Short's Black Cherry Porter - Short's Brewing Company

Magpie14

Michigan

4.78/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: crimson, brown and deep purple hues flow from the bottle into my tumbler. The body is deep and heavy looking, nearly convinced I was pouring a stout. The head is weighty and caramel coffee in color. Speckled lacing is most appealing and running rampant. This is looking promising

S: shortly after opening the bottle the smell of tart cherries was in the air, wowzers. Continued smelling brought about heavily roasted malts, some cocoa, and even more cherries. This is a nice assembly of smells for a porter. It maintains a large and deep malt base with a mild mannered sweetness in the mix

T: this is amazing. Delicious and ginormous roasted malts (close to being charred) lock in the bottom end. Then, going back and forth, is a harmonious interplay of tart and sweet cherries. This amalgamation of flavors, in of itself, is near perfect. Continued sips unlock mingling soft cocoa, heavy cream, and some coffee notes. I find that the tail end of each sip is laden with a few crushed dark roasted coffee beans. This is without a doubt one of the best porters to date. I am not huge into sour or tart porters and stouts. But when done right, they can be to die for and this one is

M: silky and velvet-like on the tongue. Considering the 9.0% ABV it is nearly impossible to detect, even as thing warm up. Speaking of warming, the flavors are out of this world

D: as of right now, this is one of my personal favorites from Short's. No doubts. Dark beer drinkers need to get a hold of this one

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 00:28:52 | More by Magpie14

dfillius

Michigan

4.63/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed in a pint glass
A: Gentle pour yields 1/2 finger of brown head with good retention. Nice, nearly opaque dark brown, close to black colored liquid. Beautiful
S: Chocolate, toffee, slight alcohol, coffee. Complex and pleasant.
T: Roasty! Great, strong bitter chocolate flavor. A bit too much alcohol in the taste. Interesting tartness at the back edge of my tongue. Not fruity, which is a plus. Very tasty, a solid porter. If the booziness was less, I'd have rated it a 5.0
M: Great bitterness, full feeling, slight warmth
D: Great. I'd love another and I'm glad I bought 6. I'll look for it next year too!

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 21:54:07 | More by dfillius

david131

Michigan

4.6/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A- A completely pitch black liquid with just the slightest hint of blood red coming through at the edges. The dark brown/red head is thin but creamy. Looks mean.

S- Black cherries, smoke, dark chocolate, and coffee. Pretty aromatic and appealing.

T- Black cherries, smoke, and roastiness. Slightly sweet and tart. Really complex and heavy duty.

M- Creamy smooth body with lots of lasting flavors. Dreamy.

D- Really delicious and rich, but it doesn't get out of hand. Very well made; hopefully it doesn't become infected over time.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 06:26:21 | More by david131

Frosty80

Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +18%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Color: so far so good. pours like 6 month-old motor oil. dont see that too often. sits completely black with a thick, moussy head reminiscent of 3 Musketeers inner nuget.

Smell: falls a little short. it has a real clean aroma but you have to really concentrate on picking it apart. very delicate roasted malt aroma. black cherry is very faint

Taste: full malty flavor with a delicate roast. black cherry must naturally compliment the dark malt because it seems to hide in the shadow. hint of dark chocolate. finish is lightly bitter with hint of roast and black cherry skins

Mouthfeel: full-bodied with medium carbonation. very smooth and silky

Notes: very disappointed that it wasnt a little more fruity. absolutely fantastic porter though. pushes towards a stout. not as let down as many of their releases.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 04:26:39 | More by Frosty80

warnerry

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Notes from 1/31/11

A - Pours black with three fingers of deep brown head. Head has great retention.

S - Aroma is chocolate, slightly tart cherries and earthy roasted malts. Smells delicious.

T - Wow! Great blend of chocolate and coffee with cherry flavor filling in the periphery instead of playing a dominant role. Cherry element is slightly tart and not sweet. The tartness is more noticeable on the finish, but is still pretty subtle and desirable.

