Obsidian Stout - Deschutes Brewery

WissBrauSean

Pennsylvania

4.89/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

I poured this beer from the bottle at about 60 degrees F and it is clear and black just like obsidian but with some brown showing through and the head is a full finger thick and creamy brown and leaves another cool outline of a mountain peak on my glass as lacing! I totally should take a picture of that, but I am too lazy.

The aroma is definitely of coffee, chocolate, vanilla, some yeast and very little earthy hops. Both sweet and bitter. A nice combo.

It tastes even better than it smells with sweet roasted malt taking the lead then the creamy chocolate malts come into play with some hints of vanilla cream and then followed by the bitterness of the roasted malts and the earthy hops. Finally it finishes dry with hint of black pepper and mild alcohol. This beer is so well balanced and the dry finish lures you to the next sip!

The mouthfeel is creamy full and dry with light to moderate carbonation to play on your tongue. The finish is dry and bitter but pleasingly so.

Overall, this has to be one of the best stouts EVER! It's definitely NOT a crossover beer and if you don't like dry and bitter beers you may not like this one, but keep in mind that this is an excellent beer all around and you might be missing out if you think that it may be too bitter for you. You may actually like it! I love it! 5 out of 5!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 02:47:27 | More by WissBrauSean

mooseo

Pennsylvania

4.39/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into tulip.

A - Black as night with a small dark tan head.

S - A light, but pleasing aroma of milk chocolate, black coffee, and roasted malt.

T - Roasted burnt malt, coffee, and sweet chocolate throughout. A light hop bitterness comes through and brings balance. Finishes bitter-sweet with roasted grain and caramel. There is a strong coffee/roast aftertaste.

M - Exceptionally smooth and creamy. Wow, this is definitely the best part of the beer for me. Medium-full body, mild carbonation, slightly dry finish.

O - A very impressive, memorable stout. The flavor profile is balanced and is a text book example of what a stout should be. But the mouthfeel - it's incredible.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 02:59:31 | More by mooseo

JohnG190

New York

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into snifter, served at 52 degrees.

Appearance - dark, dark brown. Thick mocha head has great retention.

Aroma - dark chocolate, espresso, and roasted barley

Taste - a dry bitterness gives way to a slight dark chocolate sweetness and finishes dry and bitter.

Mouthfeel - medium body with good carbonation.

Overall - a world class stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 20:40:15 | More by JohnG190

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle. best before 09-30-13.

A: pours really really dark brown. head is a coffee hued brown. frothy. very frothy. head has great retention

S: a lot of bitter dark chocolate. a decent amount of espresso. this thing really does walk a fine line between bitterness and sweetness, with bitterness taking the edge. not getting much hop aroma, but I could care less. this thing is all about fantastic dark aromas.

T: similar to the nose, a dry bitterness starts off the flavor. very similar to dark chocolate. more bitterness in the middle. a little bit of dark coffee, but this body is very close to dark chocolate. finish is, you guessed it, bitter.

M: subtle and creamy. this think on nitro would be tits. medium bodied.

D: a very well-made American stout. lots of dark aroma, however a bit one-note on the flavor end. not that it is a bad flavor so you are not gonna catch a lot flack from me. if you like stouts, definitely check this brew out.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:24:52 | More by Jimmys

hoppytobehere

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, best by 10/14/2013

A: Creamy tan head, body that's blacker than night. Nice retention.

S: A little booze, dark chocolate, roasted malt.

T: A great example of the style. Similar notes as the nose, maybe with more chocolate and a little bit of espresso. Toffee sweetness lingers.

M: Chewy, a little sticky. Nice carbonation.

O: Fantastic stout for the price. Need to get this one more often.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 02:54:11 | More by hoppytobehere

JesseMurdock

Hawaii

4.81/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

this is a terrific stout. a rich aroma of chocolate, roasted malt, and toffee. The first flavor is a nice rich coffee combined with unsweetened chocolate followed by a nice slightly yeasted roasted malt taste that stays with you long after you swallow. Rich, smooth, thick mouthfeel. Leaves a velvety feel on the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 06:16:05 | More by JesseMurdock

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

4.03/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle is Best by 5/19/13. Poured into a small wine glass.

O – An above average stout. A beer that required an entire 12oz for me to recognized as a beer worthy of recognition.

A –Poured black, nice tan 2-finger smooth head, nice lacing, nicely carbonated.

S – Coffee, roasted malt, a slight floral and spicey aroma.

T – Roasted malt, expresso/coffee, some mild sweetness, bitterness in the finish.

MF – Smooth.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 04:09:38 | More by Sludgeman

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into a shaped pint glass.

