What is this? When I picked this up, I assumed this combination would be found in a
stout, but this doesn't actually say
stout on it. Instead, it says that it is a "malt beverage" of some kind. Yet, the brewer also says in proud lettering on two sides of the label, "We love beer." So, let's see if this is something we will also love.
If you poured this in front of me and didn't tell me what it was, I would swear up and down that it was a brown ale from the color alone. I mean - this is a real brown with a light tan head. But, the aroma isn't the nuts that you would find with one of those beers. Instead, it's (unsurprisingly) cherries over chocolate. I don't smell anything else other than maybe a hint of seltzer.
First sip is a bit more watery than I expected, but it definitely has the cherries and chocolate going on. This is one of the few times that I'm drinking something cherry that doesn't have the sour end of the cherries; instead, the sweetness from the dark chocolate comes through with the flavors.
Tip-in is carbonation sizzle with the seltzer taking the front row, but the roasted cocoa is simmering in the background. The middle swells with light prodding of cherries mixed with the dark chocolate, but it's all in a sea of water; this is too mild in the meat of the beer. The finish is a very nice spritz of mocha and charred wood.
Bottom Line: Inoffensive and drinkable. It needs a bit more girth.
2.25/5