Blue Point (Sour) Cherry Imperial Stout - Blue Point Brewing Company

angelogarcia3

New York

4.88/5  rDev +29.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had this beer at Bobbique in a pint glass. The beer is dark as midnight with a slight reddish tinge. The head is tan with again a slight reddish tinge. The aroma is of chocolate with a hint of cherry. The first sip is heavy and thick with flavors of milk chocolate, cocoa, and a hint of cherry. Don't let the name fool you, this beer is not sour or bitter at all. Making it a fantastic beer that went very well with the BBQ combo platter we had.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2012 23:38:41 | More by angelogarcia3

lehows

New York

4.8/5  rDev +27%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On cask at the brewery tasting room. Poured an intensely deep black color with an incredible tan head. Phenomenal retention and lacing! Aromas of alcoholic cherries, some roasted malt. Huge flavors of chocolate covered cherries, coffee, charcoal, and roasted malt. Cherry flavor is much more pronounced in the cask than on regular tap. Super smooth, ceamy and full mouthfeel. Amazing drinkability considering the whopping ABV. An outstanding brew from Blue Point, cheers!

Serving type: cask

02-12-2007 02:05:12 | More by lehows

duracell

Quebec (Canada)

4.55/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Farmhouse tap and grill, Burlington, VT. 9.0% ABV.

A - Pitch black color with light brown creamy head. Excellent lacing and medium retention.
S - Very balanced between malt (roasted and toasted) and cherries with a hint of floral hop which completes perfectly the blend. I would keep my nose into it forever.
T - Flavors start with aromatic hops and sour cherry. Then come coffee and chocolate notes and finishes with roasted malt which adds a certain dryness that lingers forever.
M - Slightly tart from the cherry. Was expecting a stronger sweetness along with the assertive bitterness. Very smooth overall.
O - Cherry is not overpowering as it could be in other similar brews. Great balance and well thought out. Would have liked more residual sugar but that being said this IS is close to perfection!

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2012 02:15:12 | More by duracell

ski271

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Zeno’s in State College, PA. Long gone though, this is from notes.
A- Almost pitch black with a small, dark tan, creamy head. Excellent lacing.
S- Rich roasted malts with, yes, cherry, along with wood and chocolate.
T- More of the same. Big, warm and rich.
M- Full body, creamy texture, soft carbonation
D- Yeah, I know, it was a quick review and I don’t think I did it much justice. Fantastically drinkable. Sucks that I got the last glass of it, but at least I got to try it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2007 19:25:27 | More by ski271

auxiliary

Rhode Island

4.47/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

appearance - Dark black color with a nice decent head and left some nice lace on the glass.

smell - Nice cherry smell and chocolate here.

taste - Cherries, and chocolate here. Some bitterness not overwhelming at the end.

mouthfeel - Thick beer, with lots of flavor here.

drinkability - I believe this is only on tap. Still on tap at track 84.Very good for a stout. A real good beer to enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2007 15:23:27 | More by auxiliary

drseamus

New York

4.45/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark black with a nice ruby glow when held to the light. Great thick light mocha head that is perfectly uniform and creamy

S: Chocolate and coffee but not much cherry. Still, a great stout aroma.

T: Very tasty indeed but not really any cherry in the main flavor. The cherry enters more as a feeling reminiscent of the skins. Chocolate is big and bold.

M: Damn smooth and creamy. Perfect body for a impy stout.

D: Damn good beer. Perfect mouthfeel, amazing drinkability all around.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2008 01:08:37 | More by drseamus

WesWes

New York

4.43/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a pitch black color with a thick frothy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a dry, earthy black malt scent along with a noticeable smokiness to it. I'm not detecting the cherries in the aroma at all. The taste is great as well. It has a smooth, black, chocolate, and peated malt flavor that goes down so easy and finishes slightly warm with a light cherry taste. The cherries are just another addition in the makeup of this beer. This is one malty brew. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a wonderful beer. It's a RIS with sour cherries added. It's well brewed and not overly fruity; Good Work!

Serving type: growler

04-21-2009 16:20:50 | More by WesWes

COBeerBuff

Kansas

4.4/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

32oz growler received from Beerloco for Black Booty Vol. 3. Thanks!

Appearance: Pours an opaque black with a solid two fingers of mocha colored head. Quite fluffy and fairly resilient which is surprising based on the two week age of the growler. Looks amazingly rich and fairly creamy.

Smell: Sour notes right off the bat, but not overwhelmingly so. Roasted chocolates and barley grains also are prevalent. Some hints of vanilla and toffee also playing in, but the toasted malts are dominant in the nose. The sour cherry mixes well with the chocolate to create a very enticing aroma.