Appearance
Pitch black with 2-3 fingers of creamy, tan head. Excellent retention leaves behind some thick, creamy lacing. No light penetration.

Nose
Semi-sweet chocolate, coffee, cocoa, caramel and black licorice.

Taste
Semi-sweet chocolate, dusted cocoa and medium roast coffee. Tons of caramel along with notes of black licorice and suggestions of plum and fig. Finishes with roasted barley and milk chocolate along with hints of citrusy/piney hops.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, smooth and almost silky.

Overall
It's all there and nicely balanced...chocolate, coffee, caramel and dark fruits. Impressive!

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 22:34:17 | More by justintcoons

budgood1

Minnesota

4.41/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

pours out an opaque blackened brown colour with a cascading dark tan head an inch high with viscous staying power. can't really look any better. the aroma is a conglomeration of dark unsweetened chocolate, dark roasted malts, nougat, toffee, java and NW hopping. smells delicious. the taste is a malt and yeast driven pillowy black patent maltiness with hints of funk and ripe red fruit. there is underlying cocoa and caramel layer complimented by a slight alcohol note and cascade type hops. tastes solid. the body of this stout is full and heavy, with a thick, rich and luscious and somewhat chalky mouthfeel. this is a very drinkable beer but one you'll want to take your time with due to the well rounded nature.

overall an american stout that brings it all to the table. this may be the quintessential example of domestic stout brewing. good stuff here and definitley recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 21:25:49 | More by budgood1

PaleZombie

Arizona

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a large wine glass.

A - Very dark brown black color with about 2 fingers of tan head that disappeared fairly quickly.

S - Sweet caramel roasted malts, brownie chocolate, strong coffee.

T - Roasted malts, followed by the coffee, bittersweet chocolate. Good amount of hop at the back end leaving a slight bitterness. Nice.

M - Fairly heavy and syrupy. This one seemed slightly over carbonated though.

O - This stout has some excellent flavor and a surprising amount of hop in the taste that I was not able to pick up on at first through the smell. For the price its a wonderful stout which may become a regular.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 06:16:43 | More by PaleZombie

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.71/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Served from a 12oz bottle into a Newport Storm pint. Served at cellar temperature.

Appearance- Pitch black with 2 finger fluffy mocha head that holds up with the best of them. As it faded, it left magnificent lacing around the glass. Absolutely beautiful looking stout.

Smell- Chocolate malts up front shortly followed by a light boozieness and coffee aromas that overtake the rest of the malty background. Rather straight forward.

Taste- Very robust with roasty coffee notes dominating. Dark chocolate flavors are abound in this stout, but it's the coffee that dominates. Nice bitter hop and coffee lingering aftertaste. Damn near perfect example of what a stout should taste like.

Mouthfeel- Medium to medium-full body with ample carbonation to balance it out. Smooth. Rich. Creamy.

Overall- Another beer from Deschutes that has astounded me. I wish I had access to their beers outside of trades. This is an almost perfect stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 16:38:34 | More by Seanniek91

BeerWizard

Colorado

4.56/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Went with an English pint glass on this one, as my first attempt in a goblet just didn't feel right. This stuff is black - can't see through it. That's after you get past the gigantic head it pours with, which still looks like melting ice cream even after five minutes or so.

Pretty easily discernable in the nose is chocolate and coffee, and then there is some caramel and also some kind of mineraly aroma beneath that. Very nice! Flavors are quite nice, heavy on the chocolate/coffee, and then maybe some herbal flavor. The alcohol is apparent, and as expected, has a thick, hardy mouthfeel with a long, spicy finish. Yum.

I like this one. I haven't been in the mood for stouts lately but I've been waiting for this one to make it to my local beer store and had to try it. I would get it again, but probably in the fall or winter. It's a pretty stout stout and would be perfect with some roast beef or even turkey.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 02:43:03 | More by BeerWizard

Stevedore

Wisconsin

4.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12oz bottle best by 8/12/2013 poured into a Bell's tulip and quaffed today, 4/9/2013.