M - Perfect medium mouthfeel coats the palate nicely.

O - Definitely my favorite Short's offering and one of the better beers I've ever had.

Note: the review is for a pretty fresh bottle. I ending up buying a case of this altogether, and when I got to the last few bottles in March, infection was definitely setting in. Hopefully that will get resolved by the next release, as this is a fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 03:42:46 | More by warnerry

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Decided that I was going to go on a fridge cleaning for the next week before I need to take a break for a while. Went with this mixed sixer last night in an attempt to clean out some lighter fare. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this was consumed on 11/03/2010.

I was really excited to this one, I have been working my way through a great deal of these new offerings but this one just screamed my name. The pour was dark, very dark with only light hints of a reddish tone around the sides and bottom of the glass. A nice head of tan rose up from the bottom of the glass and reached a height of around two fingers before settling back down to earth.

Aroma is deep dark malts, chocolate and rich berries all mixed together nearly perfectly. Warming brings out even more notes of rich raspberries, cherries, hints of milk chocolate and smooth roasted malts. Very full flavor and feel with a thick, viscous touch to it that really just made my day. Smooth chocolate wraps around the taste buds and leaves little doubt as it collides with the cherries to cause a full on dessert experience here. Just a tremendously well balanced and well placed flavor, just the right amount of fruit balanced just right against the big malts. Smooth and rich with a velvet like finish.

Overall easily my favorite of all the new shorts offerings. I could have this one all day long. Just really hit the spot.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 23:42:29 | More by mikesgroove

lnashsig

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Many thanks to kzoobrew for the chance to taste this one. Poured from bottle into DFH snifter. Pours a deep dark, syrupy looking color. Dark tan head, tight bubbles, decent lacing on the glass. leaves a solid tan top after receding. Looks amazing- an appearance of a serious porter here. Smell- definitely getting the dark cherries, and a whiff of cocoa- noting that the cherry smells "real" vs some sort of cherry syrup. Taste- nice silky smooth chocolate and cherry flavors on the end. A little bit of roasted bitterness up front as well. Wow. This is one hell of an amazing beer. For 7%, I get no booze at all, this is just a really balanced beer. I'm super impressed with the use of the cherry flavors here. I'm contrasting this against the stone cherry chocolate stout...this is a superior beer- perfect use of the flavors.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 03:05:45 | More by lnashsig

elNopalero

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This pours a ruby black—you can see the dark intense red when held to light. It has an aroma of dark cherries and a light smoke. Smoke and roast comes through when tasted. A lighter roast that finishes dry and roasty along with a touch of smoked malts makes this beer engaging, complex and enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2011 19:12:24 | More by elNopalero

chugalug06

Colorado

4.49/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Lingering 1 1/2 finger foamy lt. brown head. Brew is pretty thick and deep and dark brown/black. Awesome lacing too.. Tons of proteins

Roasty, chocolate, moderately sweet, cherry, deep, complex, bready, yum!

Lighter than I though it would be. Dry-sweetness, roasty, chewy, leathery, great subtle cherry flavor, dark chocolate, perfect light carbonation, no heat, no bitterness. Amazing.

This brew could be Shorts best brew.. It's phenomenal. Dare I say, recommended? Thanks Abanton for sharing. For the record: I HATE SMOKED BREWS!!! This is NOT a smoked brew, does it have subtle smoke aroma/flavors? yes. The smoke "character" only adds to this fine brews complexity.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 04:38:27 | More by chugalug06

kzoobrew

Michigan

4.47/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Well, here's the deal. These new releases from Short's makes it a little confusing on which one to review under. This description matched the best and I am going with it.

Very deep cherry stained brown. Opaque body with light only peaking through the thinner edges. Two finger chai colored head, with a slim cap left sitting atop. Decent amount of lacing left clinging to the walls of the glass.

Deep roasted malt, coffee and loads of dark chocolate. Heavy dark cherry aroma meshes wonderfully with the dark malt flavors. Slight hints of vanilla are buried beneath.

