Beer Review: New Glarus Cherry Stout
The New Glarus Cherry Stout is part of their Unplugged line. I have mentioned it before in my reviews but in case you missed it, Unplugged is a series of beers brewed at the whim of New Glarus brewmaster Dan Carey. He just follows his creative muse and sees where it leads him. Honestly, the Cherry Stout did not impress me at all. It looks very dark. It's a deeper red than I would expect from a cherry beer. It's aroma is not very cherry. There is a rich, woody smell that is fairly surprising. The flavor just did not work for me. The mix of eight malted barleys is just a little too much. It's overwhelming. More importantly, the beer is aged in oak barrels to promote fermentation. That oak flavor overpowers the beer and hits you like a punch in the face in the after taste. It's a worthy attempt, but I think the Cherry Stout just doesn't make it. It was really a challenge to finish this. The oak flavor just killed it for me. I'll give New Glarus credit though. They could just produce Spotted Cow, Fat Squirrel, and a handful of others and just do fine. At least they try new things, experiment, and look for interesting brews. This one just didn't do it for me.
