Dominion Oak Barrel Stout - Old Dominion Brewing Company

Jettanbass9

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

picked up a six of this on a whim... glad i did.

a - chestnut brown under obsidian black with a rocky head that dissipates into a thin lacing. with a few swirls, the head bounces back and dissipates back into the thin lacing. could be from the oils in the vanilla. quality.

s - medium to light roast dominates then fades to a resinous oak and mellow vanilla. aroma reminds me of lightly roasted coffee beans, vanilla sugar and fresh cut wood. none of which dominates and allows for a well balanced aroma. beings that this is a stout, i would hope for a bit more roast in the aroma... note that there is sufficient roast but on the lower end of the style.

t - the aromas come alive the in flavor as lightly roasted coffee mingles a slight sweetness of vanilla and confectioners sugar with a hearty helping of resinous oak. each flavor evokes balance and makes for a perfect seasonal brew.

m - a bit on the dry side with very mild carbonation. this beer could benefit from the presence of more dextrins but isn't far off from where it is. there is no astringency and no harsh or overbearing flavors.

d - this is a great craft beer to keep around for the holidays. this beer emits balance but progressive craft flavors in a well crafted way. this is an extremely drinkable brew for craft aficionados and newbees alike. highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2009 04:01:20 | More by Jettanbass9

BFCarr

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -17.7%

06-16-2013 20:42:12 | More by BFCarr

RealAleBlanco

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +20.3%

06-14-2013 21:51:52 | More by RealAleBlanco

tectactoe

Michigan

3.05/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had this forever ago (just a tick), finally trying it again for a full review. Thanks to Jeff for the bottle. Like most stouts, deep-brown and black are the only colors to be found throughout the body; it's topped off with a thin tan skin - too weak to be called a "head", even after a fair aggressive pour. Carbonation issues, I wonder? I would expect a much frothier foam than this, especially at only 6.1% ABV.

Although the aroma isn't exactly off-putting or offensive in really any way, it's just kind of bland and mundane. It's carbon copied from the generic, basic "stout" profile and adds only a slight hint of oak. Dry cocoa beans, lightly sweet cream, tons of dry oak, and a touch of vanilla. I'll admit, the slight vanilla addition is nice, but everything is just so underwhelming and weak, that it's kind of hard for me to vibe on this.

A little more java and coffee beanery shows up on the palate, something that is certainly a welcomed accompaniment. Malts provide a light roast and a mild onset of cocoa in the periphery. Oak dryness plagues the background; much to my dismay, the vanilla is even more faint in the flavor than it was in the aroma. Just a dollop and nothing more; I feel it could benefit from a larger vanilla presence.

More roast and dry oak clog the aftertaste; the beer finishes in an uninspiring way and kind of leaves me wanting something more. The carbonation feels surprisingly lively, despite the egregious head formation from the start. Slick, oily and sharp mouth feel, although the body is much too thin for my liking, and especially for the style.

So apparently this beer used smoked and peated malts? I got pretty much no hint of smoke or meatiness here, unless you count the touch of oak throughout, but I'm sure that can be attributed to fermenting with oak chips. Overall, a basic and timid stout; kind of boring and uneventful, and while it's not "bad" by any means, it wasn't really enjoyable or tasty or different enough for me to seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 16:12:03 | More by tectactoe

PhilDaBrewer

Indiana

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

This one pours dark, dark, brown with shallow, frothy head that isn't going anywhere. Aroma is vanilla and roasted chocolate - taste to match. Smooth, thick mouth-feel. Overall, a very enjoyable beer that I would seek out again. Don't hesitate to give this one a try.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2013 22:57:25 | More by PhilDaBrewer

minterro

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bought at an Ohio beer mart for around 2 bucks

Date bottled 2/12

Large two finger head that a nice mocha brown color to it. Head fades relatively fast but retains in a thin creamy layer. Jet black colored lively looking beer. Bits of lacing. Predominately roasty for the aroma and I dont know if it was purely biased because of the bottle but I think I catch a hint of vanilla.

