Bell's Bourbon Barrel Aged Cherry Stout - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

madtowndmb1

Wisconsin

4.22/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with a small tan head that quickly dissapates. Smell is bourbon with a small amount of tart cherry. WOW, it tastes like bourbon. It's great! Starts with the boozy feel and then blends to a tart cherry! It is a smooth drinker for a taste so over the top bourbon. I split this with a friend and I'm glad I did, it's a spliter beer, but great!

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2009 02:30:51 | More by madtowndmb1

LilBeerDoctor

New York

2.95/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Bottle, batch 7777. Pours black with a small tan head. Aroma is heavy on the diacetyl and bourbon. Flavor is sweet and bourbony with diacetyl in the background and butterscotch in the finish. The cherry is much less pronounced than in the regular cherry stout--here it's just more of a sweetness. Sticky and a bit heavier than the regular too. I can't really say it's an improvement....not really a fan.
6/4/6/3/13 (3.2/5)

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2009 16:35:25 | More by LilBeerDoctor

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A 12 oz bottle courtesy of swnicholson in Black Booty 3.

A: The ale is pitch black, moonless midnight, with a cordovan brown colored head. That head swelled to almost two fingers before receding like a deflated moon bounce.

S: The ale smells like a butter rum dumdum, only thick with boozy potential. Vanilla is strong, matching the butter rum. Wild cherry lingers just below the surface but is not as strong as in the original.

T: The bourbon intensity from the nose settles into a groove in the taste, far more relaxed. The cherries manage to make themselves knwon, in fact they dominate the taste with a sour-sweet body. After the initial blast of tartness, butter rum sweetness emerges. While I've never come across butter rum in a bourbon barrel, the sweetness pairs nicely with the cherry. A medicinal sweetness follows the barrel and springs from the tartness. A nice twist on the original cherry stout.

M: The mouthfeel is pleasingly tart. The butter rum from the bourbon barrel is different but I think that it works in this ale.

D: The ale is a little too heavy to really crack into. This bottle is a nice nightcap.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2009 02:34:55 | More by akorsak

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big Thanks to Fiver29 for providing this in a recent trade. Thanks!!!

Pours with a luxurious thick active head. Creamy, dark tan and nice retention.. The beer is the darkest brown color there is... The head eventually fades to a ¼ thick cap on the beer.

The aroma is deep and of bourbon and cherry. (lots of insight there huh??) You get a sense that this may be a tart beer.... Does not smell artificial. Perhaps some vanilla tones.

Wow, tart is right.... My initial thought is that it needs a bit more sweetness for balance. A touch of cocoa powder at first, then the tart cherry flavor comes through. This settles back and melds with a dark roasted flavor... Finally giving way to a touch of bourbon and vanilla notes. I almost want to put in a ¼ teaspoon of sugar to balance it a touch. (I won't)

I do admit that this is a beer that grew on me as I worked my way through the glass.

Creamy mouth feel, but the tartness takes away from that a bit as you slightly pucker towards the end. Pretty thick bodied beer.

Fairly drinkable. Not sure it's really my cup of tea. The cherry is a bit much. I am not a sweet beer fan, but this one deserves just a touch more sweetness. This might be good over vanilla ice cream.

Very glad I had a chance to try this unique beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2009 18:29:08 | More by Reagan1984

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

4.58/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Anwar for this bottle!
I don't know what it is, but Larry has a knack for picking the right barrels and amount of time for his beers. This along with the BA Expo/DC, BA Java, BA Third Coast are all exceptionally done.
The balance between bourbon and cherry is perfect. Only on a few sips did the bourbon dominate. Mostly they were neck and neck fighting for the forefront. Delicious mouthfeel. Very good BA undertones. The oak, vanilla everything melds well together with the cherry. Good mouthfeel.
I'm still waiting on the straight BA Expedition! Bottle some of that for a brotha!

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2009 17:55:00 | More by FtownThrowDown

michdmb

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I bought a six pack in Summer '08 and have been slowly enjoying it since.

Initial impression: A good cherry stout. Alcohol taste a little strong, but not overwhelming. Lets you know you're drinking a strong beer.

Malt is plentiful, a good representation of this style. A smoky malt taste from start to finish along with the cherry and bourbon flavors make this a flavorful treat. The Michigan cherries really make this beer a true Michigan classic. Anyone from this state will appreciate the local tribute this beer gives to the state.

Not very sessionable, but your collection will appreciate your slow consumption of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2009 08:23:32 | More by michdmb

Bung

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had on draft. Pours black with a tan head. All sorts of stuff going on here, some caramel, raisin, light chocolate. Very dry and clean, the cherry tart at the finish. Very interesting. Pretty drinkable, but you wouldn't want too many of these. A huge improvement over the regular cherry stout. Seen this classified as a sweet stout, may be a bit more fitting.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2009 04:13:09 | More by Bung

Wasatch

Utah

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks goes out to bort11 for this brew.

