Obovoid Oak-Aged Oatmeal Stout - Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Obovoid Empirical Stout is not 'as dark as deep space', as the label claims. It's mahogany with a wide band of reddish gold along the bottom edge. The golden ecru colored cap is the appearance's best feature. The foam consists of thousand of sticky bubbles piled atop one another... that end up coating the glass with thick sheets of tattered lace.

The nose is more reminiscent of roasted barley than the secondary aromas that result from it (namely, chocolate and coffee). It's both straightforward and powerful, a good combination. It reads 'ale aged with oak' on the bottom corner of the label, but there is no evidence of it yet.

OOAOS is a solid American stout that does not have much in common with the RIS style. To be fair, the brewery doesn't use the word Russian, nor do they use the word Imperial. My guess is that by calling it Obovoid Empirical, they were looking for an interesting name in an attempt to give the beer shelf appeal. It worked with me.

The flavor profile is as much big porter as stout. Again, roasted malt rules the roost, with a tangy fruitiness in place of the usual big stout flavors; cocoa nibs excepted. Hops have their say and oak is now appreciated. The beer has a caramelized sugar flavor that is subtle. It's doubtful that Obovoid spend much time in contact with wood.

The mouthfeel isn't stout enough. It's fine in every other respect, but beer like this one needs to have some chewiness to be considered good. A little stick-to-it-iveness on the finish would be welcome too. The laid back carbonation is right where it should be.

It's surprising that this is Boulder's first regularly released stout. They've done a pretty good job with it, though I would have preferred something more meaty. It's worth a single bomber purchase and I'll consider picking up another if I run across it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2008 15:31:17 | More by BuckeyeNation

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a black body with a light khaki-colored head.

Smell: Aroma of roasted malt and charred grains, with hints of unsweetened chocolate, coffee, and, of course, the oak.

Taste: The flavor of roasted malts and burnt grains yield little sweetness. Some hints of acidic black coffee and chocolate. The oaken aspect seems raw and unrefined, like chomping down on a pencil. Herbal hops with a light bitterness. Dry, roasty finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: An okay oaky.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2008 19:28:18 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a cola brown color with ruby highlights; I didn't get much head despite a fairly hard pour; what remains after a minute or two is a rocky film which leaves some fairly nice lacing, nonetheless

Smell: The roasty charred oak aroma dominates, with coffee and dark chocolate notes providing some balance

Taste: Open roasty, with the charred oaky flavors dominating up front, with some bitter hops making there presence felt by mid-palate; after the swallow, the chocolate, coffee and dark fruit flavors mellow out and balance the roast, but the finish tilts back to the up-front flavors

Mouthfeel: Meidum body with moderate carbonation; a little light for the style

Drinkability: This is a bottle from last year's batch and the time has mellowed it out nicely; a solid, if not great, effort

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2008 23:36:40 | More by brentk56

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Been sitting on this for about a month. It's about time to break in. The label is right, the beer is about as black as deep space. A firm tan head forms atop the viscous pour and then settles to a froathy trace. Aromas are full of chocolates, roastedness, and coffee; but no real esters or evident oak character. Flavors closely mirror those in the nose, but bring on a soft sweetness like only oats can. A barrel-aged roundness helps to smoothen the beer, but the hop intensity is still potent and, along with the black malts, become a bit overbearing. Boozey alcohols gain intensity as the beer warms. Still light on esters, but moderate on malts. Age will help the beer, but it's a bit rough still.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2008 03:04:44 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I always wondered what an obovoid was.Poured into an English pint glass a deep but not opaque black with tight formed 1/2 finger light mocha colored head that left a broken sheet of lace as it settled quickly,heavy on the mocha in the nose almost brownie-like dipped in dark roast coffee very appetizing.Not a big mouthfull of a stout its light to medium in the mouthfeel department.Flavors start out with deep bitter chocolate tones along with that dark roast coffee turning into a woody/earthy finish that is quite bitter.The oak gives off just a light woody flavor that compliments the big chocolate and coffee tones of this brew,very nice.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2007 20:34:33 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Pours a deep boggy black with layers of whispy tan bubbles serving as a head, which doesn't lace much at all. The smell holds traces of chocolate, roasted marshmallows, toffee, and a bit of booziness. The taste sticks more to the basics, like dark malts and bitter chocolate, and adds some oatmeal to the proceedings. Honestly, I don't get too much of the oak in here, but maybe it will come out more as it warms. The body is nearing heavy and chewy and trickles dryly, siltily across the tongue. Overall, I'd say this is an OK stout, but not very highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2010 05:18:43 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Very black, with cocoa-tan head...nice lookin'...

