When I want to date myself, I tell people there was a time when I could walk into the local liquor store and not find a single beer I had not tried already. This was in the early nineties mind you, but I have to admit that never happens anymore. There are just too many breweries making too many beers for me not to be able to find a number of beers new to me.

That said, there are times that I find a new beer that I’ve had before. That may sound crazy, but it’s true in a way, and the proof in this pudding is Bell’s 30^th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve. This is a bigger, stronger version of the classic Bell’s Cherry Stout, a beer I’ve enjoyed in the past, but is also a beer I’m enjoying for the first time. The best of both worlds, if you will.

As it turned out, I found a single bottle of both Bell’s 30^th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve and Bell’s Cherry Stout at Wild Hare Beer Company in Spring Hill, TN. I had not seen the Reserve before in Georgia, though I did see a 4-pack at Sherlock’s at a later date. This allowed me to compare the two side by side.

Bell’s says of their Cherry Stout:

Tinted ruby-black, Cherry Stout gains its signature tartness from 100% Montmorency cherries grown in Michigan's Traverse City region.

Rather than doubling up on sweetness, this tart cherry varietal serves as a counterpoint to the warm, dark chocolate notes from the malt bill. Lightly hopped for balance, this stout is one of the cornerstones of our stout portfolio.

Bell’s Cherry Stout has an alcohol content of 7% by volume and runs $14.99 a six-pack at Total Wine, which is a bit high. Bell’s says it has an “unlimited” shelf life on their website, though my bottle says 12 months. My bottle says packaged on 10/16/2017 and I drank it on October 7^th of 2018, the same day that I bought it. It was refrigerated when I purchased it.

Here are my tasting notes:

Bell’s Cherry Stout pours to a jet-black color with a thick creamy tan head and a rich roasty cherry cordial nose. Taking a sip, the beer is smooth and chocolatey, delightfully roasty and medium in body and infused with dark fruity cherry flavor. Always one of my favorite beers, like a ripe tart sour bing cherry wrapped in dark chocolate. It’s wonderful.

Bell’s says of their Cherry Stout Reserve:

This version was brewed in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of our Cherry Stout, another specialty beer that was first brewed in 1988 as a nod to a local homebrew club in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It has grown to be one of the most anticipated beers we brew at the brewery every year.

We brewed a version of Cherry Stout in 2001 using oak chips and cherry pits. This time around, we decided to brew with whole cherries and oak chips. Coming in at 9.0% alcohol by volume, this commemorative batch is a celebration of what Cherry Stout means to us.

Bell’s Cherry Stout Reserve has an alcohol content of 9% by volume as they just told us and runs $10.99 a four-pack at Total Wine. Bell’s says this also has an “unlimited” shelf life on their website, and this time the bottle agrees. My bottle says packaged on 5/11/2018 and I drank it on October 7^th of 2018, the same day that I bought it. It was refrigerated when I purchased it.

Here are my tasting notes:

Bell’s Cherry Stout 30th Anniversary Reserve pours to a jet-black color with a thick creamy tan head and luscious tart cherry and chocolate in the nose. Taking a sip, the beer is immediately noticeable as fuller in body than the original (if only a bit more so), a little more chocolaty and luscious with tart sour dark cherry fruit. Perhaps a hint of woody oak? Finishes tart and wonderful with the fruit and warming with alcohol. Fuller in body and warmer in alcohol than the original, too.

Do I prefer one over the other? That’s like trying to choose one of your children as your favorite. These beers are different, but both wonderful in their own way. I am so glad I got to try them side by side, and if you can do the same, you should.



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