Aroma: Smells of cocoa and a sweet roasty maltiness, I want to say caramel. It also smells faintly of dark fruit which seems to fade off as it gets warmer and the roastiness comes out more. The roastiness makes me think of a little bit of nuts, but mostly some cocoa and chocolate. Very nice smelling beer, especially as it warms up. (4)

Colour: Dang! This beer takes after its name- pure black like the obsidian stones. It's very opaque, with just the slightest hint of brown at the edges when illuminated. It also pours with an impressive 3cm brown head that takes more than a minute to dissipate into brown film on top of the beer complemented by a beautiful, thick brown collar that persists as I finish. The lacing is thick but falls into the beer soon enough. What's really neat is that if you look at the edges in a bit of light, you can see all the carbonated bubbles rising to the surface, feeding the collar. Absolutely beautiful and black as obsidian. (5)

Flavour: Awesome! This beer brings even more to the table than Black Butte does in terms of caramel, cocoa, e.g. what I like to call roasty maltiness for the lack of a better descriptor. There are aspects of nuts mixed in with faint dark fruit flavours. This is basically a giant trail mix beer that somehow comes together in a beautiful dark liquid form. The finish is a nice and dry earthy hop bitterness. I love how intense this beer tastes! (5)

Mouthfeel: This is a thicker medium bodied beer with excellent carbonation that contributes a nice refreshing feeling with each swallow. It's very creamy, smooth like the Black Butte and there is no indication of heat even as it reaches room temperature. The aftertaste is of chocolate nuts from the roasted malt combined with an earthy bitterness that lingers a while longer. Very smooth and easy to drink! (4)

Overall: Awesome take on the American stout style by Deschutes. This is basically Black Butte on steroids- more flavour, even blacker and did I say more flavour? The flavour from the roast malt, which is what I love about Black Butte, is even more intense here. The hoppiness is also higher as well. I have to say that the other big difference is that Obsidian brings a bigger bitter quotient, as evidenced in the earthy bitterness that I don't notice much of at all in Black Butte. It also leaves a dry finish, whereas Black Butte will quench my thirst if I'm feeling thirsty. I really love this beer and I'm going to grab a sixer or two every time I return to Minnesota. I haven't seen this in Illinois yet, but once it shows up there, I won't return to Wisconsin without it. One of the finest examples of an intense, hoppy American stout that I've had! (5)

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 02:31:38 | More by Stevedore

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from the bottle into a nonic glass (Best by 4/23/13)

A- Poured black with big frothy mocha head that left dense glass coating lace. Exactly what a stout should look like.

S- Huge roasty, bready, caramel, mineral, and dark chocolate notes. Very bold aroma and well-balanced between roasty and sweet.

T- Big roasted notes, dark fruits, caramel, bready, mineral, and dark chocolate notes. Balanced and bold like the aroma. Quite a bit of coffee bitterness especially on the finish.

M- Full bodied, creamy, super smooth, dry, and a soft mouthfeel

O- A really great balanced stout with huge flavors, highly drinkable, great mouthfeel, and like all Deschutes six packs an incredible value.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 03:41:39 | More by Hoptometrist

millsn1

Massachusetts

4.94/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

When looking for a beer that is heavy and will keep you warm, this is one of the best. Dark with sweet hints, but not sickly. The carbonation is well used to make the beer go down a little easier than with an extremely heavy stout. Tasting notes are pretty typical of a stout, but it seems to pour well, and drink better than most.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 17:56:14 | More by millsn1

guityler83

Wisconsin

4.95/5  rDev +17%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Motoroil black apperance with a mocha colored head. The lacing is visible with each sip (awesome!) and the small

S: Dark chocolate, cocoa and roastyness right off the bat. Caramel lays hidden in the back with a touch of sweetness. Gram cracker and bread crust. touch of alcohol.

T: Cocoa, gram cracker and toffee notes. very complex yet each flavor distinct. hops bitterness is evenly ballanced with the roast to make it extremely drinkable

M: medium to high body with moderate carbonation. no hotness from the alcohol, but a slight astringancy from the roasted malts as expected.

O: After going to GABF I had to bring back some beers that aren't found round these here parts.. This was one and boy howdy did I pick a winner. Of the endless amount of stouts around these days its hard to stand out, but this one did it for me. My top pick so far.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 03:02:07 | More by guityler83

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

3.79/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A mild malty aroma jumped from the blackness of this bottle, after it was poured into a glass. In the initial taste, one detects dark chocolate, coffee, and a slight metallic taste. Being a little thinner than I would have expected for a stout, the heavier tastes disappeared with the metallic taste being more apparent. There was a certain degree of milkiness in this stout, but it lacked smoothness. It certainly lacked any measure of sweetness. In a sense, it made me think of instant coffee without the grittiness. A bitter coffee aftertaste finished the experience. In the scope of other stout, I am not sure anything stood out about this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 00:26:51 | More by JohnnyHopps

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.03/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best by: 07/23/13

Poured into a snifter revealing a black body with a finger of brown head that retains and laces nicely.

An inviting aroma of roasted coffee and chocolate chip cookies.

Comes in roasty and chocolatey. There is a fair amount of hop presence providing bitterness and a touch of grassiness.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Drinks smooth.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 05:02:11 | More by MattSweatshirt

beerme411

California

4.3/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-Very dark brown, with a thin light brown head that fads quickly but leaves a nice lacing.