Dark chocolate and cherry ooze from every ounce. Heavily roasted malt with a slight char taste. French roasted coffee flavor comes off with a pleasant but strong roasted bitterness. Black cherry flavor is slightly tart, not as sweet as some may expect.

Full bodied with a rather creamy texture. Carbonation is low but appropriate. Flavors dig deep into the tongue making for a long finish.

This is one of the best porters I have had the pleasure of drinking. Easy drinking and the alcohol is masked rather well. A bit of a sipper due to the richness of the flavor. I think I need to go a pick up a couple more sixers of this to keep on hand.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 17:44:33 | More by kzoobrew

alexgash

Connecticut

4.47/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle.

Very dark inky brown-black body with a solid finger of resilient, lacy, dark khaki brown head. Nose of cocoa powder, crushed cherries, strawberries, and chocolate milk.

Roasted malt and coffee bitterness up front. Dark chocolate and milk chocolate sweetness blend together mid-palate. Rich cherry flavors pepper the edges, with a nice balance of tart and sweet. If anything, the cherry plays a minor, but important role. The roasted milk chocolate maltiness steals the show. Full-bodied with a velvety smooth mouthfeel. Delicious, and possibly one of the best Short's beers I've had so far!

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2010 03:09:44 | More by alexgash

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First things first, a massive thanks to Kevin (kzoobrew) for sending out a couple of these badass Short's special brews for me to try. Cheers friend!

Appearance - Pours into my Bell's Tulip with an absolute opaque black. I held it up to the light and nothing dares to get through. About a finger of dark mocha colored head is achieved with a moderate pour that dissipates at a modest pace, leaving thin, wispy lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell - Heavy roasted dark malts, sweet chocolate, sweet dark cherries. Everything I would expect a Short's beer labeled as such to smell like!

Taste - It is interesting; reading through people's reviews they state often times they can't taste the cherry. I'm not sure what beer they are drinking. The first flavor I get is utterly overly ripe cherry with that amazing sweetness. Now I will admit the cherry flavor is not dominate, nor does it last long. The essence of the cherry is gone relatively fast, when the wonderfully roasted malts and toasted chocolate kick in to dominate the overall flavors. But rest assured, there is for sure, lots of cherry flavor. This beer is an absolute treat after having a JP La Parcela. From overall tart to a nice sweet, cherry porter - am I in heaven? Accordingly, this is a LEGITIMATE natural cherry flavor (sorry for the caps, but I feel it important to stress). Nothing like SA Cherry Wheat (don't get me wrong, I love SA; they got me into craft beer. But the SA Cherry Wheat is processed disgusting cherry flavor). This has such a natural cherry flavor and overtone, I again wish I could share this with my father and brother-in-law who enjoy Michigan cherries/beer just as much as I do. Stupendous taste.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, lower carbonation. Perfect for this beer.

Drinkability - Is this really nine percent? I know it was before the release of the actual bottled six pack beer...but if it is, the alcohol is hidden amazingly well. No alcohol noticeable in the taste, nor is there any alcohol warming. Very easy to drink, though I am savoring it right now on my porch in Southern California on this 60 degree night (soon to be low 50's if not 40's). This is a complete knock out by Short's and is probably one of, if not the, best beer I've had by them. I am purposefully making myself wait between sips because I used one as a bottle share and only had just a hint (wanted to spread the wealth) so this is my last one and believe me, I am savoring it. Very good and highly recommended. Last notes - I love porters. Sam Adams Holiday Porter was one of my first craft beers which got me hooked on them. If I could have one porter for the rest of my life I can easily say this would be my pick.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2010 02:10:31 | More by SpdKilz

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to cmurren25 for sharing this brew at Als during the pumpkin murren event on Saturday. 

Poured into a snifter this brew appears nearly black in color with a darkly tan head that fades slowly. When held to the light it has some lighter browness showing through the edges and hints of redness.