Taste: This was surprisingly not as cherry-like as I was expecting. The muted cherry flavors work well with the chocolates and vanillas to create a very palatable mix. Definitely able to pick up the roasted barley and other malty grains. Similar to biting into a cherry cordial minus the toasted grains flavor.

Mouthfeel: Remarkably smooth. I was expecting a harsher tart twinge when I first sipped, but the creaminess of the appearance matches the smoothness of the mouthfeel. Might be slightly over carbonated, but not by much. This is one of the few cherry stouts that I've had that's felt balanced and smooth.

Drinkability: Initial thoughts point to a very solid drinkability. Slight bit of alcohol on the aftertaste means this one's a sipper, and the ABV backs that up. This is definitely a strong cold weather brew, and I'm psyched I got the chance to try it. Thanks Alan!

Serving type: growler

02-25-2010 00:43:43 | More by COBeerBuff

Billolick

New York

4.35/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From a growler, purchased at Shoreline Bev in Huntington, NY. Pours dark mahogony brown with light shining thru the edges. Dark tan, long lasting head, that leaves plenty of ringed, nicely knit and scatered lacing. Nose of smoke, dark toast and caramel. I picked up notes of more smoke, dark roasty/toasty grains and just perhaps the slightest hint of ripe cherries. Delicious, smooth on the tongue, complex and highly worthy full throtle stout. Go get some to support this solid brewery that continues to put out a fine line of brews.

Serving type: growler

05-30-2007 10:01:28 | More by Billolick

DapperGrowler

District of Columbia

4.35/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I tried this beer on tap at the Blue Point Brewery on Long Island.

A: The beer was black. It truly had a “Imperial” vibe.

S: Malt, taste of chocolate and coffee

T: Dark malt taste with a slight cherry taste on the back of pallet.

M: This is a great beer, nice heavy (full) mouthfeel.

O: This is a unique beer. I really enjoyed it, although the cherry taste tasted slightly like syrup.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2012 16:33:54 | More by DapperGrowler

aerozeppl

New York

4.28/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Black with some hints of ruby when held up to the light. A tad bit lighter than the cask version I had a little while ago. Nice thick finger of mocha head. Good amount of lacing.

S: The nose was more subdued than the cask version. Roast and chocolate and a hint of cherries when it warmed up a bit.

T: Again followed my cask review which was "Damn this was good. It was a chocolate covered cherry in beer form and I hate those but loved this. The roast character is fairly strong. The cherry it very subtle and you get about a second of it before the bitter roast finish. Complex while being able to pick it apart." Only a little bit less so. Now quite as complex but still really great.

M: Either version the mouthfeel is just about perfect.

D: I think this one is still being made and it should continue to be made. Best beer I have had from Blue Point. Totally underated and a hidden gem.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2008 02:21:24 | More by aerozeppl

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.28/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Hand filled bottle(on Jan 13, 2010) from the amazing trader known as NutBrown. Thanks Alan!

An Imperial Stout with sour cherries. That has already grabbed my attention.

A small hiss when I popped the cap, holding my glass to the light, I see it is pitch black. A nice 1" head of tannish foam is what I'm looking at. Lacing? You betchya. Sheets of it every time I tilt my glass.

Sticking my nose nearly in the glass, I'm getting notes of bready malt, chocolate, and toffee, and a very light presence of some sourness from the cherries. I expected more cherries in the nose but no big deal. Maybe the taste will have them play a bigger role.

First sip in and..there they are. They bring a nice light tartness to the flavour which is currently dominated by good notes of chocolate and toffee and coffee(I *thought* I noticed it in the smell but I wasn't sure enough to say so), maybe a light touch of licorice, and now, when I swish the beer in my mouth, I get a good sense of the cherry tartness that I was looking for. Yum. The chocolate sweetness turns a bit to the bitter side the more I sip on this brew. That combined with the tart cherries makes for a very nice tasting brew.

On the high side of medium bodied, the carbonation is fairly lightly done but worls very well.

Drinkability? The combination of bitter and sour that this brings to the table is most impressive. So much so that I completely forgot about the abv, which is substantial. I love it when *that* happens. Certainly a brew worth seeking out.

Serving type: growler

01-23-2010 01:02:13 | More by Bitterbill

treyrab

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Surprised to find this on tap at Bocktown in Pittsburgh.

A: Poured a dark oil black with a nice brown head. You can tell this is not a syrupy beer, as it is a little lighter, but it is definitely dark.