Rich and roasty nose, loads of espresso & cream, bittersweet, with caramel & chocolate hints, too...

Creamy, chocolatey flavor, yum...Cadbury's chocolate easter egg, that's it! That's where the name comes from...LoL!
Milk chocolate. Delish! Fullish bodied, moderate length finish, and altogether pleasing....sweetish taste, but good texture, fine and easy drinking....and loads of smooth, reassuring oatmeal. A big, burly oatmeal stout. And at an abv reaching up towards an RIS. Love it, personally.
This one's right up my alley. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2008 11:30:54 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a deep, dark black color with a thick frothy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great. It has a wonderful roasted malt scent along with nice bisquity aroma. It's dry with some patent malt earthiness. The taste is good as well. It has a dry, earthy flavor that boasts of black and roasted malts. It's not thick like most RIS, nor is it bold in the alcohol content. What it is, is a really enjoyable stout period. Sure, it's 8%, but it drinks like it's 5. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium/full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a very good beer. If it's supposed to be a RIS, I'm disappointed. Otherwise, this is a fine stout.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2008 01:32:33 | More by WesWes

zeff80

Missouri

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out an opaque, jet black color with a caramel-colored, thick, foamy, three-finger head. It left sticky rings of lace.

S - It smelled nutty and of roasted malt. It also was heavy on the caramel aroma. Some dark chocolate notes, too.

T - It had a smooth chocolate taste mixed with caramel roasted malt. It had a little bitterness from some hops.

M - It was soft and smooth. A medium-bodied beer.

D - This is a pretty good RIS.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2008 02:46:38 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is jet black with a thin tan head.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of roasted malts in the nose with hints of chocolate and coffee.
T: Like the smell, flavors of roasted malts dominate the taste. There are some notes of oak and chocolate, but the oak flavors aren't very strong.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and very smooth and creamy on the palate. There is also some dryness.
D: It drinks surprisingly easily considering the alcohol content.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2010 09:17:59 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The beer is pretty well carbonated as it pours with an almost four-finger thick, brown tinged, tan colored head. The beer is opaque and quite black in color, but does show flashes of clear red ruby hues if held up to the light. The aroma is initially a mix of roasted nutty, dark chocolate and burnt berry notes, but then the oak character starts to be noticed. The oak provides a spicy, woody backdrop that adds a bit of sharpness, but it also provides subtle notes of butterscotch and vanillin with accentuate both the berry notes and the chocolate character. The aroma is actually quite nice; it has really struck a solid balance between notes of chocolate, sweet fruit, vanilla laden oak, roast grain and a light spicy oak component. As long as you focus on the aroma in short bursts it is quite complex, though if you linger for too long it becomes dominated by toasted and burnt grain notes.

Quite light for something that alludes to an Imperial Stout on its label, but well within what I expected from a beer of this strength. This has a light sweetness up front that accentuates notes of chocolate, some light vanilla flavors. The beer finishes with a hint of butterscotch, some vanillin derived flavors and a woody kick of oak spice that all mix with a dry, toasted grain / burnt malt character that, along with the hop character, provides a lingering bitterness to this brew. The sharp, roast derived acidity and prickly carbonation keep this beer from being creamy like one would expect from an oatmeal stout, but it does have hints of that character at times. The finish also has a bit of a chalky, dark grain husk character to it at times. Running throughout the flavor profile is a soft mix of vanilla and berry notes that can be pretty interesting at times.

I like that this is quite easy drinking, the oak character is not overly dominant for this "lighter" beer, though it can be a little harsh in the finish at times. This would be much better balanced to my taste if the roast grain had been dialed back just a bit; the oak might be ok at this level then as it could be balanced by creamier oak influence and slightly sweeter malt character. As is, the beer is a little too thin to stand up to both the ample roast grain character and the oak at the same time; it is still tasty and drinkable and the aroma is really quite nice, but it can be a bit too harsh at times. I wonder if a year of age could round this out a bit more.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson AZ

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2008 02:11:18 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color, with a short foamy beige head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of chocolate, coffee and dark roasted malts with a touch of hops.