The smell of this brew is roasty dark malt coming across like chocolate. There is a background note of fruity alcohol esters thy develope more towards being cherry as it warms. If it didn't say black cherry on the bottle I doubt I could hve identified it as such. Also coming through in the aroma is some citrusy hops that compliment the smell of fruit and dark grain.

The taste is dark roasted grain with a nice bitterness that is partly due to the level of roast of the malt and some citrusy bitterness imparted by the hops. The alcohol is noticeable again accenting the fruity side of this brew. It has a long lingering aftertaste of burnt grain mixed with cherry that imparts a dryness on the tongue.

A medium bodied brew with a light enjoyable level of carbonation. A pleasant take on the style and done quite well. It is a good balance of roast, hops, fruit and alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 15:32:21 | More by stakem

SeaUrchin

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

just picked up 2 bottles today, going to pick up a few more tomorrow

served from bottle to a pint glass

appearance - dark, didnt manage to be able to hold it up to a light at my girlfriends today other than the tv but it appeared to be a dark dark brown to a black, with a nice brownish red head that was a good finger high and left decent lacing on the glass

smell - smelled sweet with a nice fruity front, smelled of cherry no doubt in my mind, followed by a nice sweet malty scent, very pleasant, made me excited to taste it

taste - started off with a slight bitterness that quickly passed into a sweet malty flavor, then moved into a nice sweet cherry flavor and finished with a slight tartness that enticed one to take another sip, very pleasant and smooth flavor, as it warmed up the cherry was much more pronounced and so was a sweet bitterness, tartness remained about the same

mouthfeel - a full mouthfeel but not too heavy, slight wateriness at the end but felt as thick as i expected from the scent, but thicker than anticipated from the smell

drinkability - drank the 2 that i bought and wished that i had had a third, delicious will buy again very soon

this beer based off the name made me fear that it was going to taste like the tussin(black cherry i always associate with cough syrup) i was pleasantly surprised by the actual flavor, something i can drink in the cooler fall michigan nights but i dont see it being something that i would want to drink all winter long, great brew in my opinion

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2010 03:42:58 | More by SeaUrchin

NDPDuke

Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Crunchies in Lansing, MI. Not my favorite style, but whenever I see a Short's brew, I am inclined to try it. Poured into the traditional pint glass via tap.

Appearance: A dark mahogany color with a thing head on top. Looks like a thick porter with a hint of cherries (HENCE THE NAME).

Smell: Smells of the black cherries that I am used to picking up north in the area where this brewery is located. The cherry smell is strong, but pleasing. Also have a few hints of chocolate and molasses near the end.

Taste: Tastes like a porter with cherries mashed into it. For the 9% alcohol level, it's really not too strong. The cherries do a good job of meshing with the classic porter style. Similar to the smell, can't taste a bit of chocolate and malts as you get near the bottom.

Mouthfeel: Thick, creamy, like a porter. The cherry taste sticks in the mouth once the beer has gone.

Drinkability: For 9% alcohol, this brew is quite easy to get through. For me though, cherry brews and other associated fruit types usually come one at a time. Probably same with this one. Would prefer to just have one or two at a time.

Overall, a very good cherry porter. Usually I am not a big fan of these types of beers. I usually struggle with the overpowering cherry taste. In this case though, the classic porter style sticks with an overtone of cherry. Backed by chocolate and molasses, this is a very good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2008 20:53:05 | More by NDPDuke

webmanspidey

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Short's brewpub and then picked up a growler to go.

Dark brown in color, light purple/pink caramel lacing. Smell and taste are a mix of dry dark chocolate with a very tart black cherry finish. Lightly carbonated and a mellow creamy mouthfeel. Excellent drinkability. A very smooth, delicious beer.

Serving type: growler

08-30-2009 00:27:07 | More by webmanspidey

nickadams2

New York

4.35/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A_Pors almost black with dark red hue. Thick dark reddish brown head with great retention. Lacing coats the glass.

S_Rich dark chocolate malt and black cherry. Not picking up much booze.

