​Rochus
Briar Common Brewery + Eatery

L: Pours a dark black color with notes of mahogany red, and a small tan head with no lacing on the glass.

S: Earthy and toasty, slight note of chocolate and coffee.

T: Roasty and earthy, slight bit of chocolate and a little bitterness. Not complex but still nice and drinkable.

F: Medium body and fairly crisp finish.

O: This isn't an overly complex porter but still nice and drinkable.

 

 

the act of being present and just hanging out in this cool space it better than either the beer or the food, but they are still new, so give them some time. this porter i reckon is their best beer right now, at least from a technical standpoint. so many of their beers have a funny yeast flavor, even in styles where that doesnt belong. maybe an issue of fermentation temperature or something, but its least present in this shiny black slick porter. it has a nice dark roast to it, but very minimal bitterness, perhaps some specialty dark malts account for that, or a fine balance with more conventional grains, either way, its well built to showcase the roast and the earthy nutty parts of that dark malts without letting it get bitter. some coffee notes to the flavor, a hint of caramel sweetness too, but it finishes on the drier side with a yeast thats not quite flavorless, but isnt out of place either. it has a rich feeling to it and plenty of body, nice for the winter here, but it could definitely stand a little more carbonation. overall not a bad beer, it just doesnt appear to be going anywhere, not telling a story, its unresolved but not incomplete if that makes sense. i suspect it will all come around in here, but this is the place to start for now in my opinion...