Thumbprint Cherry Stout - New Glarus Brewing Company

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into a pint glass

A - A steady pour reveals a dark brown/reddish body that is somewhat translucent when held up in front of the light. A tan head rises to about a half finger thick before fading to a ring around the glass after a couple of minutes. Trace amounts of carbonation are visibly rising to the top of the beer. A nicer head retention and this is an outstanding look.

S - Not surprising, cherries and plenty of them. The initial smell alone has my mouth watering. A deeper whiff brings about the oak barrels along with faint malts are present.

T - Much like the taste, plenty of cherries lead the fierce onslaught as this beer enters the mouth. Slight malty complex is also present along with the oak barrel flavor. A hint of vanilla or some sweet aspect is also present. Finally, there is some tartness that provides an interesting balance between the dark cherries and oak barrel flavor. This beer could be a bit fuller, but overall very good.

M - Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Entering the mouth plenty of cherries standout. As the beer sets in, plenty of carbonation cleanses the palate and an interesting tartness comes to the forefront. The beer closes with a somewhat sweet (vanilla?) flavor that is combined with the oak barrels. Rather smooth and clean finish as the carbonation closes everything up.

D - By definition this is not a true stout in any sense, but based on the description from the New Glarus website I would say Dan succeeded at pushing the envelope once again with the Unplugged series. Definitely a beer I could have a couple of within a night, but in comparison to other New Glarus beers, it is not the greatest in terms of drinkability. It's worth a try no doubt though.

Keep pushing the envelope Dan.

Serving type: bottle

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look: 2.5 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with foiled over branded pressure cap served into a conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Thanks to Duff27 for the bottle. Expectations are high given the brewery and style, though the current ratings seem rather low. Aged in oak barrels according to the label. Uses 8 different maled barleys. Brewed with cherries. Label art is nothing to write home about.

Served straight from the fridge and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours an audibly fizzing head of beige colour, poor thickness, and bad (~10 second) retention. No lacing whatsoever. Not horribly impressed with the head, especially at a paltry 6.50%. Body colour is a refined understated dark amber. Semitransparent and semitranslucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Not at all what I expected for a Cherry Stout, but I suppose New Glarus isn't known for churning out predictable beers. Still, this one doesn't look all that great. I'm excited to try it regardless.

Sm: Ugh. Distinct cherry cough syrup; it's uncanny. I've joked about cough syrup aromas in previous reviews, but this really really evokes it. In any case, the cherry seems chemical and artificial, not genuine or fruit-like. The aroma is really turning me off to it. Ugh. Maybe there's candi sugar when I really look for it? A pretty strong, pungent aroma. I don't detect any yeast or alcohol.

T: Better than the aroma, to be sure. Clean malts form the body, with a pleasant lightly sour cherry kick on the climax. Sugary and candy-like. Good sweetness is balanced well by light caramel. The oak is nowhere to be found. Lightly tart. Enjoyable. It's decently balanced, if a bit too sweet. Not horribly complex or subtle, but it gets the job done. I do like it, but this is not the level of quality I've come to expect from New Glarus. I do like the cherry.

Mf: Smooth, wet, a bit too thick, and slightly undercarbonated. Full-bodied. Too heavy on the palate. A bit viscous, but I wouldn't call it syrupy. Suits the flavour profile okay.

Dr: The appearance and aroma really had me concerned, but it wasn't a train-wreck after all. Still, I do expect more from New Glarus and this so-called "Cherry Stout" wasn't at all what the name might suggest...that wouldn't be an issue if it was amazing anyway, but it's neither a cherry stout nor a very good beer. I definitely think it's worth trying and I like the experimentation, but this one missed the mark. They need to commit more to the spontaneous fermentation/cherry combination or to the oak aging; neither is well explored here. Glad I got to try this one. Thanks again, Duff27!

Low C

Serving type: bottle

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