Roasty upfront but the finish is very clean and non bitter. low medium bodied and pretty high carbonation for a stout (even a American stout).

Overall: the drinkablity is very high on this beer. Pretty good buy I feel for around 2 bucks, defiantly enjoyed it and it was worth the try.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 22:00:18 | More by minterro

gleemonger

California

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

06-12-2013 18:02:40 | More by gleemonger

Fusion7777

Virginia

4/5  rDev +1.3%

06-06-2013 23:55:31 | More by Fusion7777

Giantspace

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -24.1%

06-06-2013 01:28:50 | More by Giantspace

bolanrox

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +20.3%

06-03-2013 16:45:23 | More by bolanrox

justinm4bama

Alabama

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%

06-02-2013 04:24:45 | More by justinm4bama

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.06/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Pours a solid black. Dark rich browns at the edges when held to direct light. Nice and clear in those parts. Head starts off massive and creamy. Drops to a small cap with a slightly larger creamy collar. A bit more carbonation than expected given the barrel treatment.

Smell: Richly roasted with a strong push of both vanilla bean and oak barrel. Dark fruit is mostly cherry with some plum in the back. Very fruity. Cocoa, milk chocolate (sparingly), and some dark chocolate. A bit of sweetness as it warms. Smoky element buried in the back, almost meaty. Some char as well. No hopping to speak of, and the barrel influence is there, but minimal.

Taste: Roasted with a hint of char. A bit more oak than the nose let on. Loaded with dark fruit, but not sweet. Some dark cherry and plum. Some serious chocolate notes, closer to a semi-dark chocolate than anything else. A nice hint of vanilla, but it's buried. Sweet with some hints of caramel, old old coffee, and toffee. Smoky on the back. Very soft smoke that builds over the course of the beer, but enhances more than detracts.

Mouthfeel: Super creamy and smooth. A bit thin overall, but that's something I'm chalking up to the barrel. Minimal carbonation. Rather delightful.

Overall: Hey, you're not allowed to get better over time!

I wasn't impressed with the first few sips, but some air and time turned things around. It's not a showstopper, but damn if it isn't tasty. Nice overall complexity without trying to be too much. That touch of smoke in the back is awesome.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 01:13:28 | More by Goblinmunkey7

thampel09

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%

05-28-2013 21:42:26 | More by thampel09

BradleyR

Oklahoma

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

05-28-2013 16:46:15 | More by BradleyR

Waveoff

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +20.3%

05-28-2013 03:09:32 | More by Waveoff

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4.06/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger mocha head that reduced to a thin layer. It is a pitch black color with no clarity or bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: Roasted coffee, mocha, vanilla, oak

Taste: Same as above with bittersweet milk chocolate and some oak and earthy notes.

Mouthfeel: Very drinkable, smooth, full bodied, low to medium carbonation, and chocolately.

Overall: Pretty solid stout. Might have to look for more of this next time through Delaware.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 07:28:06 | More by Flounder57

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.69/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into a pint glass

Appearance – The brew pours a deep brown color, nearly pitch black with a billowy one finger cream colored head. The head fades moderately quickly to end up leaving a medium level of lace

Smell- The aroma is biggest of dark roasted malt that is augmented by some aromas of vanilla. Some light chocolate smells as well as a presence of oak mingle along with these with some very light sweet aromas of caramel and a little bit of oak as well.

Taste – The taste begins with flavors of roasted malt and some sweet caramel and vanilla flavors. The sweetness remains throughout the taste with some flavors of chocolate coming more toward the middle. At this same time the oak flavors come to the tongue, becoming more potent as the flavor advances to the end. A little bit of bitter coffee comes to the flavor more toward the end, cutting the sweetness slightly and ending to leave a sweet dark and oaky flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the slightly lighter side for a stout of 6.1 % abv with a carbonation level that is rather average. A thicker body and slightly lesser carbonation may have suited the flavors a bit better, by making for a creamier taste overall.

