Pipeworks Cherry Got Ya Covered 2Pk

Pipeworks Cherry Got Ya Covered 2Pk is a two-pack of American imperial stout from Pipeworks Brewing Co. in Chicago, brewed with cherries, pretzels, vanilla, and cacao. This variant of the popular Got Ya Covered series stands out for its unconventional use of real Snyder's pretzels in the mash, creating a distinctive sweet-salty interplay that has earned strong marks from the craft beer community, including a 3.6 out of 5 rating on Untappd across 435-plus ratings.

Quick Facts: Style: American Imperial Stout  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Adjuncts: Cherries, Pretzels, Vanilla, Cacao  |  Brewery: Pipeworks Brewing Co.

Production & Heritage

Pipeworks Brewing Co. is a Chicago-based craft brewery known for limited-release, adjunct-heavy stouts and inventive recipes. Cherry Got Ya Covered is brewed with pounds and pounds of real Snyder's pretzels added directly to the mash, a technique that imparts a subtle salinity that balances the sweetness of the cherry, vanilla, and cacao additions. The result is a dense, layered imperial stout that sits firmly in the pastry stout tradition while the pretzel component adds a textural and flavor element rarely found in the style.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Cherry and dark chocolate arrive first, followed by soft vanilla sweetness and a faint roasted malt backbone. A light cocoa powder dusting rounds out the nose.

Taste: The entry delivers cherry, salt, and cocoa in quick succession, with a mild tartness adding structure. At mid-palate, sweeter chocolate and cherry notes emerge as the beer warms, supported by a restrained vanilla presence. A touch of salt from the pretzel mash weaves throughout, providing balance against the rich, malty sweetness.

Finish: The finish is moderately dry and tart, with lingering dark chocolate and cherry that slowly fade. A light salinity persists, keeping the final impression clean rather than cloying.

How to Drink Cherry Got Ya Covered

This imperial stout is best enjoyed at cellar temperature, around 50–55°F, poured into a snifter or tulip glass to concentrate its complex aromatics. Allowing it to warm slightly in the glass will coax out more of the vanilla and cherry character. Given the bold adjunct profile, this beer is a standalone sipper rather than a cocktail ingredient — its complexity rewards slow, deliberate drinking.

Best For

• Sharing with a fellow craft beer enthusiast during a stout tasting session
• Pairing alongside a rich dessert course at a dinner party
• Gifting to a pastry stout collector seeking limited Pipeworks releases
• Cold-weather evening sipping as an after-dinner indulgence

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cherry Got Ya Covered taste like? Cherry Got Ya Covered delivers a layered combination of dark cherry, cocoa, vanilla, and a distinctive subtle saltiness from real pretzels in the mash. The overall profile balances sweet and tart, with a moderately dry, chocolate-accented finish.

How does Cherry Got Ya Covered compare to Goose Island Bourbon County Stout? Both are Chicago-born imperial stouts, but Cherry Got Ya Covered leans into adjunct-driven sweetness with its cherry, pretzel, and vanilla additions, while Bourbon County Stout derives its complexity primarily from barrel aging. Some reviewers have noted that Cherry Got Ya Covered achieves a superior sweet-to-bitter balance compared to certain Bourbon County variants.

Is Cherry Got Ya Covered good for sipping neat? Yes — this is a full-bodied imperial stout designed for slow sipping at cellar temperature, where its layers of cherry, chocolate, salt, and vanilla unfold gradually as the beer warms in the glass.

Where is Cherry Got Ya Covered made? Cherry Got Ya Covered is brewed by Pipeworks Brewing Co. in Chicago, Illinois. Pipeworks is known for producing creative, limited-run stouts and ales distributed across select U.S. markets.

What foods pair well with Cherry Got Ya Covered? Dark chocolate brownies complement the cocoa and cherry notes. Salted caramel desserts echo the pretzel-derived salinity. A sharp aged cheddar provides contrast to the malty sweetness. Cherry cheesecake mirrors and amplifies the fruit character. Smoked brisket stands up to the beer's bold body while the cherry tartness cuts through the fat.

What sizes does Cherry Got Ya Covered come in? This release is packaged as a two-pack of cans, which is the standard retail format for Pipeworks limited-release stouts.

Is Cherry Got Ya Covered worth the price? Cherry Got Ya Covered positions as a premium limited-release imperial stout with an unusual adjunct bill — real pretzels, cherries, vanilla, and cacao — that justifies its place above everyday craft stout pricing. For pastry stout fans, the distinctive pretzel-salt dimension offers genuine novelty in a crowded category.

Why Cherry Got Ya Covered?

The defining differentiator here is the mash bill: few imperial stouts on the market incorporate real Snyder's pretzels directly into the grain bed, and the resulting salinity gives Cherry Got Ya Covered a structural counterpoint to its rich, dessert-like sweetness that most pastry stouts lack. The cherry, vanilla, and cacao additions are well-integrated rather than heavy-handed, producing a beer that reads as complex rather than gimmicky. With an 81 score on BeerAdvocate and consistent praise on Untappd for its sweet-salty balance, this Pipeworks release has earned a loyal following among imperial stout collectors. For drinkers who find many pastry stouts one-dimensional, the pretzel element provides the savory anchor that keeps each sip interesting.