T: The taste is very malty with flavors of dark chocolate, roasted coffee and some dark fruit. There's a mild hops presence that brings some balance. It's exactly what you look for in an RIS but it seems a bit subdued overall. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp but not as smooth as most in the style, medium body, medium carbonation, sticky finish.

D: Tasty, goes down ok, slightly filling, good kick, decent representation of style, not the best RIS out there but worth drinking for a while.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2008 02:49:53 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bomber pours a mahogany tinged black with 1 finger of tan head. Excellent lacing & head retention

S: Roasted malt, coffee & cocoa

T: Iron, roasted malt, dryness & coffee up front. As this warms I get a touch of lactic sourness, coffee grounds, & a little more iron. Finishes dry & with much roastyness & a bit of Baker's chocolate, plus a whiff of boozeyness

MF: Oily with medium body & too much carbonation, tamps down a bit 2/3rd of the way through the bottle.

Drinks alright, not a great RIS by any means, worth a try. This beer scored higher on aesthetics than the actual goods for me

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2008 05:43:10 | More by russpowell

Gavage

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: black in color with a nice two finger head that slowly falls to a thick surface coating. Thick lacing paints the inside of the glass.

Smell: roasted malts, caramel, hints of coffee, and some soft alcohol tones overall are mild and you really need to stick the nose in the glass to pick it up.

Taste: roasted malts, bitter chocolate, caramel, mild coffee tones, and some molasses are balanced with some nice bitterness and alcohol warming.

Mouthfeel: this was a bit thinner in body than expected. Aftertaste is long as the flavors linger on the tongue. Smooth throughout.

Drinkability: very easy to quaff this since it is not very heavy. Alcohol is not overwhelming and the flavor profile is very nice. Worth picking this one up.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2007 21:36:23 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter:

Pours black with a thin off-white head that becomes a bubbly patch, leaving some lacing on the glass.

The smell is of chocolate/dark maltiness. A hint of dark fruits with earthy and oaky notes.

The taste is of sweet chocolate with a hint of cofffee. Oaky flavor comes through in the lightly roasted, sweetish finish.

It hits medium-bodied, with a bit of a watery texture. Very smooth.

Not the end-all of imperial stouts, but a nice one - smooth, sweet, drinkable with a nice oak touch.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2008 23:19:38 | More by jwc215

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Pat and Sarah for this Christmas gift. It's been in my fridge since then.

A: The stout is black, very imperial looking. An off-white head bubbled up significantly, over two fingers that have laced extensively.

S: The nose is just as imperial as the apperance, dark and murky. Chocolate, anise, coffee, oatmeal, and tannins all peak through. Vanilla is a key contributor from the oak aspect.

T: More oatmeal than imperial, the stout has a very smooth, sweet taste with chocolate, alcohol, and lactose in ample supply. The oatmeal aspect supplies that smoothness. Oaken vanilla is fast on its tail. As the two pass, rich imperial tannic flavors come through, a strong body. A smokey finish lends to the rustic feel. An admirable nightcap.

M: The mouthfeel is nicely roasted, dark with the proper accoutrements. I like the Imperial focus of the ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 01:47:59 | More by akorsak

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at The Farmhouse in Emmaus, PA. The imperial pint glass was pitch black with fluffy tan head that really stood up. This beer is exactly what it says it is: a mix of oak character, oatmeal stout, and imperial stout richness. The problem is, this beer just comes off a bit lifeless. I was happy to drink it, I enjoyed it, but it just lacked the intangibles and surprising notes of a great beer. I guess I'm being hard. This is a well-made stout that does a good job of balancing the oak character. I'm also impressed by how this still tastes like an oatmeal stout, unlike most big oatmeal stouts I've had. Maybe it would benefit from aging. Either way, it's certainly worth checking out.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2010 03:39:58 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

