Pouring black as night with a thin, tan head, Cherry Stout is both a pleasure to view and smell. The roasty aroma’s strong -- just shy of smoky -- and laden with deep, dark chocolate and laced with licorice. Earthy, leathery scents linger in the back for added complexity. On the tongue, this beer’s a complex experience. The predictable roasted, chocolaty flavors of a well-made stout hit first, but a surprising rush of tart dark cherry quickly runs along the jaw and digs into the sides of the tongue. While cherry plays on the sides of the tongue, roast and chocolate sink into the taste buds. Roasted bitterness muscles against the savory mixture for a balanced stout that both showcases an excellent base beer and provides a classic example of how fruit can take brew to a new, imaginative level.