Overall- A pretty nice drinking stout. Good roasted malt flavors with a nice sweet chocolate and vanilla and some oakiness.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 02:05:22 | More by Darkmagus82

kojevergas

California

3.6/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up earlier tonight at illicit retail in Los Angeles. 6% ABV according to my bottle's label. I dig the simple yet classy label art. "Oak aged stout fermented with vanilla beans." Just what I'm in the mood for. Per the description, they used oak chips - not an oak barrel. Bottled 01/03/13. 355 ml brown glass bottle with branded standard silver pressure cap served into a Mitchells of Lancaster flared stem-tulip in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high; it sounds very tasty and the ratings are sky-high currently. I also feel like it's been around long enough that it's hype resistant. I'd never heard of the brewery until I saw this bottle today.

Served chilled, and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured initially with standard vigor, but as I poured it became evident no head was pouring so I increased vigor substantially.

A: Pours a half finger khaki colour head. Slight cream. Decent thickness. Okay (~1-2 minute) retention. Body colour is a solid black; not a dark or a jet black. Opaque (both nontransparent and nontranslucent). No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Not an impressive appearance for the style, but par for the course.

Sm: Lovely oak - with evocative toasted character. Good vanilla character too - from the vanilla beans not the oak. Dark malt. Maybe some chocolate malt. I'd like more of the oak and less of the vanilla. There's not a lot of subtlety to the aroma, but it comes off balanced even if it is simple. Mild in strength and quite appealing for what it is - an oak/vanilla stout with no bells and whistles.

T/Mf: Nice toasty oak character greets you right on the climax and stays throughout. Too sticky and sugary. It's got a nice rounded vanilla character, but like many vanilla stouts it does border on overly sweet. I'm glad the bottle size is only 12 fl oz; I hate downing a bomber of a vanilla stout - the sweetness is always too much. Simple for an oak barrel stout. Dark malts and chocolate malts comprise the foundation. I don't get much caramel. No yeast character or alcohol comes through. Well balanced. I quite fancy it. Not the most subtle, and far from the most complex, but it's nice to have an approachable no-frills oaky stout from time to time. Smooth and wet. Pretty good carbonation. Good thickness. Good body. Nice presence on the palate.

Dr: Very drinkable; it's a lovely little oaky stout. I'd definitely get this again; do they sell it by the sixer in Delware? I'd buy one regularly. A lovely beer for the style and one nobody seems to be talking about. I'd recommend it to friends. I could probably happily down four of these in the same night; it's quite good.

B

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 01:16:45 | More by kojevergas

rangerred

Tennessee

3.45/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours pitch black with a thick billowy two finger tan head. Outstanding head retention and lacing.

Aroma of vanilla and dark roasted malt. Some hints of cocoa and just a very, very faint touch of peat. I don't get any oak at all. A little bit underwhelming.

This same disappointment carries over into the taste. Vanilla and a touch of coffee up front along with a little caramel and peat. No real oak at all in the taste either which is disappointing considering the name of the beer. Very full mouthfeel and a sticky finish.

Overall, I was expecting quite a bit more out of this. It taste very much like a run of the mill American stout. Really no oak or smoke whatsoever.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 01:47:13 | More by rangerred

touchmeimsac

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

05-20-2013 17:45:15 | More by touchmeimsac

SpAiReArGsEonNE

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

05-20-2013 02:25:02 | More by SpAiReArGsEonNE

KSfrost

Maryland

4/5  rDev +1.3%

05-19-2013 21:47:35 | More by KSfrost

jakeox

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.3%

05-18-2013 23:42:13 | More by jakeox

fearfactory

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

05-18-2013 22:40:55 | More by fearfactory

mattsucks

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%

05-18-2013 14:22:44 | More by mattsucks