15 Jun BAKFISH Goat Roper by Nick B

Goat Roper

BAKFISH Brewing

Pearland

Brown Porter

ABV: 6%

IBUs: 35

Packaging: Draft only

Earlier this week, the team sat down with Kris from BAKFISH Brewing in Pearland. It was an enjoyable experience with plenty of beer and conversation. We’ll be providing more details on the brewery itself soon(ish). At the end of it, we asked if we could take home growlers of one of their brewery only beers. My choice brew was their brown porter, Goat Roper.

Since Goat Roper is brewery taproom only, I’m going to let you imagine the label by asking this question. Do you ever see those people showing up in their supped up trucks, Stetson cowboy hat, pearl snap shirt, uncreased Wranglers, and expensive boots, but you know they’ve never been on the back of a horse or done actual “cowboy work” in their life? Those people are goat ropers. Just plaster that person’s face on a label and it’s perfect. Catch a lot of those people at the Houston Rodeo. Shout out to the real ranchers and cowboys out there!

When I poured Goat Roper into that lovely Beer Chronicle pint glass, the light revealed why it’s called a “brown porter.” The brew was completely an opaque, brown color that looked more like squid ink when you took the light away. A comparison we can all understand: It looked like Galveston beach water, but I actually wanted to dive into this liquid. The aroma was heavy with bitter cocoa like a cup of morning mocha or espresso.

Goat Roper had a medium body that was right on point for what I expected from a porter. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and coffee roast flavors were all present up front with a piney hop bitterness adding to the overall profile. The bitterness stayed with me long after each pull. The roast qualities in the aroma and flavor were fantastic!

One thing Kris shared with us was that this beer doesn’t get a lot of play at the taproom. I just can’t understand why! I’m giving it 4.5 stars for what I feel is a solid offering of the style and the fact that the flavors meld together nicely. It’s definitely not a pretender!

So who did you picture when I told you what a goat roper was? I’m sure we all know someone that fits the bill. Check out this beer and let me know if I’m a beer blog goat roper! Beers to you, Houston.