Poured into a chalice a very nice dark brown color, nice carbonation, nice little creamy tan head, with some nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, slight bourbon, cherries, toffee. The taste is malty, slighlty sweet, nice bourbon notes, cherries/toffee. Medium body. Drinkable, this is a pretty tasty brew, recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2009 21:31:10 | More by Wasatch

joe1510

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz Bottle

Batch #7777

I have the opportunity to try this Bell's specialty thanks to the one and only hoppymeal, here's to you Derek! Bell's Bourbon Barrel Cherry Stout exits the bottle looking like strong black coffee. As the bulb on my snifter fills the liquid takes on the color of darkness, zero light is permitted through the body. A finger of tan head presented itself on the pour that eventually fizzled down to a thin cap and fat collar. The collar leaves behind some impressive drink lines.

The aroma on this sucker is big and oaky to the core. I'm smacked around immediately by buttery vanilla that's so intense at times it's like candy. Bourbon sweetness floats around beneath with a bit of char. Cherry shows up in the form of the sweet liquid that oozes from cherry cordials with the first bite. The only contribution from the actual stout is a roasty quality swimming around in the background. As this stout gets closer to room temperature there's a touch of lactic sourness that comes and goes but never gets in the way. This is an inviting brew on a bitterly cold evening like tonight.

The barrel aging is much more under control in the flavor. The second this beer washes over my tongue I'm hit with bourbon, charred oak, coconut, and vanilla all in that order. Semi tart, but also rich, cherry flashes through mid-palate while the delicious stout lingers underneath and lays down a foundation. The cherries actually bring along some tartness before the smooth buttery vanilla evens it out and a mild roastiness adds a touch of bitterness. As this stout warms some alcohol fumes rise through my nose but the alcohol is never tasted. This beer has layers, many of them, and I enjoy them all.

The body is airy as it first hits the tongue but quickly becomes richly silky smooth. The weight is on the lower side of heavy and leaves behind just enough stick to allow those charred qualities to linger. The carbonation is moderate and works very well here.

This is a big stout with robust flavors but the drinkability is high when taking that into consideration. It is by all means a sipper but an easy one to tip back. With zero noticeable alcohol this is a joy to drink.

Bells hit the nail on the head with this brew. I thoroughly enjoy this beer and would love to have a couple more. Hopefully this one gets made again. Thanks again for the treat Derek!

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2009 02:52:07 | More by joe1510

tburkhart

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at the brewery awhile back and am just now getting around to drinking it.

Pours black. Light brown head. Not a whole lot else to these beer, but that's all this beer needed.

Smells of bourbon and chocolate. Cherries come through a bit, but not over barring.

Cherries come through strong in the taste and boy are they tart. I was hoping for a bit more bourbon flavor but all I got was cherries.

Very smoot and creamy mouthfeel.

Personally I could only drink 1 of these on occasion (not a huge cherry fan), but if you enjoy cherries you could sip on a few of these.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2009 00:24:13 | More by tburkhart

HopHead84

California

4.38/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Opened up the nifty Bell's widget and entered the batch number 7777. This thing tells me the calorie content. 275? Not bad. I don't think the widget app is accurate for the bourbon barrel version of the cherry stout because, well, it just says cherry stout on the widget instead of bourbon barrel aged cherry stout.

Acquired in a trade with BigDaddyWil. Pours dark black with a deep reddish tint. A 2 finger dark brown head recedes in a minute and the lacing s good.

Aroma is of cherries, vanilla, bourbon, coffee, molasses, and cocoa. The cherry aroma is not overwhelming and it isn't too sweet. It fits in really nicely with the typical stout aromas and is very interesting. Great aroma.

Delicious bourbon and sweet roasted malt accompanies tart and sour cherries. Bittersweet chocolate makes its presence known somewhere along the way, as does vanilla. Alcohol isn't hidden but the bourbon flavor is very good. I'm a sucker for tasteful use of cherries in beer, and this is well done. The finish is chocolate cherry alcohol with a low level of bitterness.

Robust and full bodied with good carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2009 02:17:39 | More by HopHead84

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, batch 7777. Pours black in color with a tan foamy head. Head trickles down to a thin layer rather quickly.

Oak, bourbon and vanilla notes up front. A whiff of sour cherry and alcohol. Very nice aroma.

A slight roasty note, with some tart, but not overly sour cherry. Nice bourbon note, with some tannins that seem to dry things out. Decent heat from the alcohol makes this a sipper.

