Brewview#38: OK, Be Jelly Raspberry Porter by Rohrbach Brewing Company

Sorry this is coming out a day later than I expected. I had a very trying day at work which led to me getting out late and arriving home beyond exhausted. Though I still thought about writing this last night, cause truly I needed a beer more than ever, I figured it would be better if I waited and had a rested mindset. So here we are, it’s bitter cold out and snow is falling sporadically. What better time to drink some beer and write about it?

Rohrbach Brewing Company can be known for quite a few different reasons, its success since 1991, their flag ship beers, and a series of beer that our beer for tonight originates from; their Neoteric Series. If you go on their website and peruse their beer selection, which is obviously the reason you would visit a brewery’s websites, be sure to check out the Neoteric Series. In this series are some interesting and delicious beers, most of which I have enjoyed and always keep an eye out for. Tonight’s beer is the newest addition, OK, Be Jelly, a raspberry porter that is meant to beerify(Jeff-term) the jelly portion of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Unfortunately, I find myself saddened that I have still not yet gotten a hold of Don’t Be Jelly, the peanut butter portion of the sandwich. Donations are always welcome :D. I am very optimistic I will cross paths with a four pack soon.

So, a raspberry porter, I’ve never had one before and I must say I find myself greatly intrigued. I’m glad that Rohrbach Brewing Company will be the one popping the cherry, or should I say raspberry, for me!

Enough with the chit-chat, let’s get down to business.

The Beer: OK, Be Jelly Raspberry Porter by Rohrbach Brewing Company

ABV: 7% IBU: 27

Hops and malts were unavailable at this time, if I find myself enlightened I will be sure to update the list.

A very simple yet catchy pint can that houses OK, Be Jelly. On the side of it you will find a simple and to the point prelude to what is inside the can.

‘Following our ‘Don’t Be Jelly’ peanut butter porter, we’re giving the other half of the sandwich a try. This rich porter has just the right amount of sweet and tart raspberry notes.’

Again, not giving too much away, but simply reiterating the raspberry aspect of the porter.

Let’s Drink

So aromas wise there are three main aspects that are worth mentioning. To get the obvious one out the way let’s talk about the raspberry aroma. When first opening my can it wasn’t the first aroma I picked up on and this surprised me a bit. But when I filled my glass, the raspberry aroma quickly jumped in the front of the line becoming more apparent. The aroma itself has a more sweeter characteristic though you do pick up on a little bit of the raspberry tart. When first opening the can for a brief second I did pick up on some coffee notes, which did not linger for any extended amount of time. What I truly find satisfying about the aromas is the chocolate. It combines with the raspberry aroma and brings together a nice tart and sweet combination. The way they come together and compliment each other is outstanding and gives Ok, Be Jelly a mouth watering first impression.

Being a porter I expected Ok, Be Jelly to be a dark beer. What makes it’s a bit more interesting is the red hue that I am able to see when I hold my glass up the light. Fair to say I guess that goes along with it being a raspberry porter. Besides the color, Ok, Be Jelly holds onto a nice two to three finger width head which has a very creamy characteristic to it. The creaminess provides a nice residue on the glass as you enjoy your beer and make room for more beer.

Enjoy

So I bought the four pack when it first hit store shelves and have been looking forward to doing this Brewview for some time. With that being said, I’ve already drank two since I’ve bought it and I’ve been putting a lot of thought into Ok, Be Jelly. It’s a very delicious beer and I will continue to buy it whenever the chance arises. Though I do find some things worth mentioning, mostly good and maybe one bad thing(if you could even call it that, I guess for lack of a better term.)

So let’s start of with what I found to be enjoyable about the beer. First and foremost the flavors are similar to the aromas, though there are noteworthy differences to bring about. That slight coffee aroma I picked up on when I first opened my can, is completely non-existent when it comes to flavor, until the end that is. Even then it can be difficult to pick up on if at all. Which in my mind is not a problem, I find I like my stouts to have a more coffee flavor to them. Same as when the beer was in the glass and the raspberry aroma took over, is exactly how it is flavor wise. Rohrbach hit it on the nose when mentioning the sweet and tart raspberry notes. With every sip I am trying to appreciate both notes, it seems that the tart carries on from the beginning of the sip till the end when the sweet kicks in. Which is nice, otherwise the bitterness would be a lot higher and the beer would not be as enjoyable. The sweeter aspects come at the end right as you swallow and carry on to a nice creamy finish which lingers on but not too much that it makes the beer less refreshing. Altogether, the beer has a nice smooth finish to it, though I think it goes without saying it does hold a strong raspberry after taste. Not overwhelming though. Previously when I had Ok, Be Jelly and then another beer it did not collide at all with flavors of the following beer. In my eyes that’s an excellent characteristic to hold for most beers.

So with all that said, I have one critique, if you could call it that. I can’t think of another word and I am not using it in a beer snob kind of way. But, where is the porter aspect of the beer? I did pick up on the coffee in the aromas and flavors for a brief moment. The chocolate aromas were very nice, but nothing at all in the flavor makes me feel this is a porter. Like I said I purchased my four pack when it first hit shelves and I really took time to ponder my thoughts and bring them together. Unfortunately, I am not tasting anything that makes me think that this is a porter without already knowing it. As always, especially now I would love some input. Tell me I’m wrong and please point me in the right direction. I’m open to it. I love Rohrbach’s way too much and would find it disrespectful not to be completely open.

Closing Thoughts

Besides my lack of porter thought, I found this beer to be very interesting and enjoyed it thoroughly. I’m hoping to find the first part, Don’t Be Jelly and see what that brings to the table. Along with that I will continue to keep an eye out for the hops and malts used in Ok, Be Jelly in hopes of updating this Brewview.

All around, Ok, Be Jelly was a very interesting beer,  really made me think and ponder what it was all about. That’s not something I say about  most beers if any at all. I loved it and will definitely buy it again. I love what Rohrbach does with it’s Neoteric Series and look forward to the series’ growth.

One last thought, there is a small amount of breweries that I always keep any eye out for when I am out scouting for beers. Rohrbach Brewing Company is easily one of those breweries, so please support our friends in Rochester they are amazing!

Rohrbach Brewing Company, keep them coming!!!

Cheers!

PS: I’m hoping to post Brewview#39 sometimes within the next few days, if not tomorrow then money. Sunday goes to football, enjoy the Probowl!GO AFC!