Taste Test – Cherry Stouts

John conducted a blind taste test of cherry stouts with a few surprises to throw everyone off. He had Bell’s Cherry Stout twice, included a blueberry stout, and had a regular stout that he added cherry flavor to. We rated the beers within the fruit stout category.

Date: 2/5/16
Location: Andrew’s house

Tasting Notes:

1. Bell’s Brewery – Cherry Stout (bottled 11/20/15)

• Andrew: Knew it was Bell’s Cherry Stout right away, noticed that it tasted similar to Bell’s Expedition Stout. “Pronounced roasted aroma.”
• Ellen: Roasty, tart finish
• Mike: Cocoa aroma and flavor, cherry adds a pleasant sour/tartness to the beer.

2. Dark Horse Brewing Company – Tres Blueberry Stout

• Andrew: Too roasty
• Ellen: Too much blueberry
• Mike: Coffee notes, too dry
• We could all tell this beer had blueberry instead of cherry.

3. Homebrew – Cherry Stout

• Andrew: Less fruity but blends well with beer, more a brown ale than a stout, notes of apricot?
• Ellen: Noticeably a cherry stout
• Mike: Buttery aroma, harsh alcohol, odd hop bitterness, needs to age more

4. Deschutes Brewery – Obsidian Stout with cherry flavoring added (sorry Deschutes!)

• Andrew: Sweet cherry, tastes like a red Starburst
• Ellen: Tastes like cherry cough syrup, dry/bitter finish
• Mike: Artificial cherry, very dry

5. Bell’s Brewery – Cherry Stout (bottled 11/13/15)

• Andrew: Noticeable tart cherries
• Ellen: Noticeable tart cherries
• Mike: Sour cherries, mild dark maltiness

6. Central Waters Brewing Company – Bourbon Barrel Cherry Stout

• We all recognized this beer right away as Central Waters’ Bourbon Barrel Cherry Stout

Observations:

• We all gave the second tasting of Bell’s Cherry Stout a one-step lower grade.
• Adding cherry flavoring to Deschute’s Obsidian Stout ruined the beer and made it by far the least favorite.