Maybe a bit too much carbonation here. Still, very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2008 14:17:53 | More by Bierguy5

waltonc

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up in a trade thanks to tytoanderso. Wow, it's been a while since I had regular Bell's Cherry Stout and I wasn't a big fan of that, but this is awesome.

A: Looks pretty much black to me with 3/4 inch tan head upon pouring.

S: butterscotch, vanilla, bourbon, and cherries.

T: Wow, more of those smell components in the taste. This is a really nice balance of slightly tart cherry, oak, bourbon, vanilla, butterscotch, and dark roasted malts. I wouldn't have imagined that they could be harmonized in a single beer. But Bell's has done it.

M: Medium bodied, carbonation is on the lighter side of medium.

D: I imagine this may be a polarizing beer, but I think it's great, and could drink a lot of it. So high marks.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2008 05:21:31 | More by waltonc

kasper

New York

3.7/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours oily, few shades from pitch black. Short but creamy chocolate-colored head fades to a ring with globs of wet lacing.

S: Initially strong aromas of red wine, an acidic sourness from the oak, and underlying aromas of vanilla.

T: Expecting cherry, but more of the wine flavor. This is similar to SFTO Wine, only with a different body style. Somewhat astringent flavors of red wine and sour cherries with a noticeably acidic sourness that lingers on the finish along with a tad of dryness from the oak. The sour cherry/wine flavors overshadow most of the malt, which i cannot decipher.

M: Medium bodied, low carbonation, fairly smooth. A tad sticky.

D: This was apparently a one-off brew and I have no idea how this brew should taste fresh. It's fairly sour/tart so the flavors may have developed in the bottle. It's interesting and complex but I feel many of the "stout" characteristics are missing.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2008 02:58:52 | More by kasper

kkipple

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Cracked in the middle of a fine tasting in Columbia. From notes:

A. Dense, opaque red-brick brown. Tiny head.

S. Sharp and immediate bourbon, oaky and boozy, vanilla, ah, there's the cherry! Smells more like cherry pie... tart and earthy with a pinch of sugar. Good but a bit young, some aging might take the whiskey heat off.

T. Sweet; molasses and chocolate. Malt is thick but is enlightened by tart, sour cherries and a bourbon oak flavor that is the heart and soul of this dark delight. Earth, cocoa and roasty-bitter flavors all make an appearance. Cherries and bourbon return for the finish. Warming.

M. Same as the normal Cherry Stout, really. Low carbonation, heavy and slick on the palate.

D. Low, but this is tasty. Not too sweet, the bourbon adds a great deal of character to this one. Worlds better than Bell's normal Cherry Stout. In this case, the wood aging brought a lot of complexity to the table and took the edge off the sour cherry that was over-present in the base version.

Recommended. Drink with chocolate cake if you.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2008 18:06:49 | More by kkipple

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this brew from tburkhart, Thanks Tim!

12oz bottle served in a tulip glass.

L - black color with a small tan head that thinned to a ring after a short time.

S - tart cherries, vanilla bean and woody aromas.

T - tart cherry taste starts things off with roasted vanilla bean and oaked flavors popping in for a bit before the tart cherry takes over again on the finish. Taste to me, is somewhat similar to a Flanders Oud Bruin style. A less sour version of Lost Abbey's Red Poppy Ale comes to mind.

F - medium bodied with low end carbonation.

D - enjoyable, slow sipper.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2008 01:49:47 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Another winner provided by hopdog(this guy never quits)...
Appears an opaque black with a small tan head that holds nice retention. Tons of spotty lacing left all over the glass.
Smell is of bourbon, cocoa, cherry, rhubarb, brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, and oak.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with a buttery, milk and cream flavor coming through in the flavors.
Mouthfeel is full bodied, oaky, sugary, sweet, and balanced. Another beautiful and complex stout from Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2008 03:45:18 | More by weeare138

brentk56

North Carolina

3.18/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Looks like soda, with a huge reddish-brown head that fizzes away completely leaving neither foam nor lace above the espresso brown colored liquid

Smell: Butterscotch diacetyl dominates but is joined by coffee, dark chocolate and some cherry juice

Taste: Opens with a load of butterscotch that is replaced, by mid-palate, with a more respectable blend of dark chocolate and tart cherry; after the swallow, the chocolate and cherry flavors are joined by coffee; tart cherry juice finish; the bourbon is very subtle but arrives at the very end

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with very little carbonation left after the first few minutes; warmth from the alcohol

Drinkability: Despite being marred by diacetyl and carbonation problems, this beer concept has some potential; maybe we will see it better executed another time

Thanks, hoppymeal, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2008 01:17:12 | More by brentk56

danielharper

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark black opaque body with a slight reddish tinge to the top, with a thick slightly pink head that dissipates quickly. Looks interesting.

