Shadow Figures
Common Roots Brewing Company

 

This poured nearly still with no head or retention and very little carbonation.
Aroma was weak but porterish with scorched grain and dark sugar sweetness.
Flavor is ok but nothing unique or memorable - the lack of carbonation undercuts any body, leaving it feeling slick and watery.
Balance of flavors, sugars and hop bite is fine but not anything compelling me to take another swig.
Finish is actually good with firm hop bitterness and mildly sweet, dark malt character lingering.

Maybe some variability, judging from other reviews. Very little head, fades fast, little lacing. Tastes like a porter. Nothing crazy. Not my favorite style, but very drinkable.

on draft at the Albany location

black in color, with thin khaki colored head. aroma of dark chocolate and coffee. similar taste, good depth of flavor. medium to fuller bodied.

 

From a can. Pours a deep brown-black with a long lasting tan head. The aroma is coffee and roast. Flavor is roasty, coffee, nutty. Maybe some chocolate. Medium bodied and finishes fairly clean.

From Beer Drop, no dating on the can.

It pours black with a massive head of tan foam, good lacing and retention.

The smell is roasted malt, chocolate, hints of coffee and smoke?

The taste is roasted malt, dark chocolate, caramel malt, coffee, maybe some smoke notes. Very flavourful.

Good mouthfeel, really good Porter.

The beer is black in color with a small tan head around the circumference of the glass.
Aroma of chocolate, coffee, and caramel.
Ditto for the taste. The chocolate shows up early and the coffee waits until later.
medium-bodied.
Nice beer.

pours dark with big head get a big mouthful of creamy malt goodness in the very first sip , great porter style

 

 

A: Dark roasted, flat black coloring has a milky froth topping of golden tan coloring two inches. Slight slivers of lace strands decorate the inner walls. Head retention is strong for a lasting visual.

S: Sweet rich chocolate and fresh cocoa powder first greets the nose. Soft roasted walnuts and fresh chocolate German cake. Light mention of dry cinnamon dusting. Good complexity per style and nose strength. Remember this is a porter, not a stout, but its characteristics can certainly be mistaken for such. Some chocolate morsels rounds out a beautiful dark roasted malting that really shines here.

T: The flavor was a fresh roasted nuttiness, and deep coffee-chocolate roasted malts with a smooth bitterness and some dry milkiness. A good dosing of fresh coffee grounds follows. The flavor is prominent per style again, bordering on stout like qualities with its roastiness and strength characteristics. Some earthy campfire minerality along with some sweet dark fruit of black cherries.

M: Creamy soft mouthful and malting. Light with a easy carbonation factor. The roastiness level is very good and strong on the tongue, but with a light body feel of Guinness. Light chalky dusting on the tongue along with some wet campfire minerality.

O: A deep layering of complexity, smoothness, and strength all combine for an outstanding porter with a strong emphasis on its flavoring and mouthful. The drink gets progressively smoother, more appreciable deeper in. A roasty delight and dessert like drink.

 

 

 

Pours silky black. Tan foam. Sweet roasted aroma. Big roasted malt body. Fades to a sweet chocolate finish. A pretty average porter.

A: silky black color with a 1.5 finger deep tan rocky head

S: nice rich roasted malts, milk chocolate, caramel, Wood, brown sugar

T: nice roasted malts, roasted malts, dark caramel, milk chocolate, cocoa powder. Some wood and green coffee beans at the end

M: lighter side of medium. High carbonation

O: excellent Porter. Nice roast and chocolate notes. Mouthfeel is spot on, and this has a nice abv

 

A: The beer is very close to being jet black in color - only traces of dark brownish red are visible near the corner of the glass when it is held up to a bright light. It poured with a short tan colored head that quickly died down, leaving some lacing on the surface and a narrow collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of roasted malts are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and has moderately strong flavors of dark malts with lots of roasted flavors. There is a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels nearly medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is quite roasty compared to other beers in the style but has a somewhat lighter body that you would expect from a porter.

Serving type: can