S: The smell is of dark roasted coffee, chocolate malts, black malt, and hops

T: I was surprised that there was not much cherry in this brew. With a name like it has, I was expecting more. Don't get me wrong, there is a slight hint...but there is a ton of chocolate and cocoa, which makes up for it. Very strong taste for how light the beer seems.

Overall, this is a great brew...just not as much cherry as I would have thought.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2008 02:24:12 | More by treyrab

erosier

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

L: Pours a deep black color with a short and medium bodied tan colored head that laces the glass nicely on the way down.
S: Smells of deep roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, and a sweet cherry aroma that I was expecting to be more sour from the name.
T: A nice roasty, chocolaty, coffee base and then a sweet and a little bit sour cherry flavor that lingers and gets more sour as the taste fades.
M: Smooth, rich, warming, perfect amount of carbonation.
D: Pretty drinkable, I think I would have liked it better if it was sweet, but I can't knock it because I knew what I was getting into. Really interesting and I really enjoyed it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2009 11:54:58 | More by erosier

ngeunit1

California

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a rich dark black color with a bit of red mixed in and a finger of frothy tan head atop. The head lingers around for a while before fading down to a frothy ring leaving behind a bit of lacing.

S - Aroma is full of deep roasted malts and chocolate aromas. There is also some nice sour cherry aroma as well that gets stronger as the beer warms.

T - Starts off with some sour cherry flavor and some roasted chocolate and malt flavor. Through the middle, some stronger sour flavor and some sweet caramel flavor comes through. The finish is a nice mix of sour cherry and chocolate flavor that lingers nicely.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate-low carbonation. The sour flavor works rather nicely with the rest of the flavors in the beer, especially as the beer finishes.

D - Very drinkable. Would have liked the cherry flavor to hit just a bit heavier, but as it is it is nicely balanced with the chocolate and roasted flavors.

Serving type: growler

05-31-2011 02:09:30 | More by ngeunit1

vfgccp

New York

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - great deep brown/black with brown highlights. Briliant foamy head from the pump action of cask, head has great retention but low lace. Head is a nice brown.

S- notes if bitter chocolate and roastyness. Sweet malty smell with notes of nuttyness. Also hints of coffee beans.

T- a nice char and smokey taste, slight cherry tartness but nice coffee bitterness.

M- really nice and smooth. Great coating feeling and lingering taste. Lack of carvonarion due to cask actualy helps to apreciate some of the more subtle flavors.

O- great beer, even better on cask. The warmth and lack of carb changes the drinking experience for the better. The slight cherry bitteness is more noticable and has great drinkability.

---Rated via Beer's Advocate for iPhone

Serving type: cask

11-03-2011 20:35:03 | More by vfgccp

Gavage

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Had this on tap at Max's in Baltimore. Not sure if this was an aged keg, so I do not know accuracy of retirement label.

Appearance:black in color with a two finger fluffy head that lasts quite a while for a higher alcohol beer.Thick lacing paints the glass.

Smell: mild cherry tones but much bigger chocolate tones rise from the glass and are easily detectable.

Taste: large amounts of chocolate, hints of coffee, warming alcohol, mild bitterness, and a pleasant mild cherry flavor gives this a dessert-like flavor.

Mouthfeel: smooth throughout. Super long aftertaste as the flavors stick to your tongue, almost needing a water rinse to clear them. Heavy bodied beer.

Drinkability: at a strong 10% ABV, this is a meal (more like a dessert) in a glass, so one is very enjoyable while more would be tough to handle.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2007 18:47:30 | More by Gavage

Hibernator

Massachusetts

4.16/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Blue Point Sour Cherry Imperial Stout
22 oz brown bottle
Served in a 20 oz tulip glass

Pours a pitch black, reminiscent of ink. Opaque in appearance as I contrast the beer to background light and nothing penetrates. A thin ring of a head forms on top with a sudsy light brown form.

Dark roasted coffee notes with a smokey background and a faint whiff of candy sweetness.

Each sip provides flavors of dark chocolate and espresso. This is a super malty brew, an interesting imperial stout that intertwines a reasonable amount of cherry sweetness. Perhaps a tad sour as advertised, but nothing overwhelming. One thing I particularly like is that the cherry profile is subtle and not artificial tasting like some other beers.

Think Cellas Chocolate Covered Cherries in pure liquid form with a deceiving and surprising 9% ABV. This is a nice lil sipper on this Friday evening as I watch the Red Sox game.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 00:26:05 | More by Hibernator

AzAleC

Arizona

4.13/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A deep brown with a full, creamy, light caramel / almond head, approx. 3/4", good retention with light lacing.