Smell: Strong tart cherries up-front with the chocolatety coffee-ish undertones present underneath. Slightly astringent, slight notes of hops.

Taste: The cherries are way up top on this one, very tart, slightly astringent. The middle balances it out with the more standard "stout-like" flavors of roasted chocolate malts. Finishes sweet, dry, but clean. I've had a few bottles of this, and some are more tartly astringent than others -- it's almost a luck of the draw thing.

Mouthfeel: Thick, coats the tongue nicely. No significant hops or carbonation.

Drinkability: This is one of Bell's one-off releases that is unlikely to be widely available, but if you can find it and are a fan of stouts that don't fit the "standard" definition of a stout, this might just be up your alley.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2008 02:15:22 | More by danielharper

hopdog

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle acquired in trade (thanks Derek!!!).

Poured a dark black with brown edges and an averaged sized brown head. Aromas of wood/oak, vanilla, the cherries were present but not overpowering, some bourbon, and light smoke. Tastes of cherries (starts out sweet and ends lightly tart), vanilla, oak, bourbon, some roastiness, and light chocolate. Creamy body with the alcohol well hidden. Cherry burps. I found neither the cherries or bourbon was over done and worked well together. I had this one after dinner and it made a great dessert.

Notes from 6/4/08

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2008 19:30:45 | More by hopdog

Douglas88

Utah

3.48/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle shared by footbalm, thanks man. Pours a dark brown body with a thick light brown head. The aroma was perhaps the oddest thing I've ever smelled in a beer; buttery sweet candies, like butterscotch mixed with oak and some cherry. I must say for some time I couldn't get over that butterscotch, it's in the flavor too. After a bit I noticed more cherries, a sweet chcolate finish and a smooth rich body. Very nice, but also quite odd. I think that I'll try it again, but the butter/cheese flavor and aroma was way too much. Decadent for sure.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2008 00:33:24 | More by Douglas88

tpd975

Florida

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ibrew2or3 came thru big with this one. It is one I had wanted to try for awhile.

A: Pours a deep dark black hue with red highlights. The head is rather small and wispy. Very very slight lace.

S: This one lets you know it came from the barrel. Lots of oak, booze and vanilla up front. Hints of very tart cherry peek from beneath.

T: Bold booze soaked black cherries dominate up front. More subtle wood notes along with some vanilla come thru in the middle. Dark chocolate and a bit of alcohol finish this one off.

M: Medium in body rather snappy carbonation.

D: Not as good as I expected it to be, but was still rather enjoyable and a real treat to have tried.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2008 17:54:37 | More by tpd975

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got a couple of these from B33RKrazz a while back. Thanks, man! Into my snifter

A: Pours black with a thin dark brown head with a ton of bubbles. Retention isn't all that great and the head recedes to a ring fairly quickly. There seems to be a good deal of carbonation too

S: Tons of butter! I'm surprised! In any case, behind the butter is a solid dose of sour cherry, bourbon, vanilla, some chocolate and roasted aromas

T: Sour cherries dominate the palate up front with bourbon coming through along with a bitter chocolate, vanilla and a hint of oak before a tart and buttery finish. I really like the complexity of this beer!

M: Good carbonation, moderately light in body and pretty solid finish

D: Once you get past the initial hit of butter, this one is one tasty beverage. I wouldn't drink multiples but it's a treat.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2008 22:37:32 | More by DefenCorps

nrbw23

Ohio

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a deep, dark brown, with a little tan head. Very nice side glass lace thoroughly coated the entire glass. Overall not to bad at all.

S- Smells of deep rich cherry juice. Actually a ton of cherry juice, with a hint of bourbon and lots of wood. Nothing super strong but the cherry smell has me a little worried since I'm not a fan of fruity brews.

T- The flavour followed the nose. A lot of sweet cherries, a touch of bourbon, tons of wood and some vanilla in there as well. This was overall pretty nice.

M- Medium to a light full in body, creamy and it still had a good amount of carbonation.

D- Actually a lot better than I expected and pretty solid overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2008 10:37:40 | More by nrbw23

abedenbaugh

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark black with a hint of red in the color. The head was dark brown and was alittle small.
S: You could smell this right away as we opened the bottle and poured it into a glass. Very aromatic. The cherry and Bourbon aroma is very strong and up front. Neither of the cherry or bourbon dominates the nose more than the other. Also has a little bit of sweetness.
T: The cherry is upfront in the flavor. The bourbon begins to show up in the mid-palate. Low on roast flavor for this to be a stout. Earthy and a touch of sweetness in the end. Also the alcohol warm is just perceivable in the end.
MF: Medium mouth feel and medium carbonation.
D: A good drinkable beer. A bit of an alcohol warmth. The cherry is almost too much, but luckly it isn't too much.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2008 18:52:51 | More by abedenbaugh