T_Perfect blend of dark chocolate and black cherry. The cherry is bittersweet and not over done. Hints of vanilla and espresso.

M_Full bodied though a little thinner than one might expect. Slick on the palate.

D_For the ABV this is very drinkable. Very well done.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 18:35:09 | More by nickadams2

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Well the pour is pretty inky black with tinges of redness along the edges. Didn't produce much head but the very fine lacing is nice.

Smells exceptional, one of the best smelling porters I've had in a while. Definitely a cherry smell, but pleasant roasted malts and chocolate do shine through as well.

Taste wise this one is a big hit for me. It's so perfectly fruity with an exquisite cherry taste, great roasty maltiness, and tinges of coffee and chocolate.

Body is very nice, excellent for a porter. Medium bodied and creamy, this smooth beer satisfies your thirst as well as your taste buds.

One might expect this to be a fruit beer from all the great cherry flavors, but it's clearly a porter, the porter style being done a great service here by the addition of so many delicious black cherries.

It's scarily easy to drink. Would make a great beer for various occasions, including food, after-dinner, as a dessert beer or even just to sip in front of a warm fire on a cold winter night.

This is my idea of how a great porter should balance flavors, aromas, and body. I got a mixed sixer with my win on the football BIF and they keep getting better and better each one of Short's beers that I try. Bravo Shorts!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2011 23:22:22 | More by AlCaponeJunior

Stigs

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle purchased from the brewery a couple months ago. served in a small tulip glass.

A - pours with about a third inch of creamy, khaki colored foam. settles to a thin film and ring, leaving a thin layer of consistent lacing around the glass. the beer is dark, even for a porter...letting in just a tad bit of dark ruby around the sides of the glass.

S - slightly roasted malts, toasted nuts, just a touch of licorice and milk chocolate...black cherries are present but take some effort to pull out.

T - begins as it should as a solid porter, roasted but not charred malts alongside of chocolate, and toasted nuts. sweetness creeps in during the second half, as a delicate layer of fresh cherry juice comes alive and adds a subtle bit of tartness to the end.

M - medium bodied with solid yet controlled, tight fizzy carbonation. creamy where it should be, and coats the mouth through the swallow. fruity tartness somewhat wipes things clean at the end.

D - what we have here is a solid American porter, taken to the next level by the addition of a well amount of cherries to compliment and not overwhelm. one of my favorite Short's beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 01:55:19 | More by Stigs

adamette

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

This was the bartender's recommendation at HopCat during my visit there. At the time she simply said that "it has the most unique taste." On tap at HopCat in Grand Rapids, MI two days ago. Review from notes taken at the bar. Poured into a clean, clear glass.

A Dark brown head, black body with great lacing. I do not know how it can be improved. 5.0

S Dark roast malt and the darkest cherry smell. 4.0

T Dark roast malt, some cherry sweetness but it is black cherry of course so it is eclipsed somewhat by the dark roast malt taste. To me, this is a very tasty Porter in its own right (without the Black Cherry) but the black cherry adds a little something extra to "sweeten the deal." 4.5

M Big, foreboding thick feel. Love it.5.0

D Fair plus drinkability as this is a huge beer, one that I could probably only have one of. 3.5

Notes: I agree with the bartender that this is a unique tasting beer and I am glad that she made the recommendation.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2009 03:36:47 | More by adamette

billab914

Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Sam Adams pint glass. It poured black and thick with a very nice dense mocha head filling the top inch of the glass. The head retreated to the edges of the glass where it left some decent lacing.

The aroma shows a nice roasted quality to it with a little coffee, but remains very smooth. The black cherries come through a little and mix with a chocolaty flavor very nicely. Chocolate covered cherries really come to mind in the aroma.

The taste shows more of the cherry flavor throughout the beer. It's a very nice fresh black cherry taste that I'm really enjoying. Like the nose suggested, chocolate really does play a big role as well and adds to the chocolate covered cherry similarities. The roasty flavors are a little less pronounced at first but they show back up in the finish to lend some bitter, burnt flavors. I get just a bit of alcohol to it in the finish as well, almost like a hint of a cherry soaked in vodka. I really enjoyed the flavors in this one a lot.

