O'so Brewing Company - Convenient Distraction

NOTE: O'so Special Offer Beer Volume Discounts: Save 15% on any 12 cans, 20% on 18, 25% on 24, and 30% on 48!

First in this fantastic Special Offer is a favorite beer amongst us here at the Rare Beer Club. O’so Brewing’s Convenient Distraction is an exceptional imperial porter that shows rich, well-roasted coffee character through its additions of Ruby Roasters coffee and Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans. The base porter is deliciously appointed with chocolate and darker specialty malts, and this is well handled throughout, packed with lush flavors. O’so’s Convenient Distraction sees a very limited distribution in select Wisconsin markets only.

Convenient Distraction pours a dark, chocolate-brown color capped by a creamy tan foam. The latter’s nicely retained with mousse-like texture, and lacing that coats the interior of the glass. Robust, roasted coffee and darker specialty-malt character lead things in the aromatics, emphasizing baker’s chocolate, milk chocolate, and licorice. Smoothing notes of vanilla and subtle caramel keep everything on point throughout. Generous aromatics from the start.

A satisfying, full-bodied impact from that imperial-porter base, with the full package landing firmly roasted but smooth and seamless courtesy of the vanilla beans. Various milk and dark chocolate elements in abundance, and that core porter definitely feels plush on the palate. A subtle, vinous warmth from the near-10% ABV keeps this seeming lean overall, with a touch of vibrant red fruit. Despite the exceptional imperial porter framework, those Ruby Roasters coffee beans prove to be a standout element here: nothing green nor harsh—just satisfying, medium-roast, chocolatey coffee notes all throughout the aromatics and flavors of this one.

A truly standout coffee beer, with an incredible imperial porter underpinning things. Those Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans bring everything with even a bit of an edge—the baker’s chocolate and cocoa notes, the roasted malts and coffee—into effortless focus throughout.

The O’so Brewing Company Convenient Distraction is drinking great right now. The coffee character and aromatic intensity will stand the test of time and, with the 9.8% ABV, it has the sturdiness for some modest cellaring. For pairings: the combo of chocolate, vanilla, and coffee have us looking towards a wide range of desserts: tiramisu, affogato, flourless chocolate cake, and many others. Cheers!