2.88/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured a dark ruby mahogany brown almost black to the untrained eye, creamy tan head forms thick lacing coats the sides of the glass. This beer has legs it is thick enough to really coat the glass. Aromatics bring out dark chocolate malts with alcoholic notes, a bit of dark impy stout notes like soy sauce and anise and of course some dark over ripened fruit notes. A touch of toffee caramel with a hidden pine/herbal hop assualt in the background. Flavor was harsh dark chocolate and sweet prunes collide with an almost salty soy sauce anise mix that kept making me question why I kept drinking this beer. A bit of hidden oak charred quality but nothing like the typical oak experience, pine/herbal bitterness adds to the rough qualities of this beer. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied even carbonation needs to be a bit brighter this one sits heavy on the palate and stomach, alcohol burns making it more and more cloying. Drinkability maybe a small pour to experience and re evaluate it but I don't plan on buying this bruiser again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2010 17:06:17 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark, but dark ruby shows when held to light. Light tan head off a very firm pour. Nose is mild. Flavor is equally mild. This is an RIS? Just lacks the punch, man. I mean it still has a nice edge, but nowhere near the complexity that many others of the style have. Feel is much thinner on the liquid than normal. Carbonation is okay. Verdict is that this is nice and even, but it is just lacking.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2008 04:44:17 | More by RblWthACoz

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dark ruby color--not black. Light does shine through this beer. Excellent rocky beige head that has some staying power.

Black patent malt, burnt toast, and some grass make up the major smells. Slight alcohol, clove-like spice, and cinnamon make up the secondary aromas.

Chalky, bittersweet chocolate flavors. Lots of burnt tastes like charbroiled meat or blackened toast. Surprisingly thin body with a slightly high level of carbonation. No hop in the aftertaste, just black patent malt bitterness.

This is an interesting stout. Full flavored but not necessarily flavorful--it relies on the malt base extensively.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2008 00:58:20 | More by smcolw

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a four finger beige head that fades slowly to a thin layer, leaving some lace. Deepest mahogany color. Good carbonation and heavy bodied. Burnt coffee nose. Flavor has hints of malty sweetness but burnt coffee dominates. $6.49 for a 22oz bottle from Manchester Wine and Liquors Manchester, CT.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2008 22:43:15 | More by jdhilt

Billolick

New York

4.35/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a nice, long lasting creamy mocha head. leaves tons of fine and sticky sheeting. Nice nose of more mocha and silky milk chocolate. Lots more chocolate, smooth, dusty and sweet, medium body and a very silky mouth feel. Nice stuff. More of a strong oatmeal stout, then a RIS if you ask me. Easy drinking, clearly high quality and BA worthy. Best beer I've tried from Boulder. Go get some and enjoy with a peppery steak.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2008 01:20:58 | More by Billolick

jlindros

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light 1 finger dark head that fades quickly over pitch black but slightly thinner beer.

Nose has some dark malts with light sugar and syrupy aromas. A bit of roast and coffee, slight bakers chocolate, a little water, touch of smoke and little oak.

Taste brings dark malts with plenty of chocolate, bakers chocolate, light creamy, roast and coffee with hint of smoke. A bit of vanilla and oak. Some slight sugar and toffee. Slight bitterness with hint of earthy hops. Starts mildly sweet and dries a bit on the finish.

Mouth is slightly heavier body with lower but decent carbonation.

Drinkability is ok with a slight sticky and syrupy finish and light bitterness and not much booze.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2010 02:22:10 | More by jlindros

mdfb79

New York

3.78/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a pint glass. 2009 vintage.

a - Pours a very dark brown color, almost black, with one and a half fingers of tan head that lasts for three to four minutes and moderate carbonation evident. Little bit of lacing left on the glass.

s - Smells of chocolate, nuts, roasted malts, caramel malts, oak, and light dark fruits. Pretty enjoyable. Not a ton of oak, but it's certainly there.

t - Tastes of bitter chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, nuts, oak, and caramel malts. A step down from the nose. While good, the oak is very light, much less than the nose.

m - Medium to full body and low carbonation. Thick and chewy mouthfeel.

d - A decent oatmeal stout though it only had hints of oak. None the less it was enjoyable and something I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 15:31:33 | More by mdfb79

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle purchased from oh, I don't know. Somewhere pretty local, in MA at least.

Poured into a imperial pint glass, formed a 1 1/4" brown head over the barely translucent dark brown brew. Head has great staying power, with good lacing. Aroma is lightly of dark grains. Taste is creamy chocolate upfront, with coffee bitterness coming in the middle, and lasting to the bitter (LOL) end. Mouthfeel comes off as a bit thin, but drinkability is pretty easy for the style. Seems like a starter-type RIS, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2008 00:13:56 | More by ppoitras