Urban Chestnut Brewing Company Cherry Thrale's
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What the brewers say
“Russia’s Peter the Great loved English stouts. Unfortunately, the beer could not survive the long journey until 1796, when London brewery Thrale’s increased the alcohol content and hopping rate in their stout, creating the imperial stout. We’ve ‘imperialized’ this stout by fermenting it a bit further with sour cherries.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “The cherries smell very ripe, maybe overly so, approaching rotten or cough medicine. A touch of roast pokes through here and there, but it’s pretty hard to find under the fruit. Dark chocolate, black patent malt, roasted malt, and caramel.”
Flavor: “The cherries are dark, tart, and rich, but still have that slightly overripe muddiness to them. The base beer feels like it has the right body and roast level but is hard to find under the cherries. Some bubblegum and fruity esters, with mild phenols and chlorophenols. Thin-bodied, chalky mouthfeel.”
Overall: “A good attempt, but the quality of the fruit really detracts. Has nice rich dark chocolate flavor, but chlorophenols and black marker diminish the finish. The cherries need a stronger beer to provide a richer context.”