The mouthfeel feels heavy and a bit syrupy, while carbonation is low. It seems to fit the flavor profile pretty nicely actually. Drinkability is very good, I really enjoyed the beer and the flavors. The cherries were very well done and the chocolate complimented them very well. I love cherries and this beer was right up my alley. Probably my favorite shorts beer so far.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2010 02:44:42 | More by billab914

johndoe8

California

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Very little carbonation, almost no head. Looks rather smooth, if that can describe the viscosity, but there's really good lacing on this.
S: Smell is typically malty with a mild cherry nose.
T: This is an extremely good porter. As others have noted, the cherry really takes a back seat to just a great porter. The subtle cherry notes accentuate it, but do not add any sweetness or take away from the nice roasty taste of a good porter.
M: Mouthfeel also very good.
D: Very drinkable porter. Highly recommended.

Overall notes:

I was honestly expecting something like the New Glarus Cherry Stout, which is a sweet fruit beer, and would not remind me of a stout no matter how many times I tried it. This however is a genuine porter with great flavor and does not stray far from the style. I really like it, and probably barely edges out the Stone Vanilla Smoked Porter as my favorite porter in terms of taste.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 07:22:49 | More by johndoe8

Bung

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. Quite dark, pretty much black pour with a half finger of tan head.

The aroma is pretty thick with cherry. Also a nice dose of malt and earthiness, peat, grass.

The tart cherry is right there up front. The malty porter dominates after that. Heavy roasted malt, dark chocolate and some ashiness. The cherry accentes throughout. Finishes with continued roast and cocoa.

This is much fuller than I would have expected. The porter behind the cherries is big, but the alcohol is not. Not quite a creamy mouthfeel. A nice dessert, different than the norm.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2011 02:59:33 | More by Bung

otto251068

Tennessee

4.2/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Chimay goblet. No freshness date.

Appearance: The beer pours a very dark chocolate brown. Absolutely no light getting through this one. Took a hard pour to get some head, but it was worth it. Extremely dark brown foam, color reminds me of frothy chocolate milk. Rises to about a fingers worth, then fades to a thin layer.

Smell: Dark chocolate, tons of roasted (or burnt) malts, small notes of fruit in there, not cherry as I would expect, but strawberry. Alcohol as it warms, as well as dark, roasted coffee.

Taste: Bitterness up front (lots), along with dark chocolate. Plenty of burnt and roasted malts in this one. Coffee, smoke as well. A touch of fresh, very tart cherry at the end which is delicious. The cherry seems to have a tough time fighting through all the other flavors, but its there at the end. The cherry is almost an afterthought, which I like. A bit of bitterness lingers.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with medium carbonation. The beer has a creamy texture, very smooth and easy to drink. The bubbles are very lively.

Overall: There are lots of burnt/smoky/roasted flavors, and the tart cherry is a great finish to all of them. A nice change of pace. It's a definite sipper, and I can't say enough about that smooth, cherry finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 22:35:18 | More by otto251068

jt354

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into an entirely unworthy glass from a 12-oz bottle, just purchased.

A: Nice medium brown colored head, creamy with decent retention. Some lacing, not so much as Huma or Pandemonium, which was to be expected.

S: Strong notes of coffee and chocolate with a distinct yet subtle cherry accent. My blue-collar palate is not refined enough to discern anything more. I was surprised at how restrained the cherry aroma seemed, more of an undertone than a distinct element.

T: Basically, it tastes like a good porter with a touch of cherry. I couldn't be happier considering how much I dislike "fruity" beer and wine. It's not outstanding next to Founders or Great Lakes, but it is certainly a solid porter.

M: Not too thick, not too thin. Pretty much perfect for the style in my opinion.

Overall, another excellent "experiment" by the fine folks at Shorts. I'm glad I picked this up!

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 02:15:09 | More by jt354