Commonwealth Common
O'Connor Brewing Co.

Poured from a bomber into a shaker pint, the beer is a crystal clear, caramel coloring with a foamy, clingy, off-white head. Aromas of roasted caramel, subtle hops bitterness, and subtle floral highlights. Flavors of roasted caramel and nut sweetness, slightly tangy, with hints of smoke. Any hops characteristics are overshadowed by the of the sweet profiles. The body is light and smooth, with an underlying edge. Some bitterness comes through in the aftertaste, but again, the profile is mostly roasted and richly sweet. The finish has a caramel and nutty sweet linger through an otherwise slick, smooth, slightly effervesced feel.

 

 

 

 

Poured a clear golden body with two finger head and minimal lace ring. A grainy, bready aroma with touches of bitterness. Smooth and clean, the beer has a light body that holds to style with mild hop characteristics and minimal sweetness. There really isn't much discernable with this beer but it is an easy drinking lager and a good rep for this style.

22 oz bottle poured in a stemmed glass, spot on for the style. Really good, can't be any more well balanced.

A toasty, roasty, nutty medium bodied dark amber lager with absolutely no off flavors.

 

Appearance: Very hazy dark shade of copper with a fluffy white head that leaves good lacing.

Aroma: I get a band-aid aroma that is pretty off-putting. It's not going to make me throw up or anything but it wasn't welcoming. It doesn't take long for the alcohol aroma to start coming through, even when the beer and glass aren't that warm. It isn't flattering for a 6.5% ABV beer.

Taste: It has a very bold grain character, but some of that band-aid character comes through again. The grain flavor is very nice...like eating a rustic bread but very mellow.

Mouthfeel: There is a good bitterness to this beer that is a bit more than I get in other commons. It tends to stay in the background when drinking the beer then appears to cleanse the palate.

Overall: I kept drinking the beer thinking that the band-aid aroma and flavor were just in my head and hoping it would go away...but sure enough it was there rearing its head. The beer is still drinkable, but it definitely isn't something that I would recommend. I suppose it is oddly fortunate that this is only a limited release.