S-The roasted malts are present. I'm unable to pick out different smells as they mostly mix together. I also get some metallic in there as well, although I tend to find that in most stouts.

T-Big roasted coffee and bitter chocolate up front. There is an almost metallic taste, but in a pleasant way on the sides of my tongue. No alcohol tasted. The dark coffee bitterness lingers for a good while.

M-medium, but on the thicker side with a good amount of carbonation. The right amount of body to match the taste. Often I find stouts on the lighter side that detract from taste.

O-Definitely a great non-imperial stout that I doubt you'd find a much better regular american stout. I tend to taste more metallic flavors in stouts which can make many of them unenjoyably, this one only really had it on the nose. Luckily for me it's always available for $7-9 a six pack. If you enjoy this make sure to check out Black Butte Porter as well.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 22:48:31 | More by beerme411

arfenhouse

California

4.26/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Black with light brown head. Good retention and good lacing.

S: A mix of baker's chocolate, plum, raisin, and cherry. Hint of vanilla in the back.

T: Roasted malt with raisin and cherry upfront. Fades into a semi sweet chocolate aftertaste.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Wet.

O: Solid, affordable stout. Good for taking a break from big RIS and DIPAs.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 06:48:08 | More by arfenhouse

Lofty

Minnesota

4.41/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

A: poured into a pint glass which revealed a thin film of head

S: smells typical for most stouts with a hint of chocolate and strong roasted malts

T: flavors are quite pleasant with a tiny bit of chocolate but the star is clearly the roasted malt which hangs around for a bit after some smoky oak-ness fades away. You can tell this is a high quality beer as there's definitely no watery, metallic, or alcohol-y flavors

M: the carbonation seems a little much for my preference and it sits a little heavy on the tongue, but I figure it's within reason for a stout

O: A solid offering from one of my favorite breweries. I would certainly buy another six-pack.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 03:34:45 | More by Lofty

bambam2517

Arizona

4.19/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into an imperial pint glass, served at 55F.

A - Pretty standard fare for a stout, maybe a shade darker than the garden variety but its still got a small creamy topper that laces decently down the glass. Having this nitro-style would probably bump it up tremendously for me.

S - Nice notes of coffee and roast malt, a little sweet toffee and nuttiness.

T - Coffee and brown sugar, nice malty bitterness backs it up.

M - Just a little thin but it does have that nice slightly bitter aftertaste.

O - I am a Deschutes fan so dont think im putting this down, but it isnt good enough to be top 250 in my opinion. What I think it is: A readily available, approachable stout with more care and thought put into it than the Big Irish we have over here...

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 14:54:56 | More by bambam2517

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.78/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A friend brought me this back from Texas. Shocked that I hadn't reviewed it... I've definitely had it before. 12oz bottle into a Cigar City snifter.

Pours a thick, 1 finger dark mocha head with good retention. Beer is pitch black. Lacing is stringy, spotty and thick with good cling. Oil legs too. Great looking beer.

Nose is smoke, roast, cocoa and dark chocolate. Moderately aromatic but very appropriate for the style.

Opens roast, liquorice, and smoke. Some dark chocolate, black strap molasses and more roasted malt in the middle and end. Finishes with some sweetness and just a touch of booze. Roasted malt in the finish. Decently complex beer with all the right flavors here.

Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with some sparse bubbles in the mouth and goes down slightly prickly. Messy finish with a lingering aftertaste. Nice.

A real nice beer overall. Subtle yet complex nose and flavor with a body that makes this one pretty drinkable. I'd definitely revisit this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 01:33:47 | More by SpeedwayJim

nickapalooza86

Wisconsin

4.14/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours pretty dark, with two fingers of a really nice looking Mocah head, can not see any light through it.

smell is char, bitter chocolate, a light ecpresso and a wee bit of roastyness

taste is bitter bakers chocolate, char and finishes with a nice bitter espresso.

mouthfeel is medium and creamy, really smooth drinking stuff!

A good beer, a lot of flavor for a non imperial stout, not as sweet and roasty as some but I like stouts that differ from the norm!

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 01:09:41 | More by nickapalooza86

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.24/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The beer is opaque, dark brown nearing black. The beige head is thick and massive, coating the glass with a thick sheet of lacing as it slowly recedes. The aroma really inviting dark roast, coffee, chocolate. Ooh. I can already see why this is so highly rated. The flavor brings a heavy dose of roast with a splash of coffee. The finish brings a hop bitterness that melds beautifully with the charred roast character. Long lasting aftertaste. A solid beer. If this were in my market, I would keep it around all year.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 01:33:14 | More by Huhzubendah