S: Ripe cherry/dark fruit, with a pleasant roasty smell.

T: Rich cherry, roasty, coffee and mild chocolaty flavors.

M: Thick and creamy, yet crisp with the high ABV. Tight carbonation and very smooth.

D: I found this beer to be delicious and easy to drink for the gravity and ABV. More so on tap at the brewery based on how friendly the staff and environment were. Great and warming on a cold winter day.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2006 22:32:16 | More by AzAleC

Pencible

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This poured opaque black with light tan head. It smelled like coffee and hops with some cherry and alcohol scent. It had a very strong flavor, like bitter coffee with some dark chocolate. It was thick with no carbonation, and it had a moderately bitter but long lasting aftertaste. Overall this was a very enjoyable beer that was strong but not over the top, but I was hoping for a little more cherry flavoring to make it really stand out.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2008 22:18:39 | More by Pencible

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Max's the other day.

The beer pours a nice dark brown/black color, with decent foam retention and nice lacing. The aroma is not huge, but one gets a bit of chocolate, coffee and sour cherry. Happily, the cherry flavor doesn't look as if it's going to be over the top with this one.

On the palate, there are some nice flavors of coffee, chocolate and licorice, with a hint of cherry flavor. This stout has a soft, sweet flavor, and a very nice, plush, mouthfeel. The beer is not what I would call hugely complex, but it's a decent enough beer. The beer is also pretty drinkable for it's abv., though I couldn't drink a lot of it. All and all, a pretty good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2007 13:40:24 | More by johnmichaelsen

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this at Hop Devil Grill in New York City last week. I hadn't been there in ages, and this was one of the few offerings that they had on tap, that was unfamiliar to me. It wasn't like other stouts that I've had before, but I thought it was quite decent and very drinkable!

This poured a lot thinner than I thought it would be, and it was "motor oil", in terms of consistency and color. It was relatively thin, and a few shades lighter than black; perhaps that of a very dark cherry. The taste was of that fruit as well, with some currant as well. Head and carbonation was nowhere to be found, and the sourness was a bit overpowering. Not enough to drown the flavors out, but combined with the strong taste of alcohol, ensured that this was not a beer to be taken lightly!

This looked like flat soda when it poured, and was given to me at a temperature a bit below what I'd expect a beer like this to be served at. No matter, I enjoyed it and thought it was a good change from the stronger, darker, and more potent beers that this style is known for. This was a great nightcap beer, and fitting for this time of the year. I couldn't think of a better beer to end 2007 on!

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2008 06:56:10 | More by JerzDevl2000

SkunkWorks

New York

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap, fresh at the brewery. Had it in those tasting cups the brewery provides. I had about a pints worth, so I think this is enough to review.

300th review!

Look: black bodied with some creamy, fluffy off white head with excellent retention and good lacing. Held to the light, it appears closer to brown than black with some red highlights.

Smell: roasted grain, caramel and a bit of cherry along with a hint of alcohol.

Taste: hints of chocolate, coffee, alcohol warmth, and a mild cherry finish. Since I'm not a huge fan of cherry, the amount of cherry works nicely. Its very sweet though and I think this could benefit from some more attenuation.

Feel: smooth, warm from the alcohol, full bodied, a little cloying, and mildly carbonated.

Drinkability: fairly easy drinking. I don't think I would get more than a pint of this though.

Overall Impression: decent but nothing about this is exceptional and nothing about it really makes me want to try it again. Its worth a try though and I wouldn't be put off by the cherry taste, since its kind of subdued. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2011 15:10:19 | More by SkunkWorks

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle served in a snifter.

L - black with a tan head that thinned to a light layer leaving trails of lacing.

S - cherries jump out at first with plenty of roasty aromas in the background.

T - the cherry flavor is subtle as the roasted malt and coffee flavors make for a complex good tasting brew.

F - medium bodied with a creamy, smooth feel.

O - this is good.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 00:21:31 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Much thanks to dickinsonbeer for this. I mistakingly opened this, thinking it may have been one of his homebrews that he left at my house by accident. Luckily, I jotted down some notes to report back to him on...
Appears a dark brown, borderline black with a light tan head that slowly fades out. Scattered streaks of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of roasty, oaty, cocoa infused grain, caramel, and only a mild amount of cherry that's buried in the background with a slight cloying, sugary aroma that seems to compliment the roasted malts well.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with a nice complex flavor that teeters in between sweetness and roastiness.
Mouthfeel is full bodied, complex, mildly cloying, with a short blast of CO2 along the tongue.

Serving type: growler

11-08-2006 00:08:43 | More by weeare138