel is thin and watery, with not enough carbonation or body to really do it justice.

Overall I can't say as I have had a single beer from Barley Days that wowed me in any way and this one's no different. Meh. I remember liking this a lot more last year.

ETA: Had another one last night (Dec 23) just because I have six and I wondered if I got a bad bottle. Nope. Three sips and then down the drain it went. I have downgraded the taste and drinkability since my first review but, really, I don't think I went far enough.
Dec 17, 2009
Photo of TerryW
Reviewed by TerryW from Canada (ON)

3.72/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
These guys have come around some are are brewing better beers than they used to. This brew is at least interesting on a couple counts.

Looks great. Solidly dark with a whisper of red. Pours magnificently, puts on a great display - provides a tall firm chunky head and lots of lace.

Slightly sweet up front with a contrasting bitter finish. Fruity, then pleasantly woody, with burned toast and coffee. Interesting, but not for the light hearted because its not subtle.

Well made.
Jun 02, 2009
Yuletide Cherry Porter from Barley Days Brewery
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 24 ratings