Having enjoyed Black Oak's "Oaktoberfest" seasonal, we headed to the brewery's retail store to pick up a couple of six packs as soon as their Double Chocolate Cherry Stout ("DCCS") was available. DCCS came in a brown 341 ml bottle and was 5.8% alcohol by volume. A production date of February 13, 2012 was stamped on the bottom of the six pack, which sold for $13.50/6, equal to $2.25 per bottle.

The beer poured an opaque black, and a fairly aggressive pour produced 1" of dark tan coloured head that dissipated within 2 minutes. The head resolved itself into a collar of foam and thin film, leaving considerable lacing down the glass. Despite the darkness of the beer, some carbonation was still visible. Its aroma was dominated by woody smoke and chocolate, with hints of cocoa. I didn't really notice any cherry in the aroma. The flavour began with lots of chocolate and smoke, transitioning to a subtle, tart cherry finish. A smoky, slightly bitter aftertaste lingered, but wasn't strong enough or long lasting enough to be offensive. I found that there was just enough tart cherry in the flavour to be interesting, any less and it would pretty well pass unnoticed....and it wasn't the artificial cherry Lifesaver flavour used by some brewers. Although still quite subtle, the cherry flavour did become more noticeable as the beer warmed. Typical of a stout, DCCS had a soft carbonation and I would describe it as medium bodied. I would certainly buy DCCS again, and the beer is reasonably priced.

Rating 7.5