Roughtail Brewing Company - Patsy Porter

Before even popping this one open, we’re in a good mood due to the label – it’s a Monty Python reference, if you’re unfamiliar. Watching “Holy Grail” while imbibing is not required, but might enhance one’s enjoyment. This porter presents a super dark brown color, virtually black, topped by a rocky head of medium brown foam. On the nose, it’s quite malt-driven, as we’d expect, with prominent roasty notes, deep-down caramelization, dashes of nuttiness, and slight hints of dried dark fruits, all overlaid by an engaging hop contribution delivering some notes of earth, spice, and aromatic wood. In the flavor, look for the roasty notes to jump to the fore right away, backed up by impressions of dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and coffee grounds, along with a bit of nuttiness leaning toward hazelnut. Despite the bitter contributions from the roasty malts and moderate hop impact, there’s a balance here that we really enjoyed, as there’s a decent level of residual sweetness to provide a solid counterpoint. Flashes of dark fruits and spicy hops add extra intrigue, and the overall feel is quite smooth, round, and satisfying. For food options, grilled or roasted meats (including game) and veggies are natural pairings, along with hearty beef stews or beef pies. We’re also suckers for chocolate cake a la mode in the company of a good robust porter… if you’re into dessert pairings. Oysters are another classic pairing, as are creamy and nutty cheeses. Cheers!

Roughtail Brewing Company’s story begins when homebrewers Blaine Stansel and Tony Tielli met in a homebrewing club. Dissatisfied with the craft beer options in the area, which were limited and, in their words, “safe”, the duo decided to launch their own brewery. Originally they were eyeing Dallas due to the huge size of its untapped beer market, but ultimately they decided to build their brewery in their home of Oklahoma City. Founded in 2012, Roughtail officially hit the market in 2013, offering a well-hopped red ale, an 80 IBU IPA, and a boldly malty and hoppy American strong ale, all produced at their small location in downtown OKC. They named their “rough around the edges” brewery after the Roughtail Gecko, a tough little critter they felt exemplified their attitude.

Soon after launch, Roughtail moved into a larger facility in Midwest City, just a few miles east of downtown OKC. Stansel, Tielli, and their team made the most of their modest 10-barrel brewing system and 5,000 sq.ft. of space, but by 2017 they were brewing at maximum capacity and the need for a larger brewhouse was apparent. Construction of a brand new facility on the northern edge of OKC began soon after, and the brewery moved into this space in 2020. Designed to offer the company enough space for the present and the far future, the new building features a 30-barrel brewing system with over 12,000 sq.ft. of production space and 8,000 sq.ft. for their Taphouse and offices.

Roughtail currently produces six core year-round beers as well as four seasonals and an ongoing variety of limited releases, including barrel-aged ales. For more info on the brewery, their Taproom, and upcoming events, check them out at roughtailbeer.com.