RJ Rockers' Buckwheat After Dark
I feel kinda bad about this review. Or, maybe I should say I feel “BAD.”
Why? Well, because this week I am finally getting around to reviewing a member of a local family of beers that I should have done a long time ago. And, not only that, but the beer I chose to review might only be available at a few more places for just a few more weeks.
The brew is RJ Rockers Buckwheat After Dark, hence the acronym “BAD.” And there is a lot to talk about in regard to this dunkel-style brew that has a lot of complexity, a lot of components and a lot of mystery surrounding it.
Grove is quite fluent when it comes to beer reviewing, and he gives a full examination of the taste and texture of Buckwheat After Dark. Here’s a snippet …
First impressions of the taste are obvious buckwheat flavors. The earthy tones from the aroma translate well to the taste buds and make for a unique flavor of beer. It also contains hints of coffee in the background that don’t make it stout-like, but provide a complexity that lingers momentarily.
It’s a deeply favorable review, and well worth a read to get Grove’s take on the product.
Steve Shanafelt
I haven’t had the beer yet, but I intend to try it soon. I don’t have a lot of experience with dunkelweizen having only had the style a couple of times.
For anybody who’s interested, Beeradvocate ( http://beeradvocate.com/ ) is really the best place for beer reviews, definitely the biggest online gathering spot for beer aficionados. Most of RJ’s beers average in the B’s, not bad.
RJ’s isn’t quite up to the standards of breweries like Stone (my personal favorite) or Rogue, but to my mind they’re fast catching up to other regional breweries like Highland, and have already passed Greenville’s Thomas Creek in terms of quality and taste.
Personally, I’m itching to try the new Black Pearle Dark IPA. I love high-gravity IPA’s and if they got it right, this will probably be my new favorite Rockers brew.
Get it at the Taproom. We just got it listed on BeerAdvocate but it hasn’t had any reviews yet. You should be the first.
I plan on making it my first glass at the Taproom when I go this weekend.
C Edward Cigars has started carrying RJ again at $4.50/pint, or $2.50 on Friday nights.
I’ve had BAD a few times at Brasserie over the past month and think it is quite yummy. Tonight, I visited the Taproom and had RJ’s First Snow and found it yummy too. I also stopped by Hub-Bub after dinner and had a RJ’s Light Rock. What does all this mean? That I love beer. Especially our local ones.
I love First Snow. Patriot Pale is my favorite.