Obsidian Stout - Deschutes Brewery

acelin

Kansas

4.8/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tasting glass on tap at the Beer Kitchen in KC.

Pours a dark, dark brown-black with a tan head that leaves loads of lacing all the way down. I could see each sip with a very thick lace. Beautiful! Most perfect appearance, and that is no stretch.

Smell was average, could bring more to the nose. Very roasted notes come through.

The taste is spot on. Perfect stout. Beautiful roasted biscuits, molasses, slight hints of coffee, chocolate, vanilla, cooked oatmeal, dark bread, and even light roast coffee. The hops were more floral than anything else, perfectly balancing out the rich maltiness of this brew.

The penultimate stout.

Deschutes, I want an imperial version of this, now!

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2012 04:10:06 | More by acelin

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at The Library Ale House in Santa Monica; a stunning stout.

Poured a beautiful near-black with impressive chocolate coloured head. Mouthfeel is super creamy and wonderfully smooth. Aroma of chocolate and roasted dark malt sweetness. Well balanced flavour of sweet malted barley with an underlying dry backbone. Impressive chocolate and coffee tones in the lingering, cleanly bitter finish.

Would highly recommend!

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2012 18:23:03 | More by hopsolutely

CaptainIPA

Wisconsin

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

Served on-tap @ The Heathman Hotel in Portland and quaffed in the comforts of the Tea Court.

Pours as black as the volcanic rock for which it is named. Modest head with good retention and exceptional lacing. Aromas of roasted malts, chocolate and coffee.

Opens with rich, roasted malts and bitter-sweet chocolate. Hints of caramel, molasses and burnt toast emerge. Velvety-smooth mouthfeel. French Roast coffee moves to the forefront, followed by suggestions of licorice and oatmeal. All of these rich and roasted complexities are artfully balanced with a touch of hop bitterness. Finishes powder dry. Obsidian Stout is an approachable sipper and the perfect nightcap.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2012 02:55:25 | More by CaptainIPA

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on 2011-11-16 in Maple Grove, MN at the 3 Squares restaurant.

A - Black with a 1-finger, long-lasting, light brown head into a standard pint glass. Very good lacing.

S - Milk chocolate, dried fruit, some coffee. Not real strong but there are food odors present.

T - Really good. Coffee and chocolate, enhanced by the dark-roasted, caramel malt with just a hint of sourness. The aftertaste is rich in roasty-bitter flavors, which last a long time.

M - Medium body and light carbonation yield a milkshake creamy feel. More so than from the bottle. Almost seemed like it was on nitrogen.

O - A fine beer. Good in bottles or on-tap.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2011 18:15:21 | More by Tucquan

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

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

Had this at the blue dog.
Appears quite black with a rocky tall head that dense and lingers for a long while. Looks to be about average carbonation. Lots of sticky lacing to the bottom of the glass.

Aroma is rich and robust with roasted malts and esspresso hints of molasses comes through too.

Taste is of rich roasted malts and black coffee.
Some hop bitterness comes through to balance out the sweetness.

Mouthfeel is thick and creamy. Slides down nicely.

This was a good stout with lots of flavor.
My second from the folks at Deschutes, and there proving to be a worthy brewery in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 12:22:16 | More by micromaniac129

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.53/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Fathers Office in Santa Monica, CA on 7/10/11

A - Poured dark black with a small amount of light brown head.

S - Chocolate, coffee, roasted malts and a mild bitterness present as well. A nice nose.

T - Bitter espresso, dark chocolate, roasted malts and a subtle overall sweetness to balance it out. This is an exceptional stout.

M - Almost feels like this is nitro (perhaps it is?). Medium body, smooth and somewhat creamy texture. Light carbonation.

O - Another great offering from Deschutes.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2011 17:33:39 | More by TheSevenDuffs

IronLover

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Deep brown to black in color. Poured with a frothy, steady, longlasting beige head that leaves huge, thick sheets of lacings on the glass. Mellow chocolate and roasted malt aromas. Velvety smooth, with a delicate feel, but at the same time a bit thick. Sweet chocolate and roasted malt flavors up front and into the middle. Bitter hops begin to show thru in the middle as the raosted malt flavor deepens to a nearly burnt flavor, but never actully gets there. Dark roasted malt flavors, with a hint of coffee through to the finish. Finished semi-dry with roasty, bitter hop aftertaste.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2011 17:54:44 | More by IronLover

haazer

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Capones.

A- Appears just like a, dare I say it? Guiness. The familiar tan head, black/dark brown liquid and the quicksand-like brown bubbles cascading down the glass.

S- Smell is fairly bland. Little bit of roasted malts, kind of smells like a Guiness. Oddly enough this kind of smells like a lager. Just very faint.

T- Ok so it definitely delivers where it matters. The taste is much better then the aroma. Reminds me of the "whoppers" candy balls somewhat. Good roasted malts, with a little coffee and creamer. Tempted by a 4.5 score but not quite.

M- A bit on the lighter side for a stout, but it is sooo drinkable. I'm bumping the score some. It feels and drinks as easy as a porter.

O- Despite the lack of aroma in this thing it is definitely better to drink. I'd certainly have this again and perhaps like to try from the bottle to see if the nose is any better.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2011 20:41:25 | More by haazer

Franch

New York

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

i don't get to try stouts that are not imperial very often. this is a pretty good everyday stout. i really liked it, and at 6.4% ABV, it's certainly more feasible to drink a lot of it than say.. bell's expedition stout. the espresso taste went to the core.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2011 04:41:25 | More by Franch

megahurts4

Louisiana

4.13/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deschutes Obsidian Stout
On tap at Tap House Grill Seattle, WA

Appearance: dark brown, small head, and good lacing.

Smell: roasted malt, coffee, and dark chocolate.

Taste: good roasted malt, coffee, and cocoa.

Mouthfeel: medium and smooth.

Overall:
This has good flavor. It is very smooth without being watery.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2011 04:38:35 | More by megahurts4

BlastBeats

Illinois

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

Appearance: pours pitch black with a sizable, lingering tan head.

Smell: roasted barley and malts were easily detectable. Mild coffee scents were present as well.

Taste: the full-bodied malty construction of this beer is built in to compliment the roasted complexity throughout the finish. Chocolate and subdued hops are evident.

Mouthfeel: I percieved the mouthfeel to be somewhat similar to an Irish stout. Creamy and frothy, but with more weight and viscosity.

Overall: A brilliant beer. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2011 07:13:42 | More by BlastBeats

Zekezilla

Maryland

4.53/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up on a recent trip to Portland. Not being overly familiar with West Coast breweries, I honestly didn't know that I was in so many tasty samples while there. This one was probably my favorite. Pitch black in appearance. Very smoky, taste. In fact, I really hadn't experienced "smoke" in taste/smell until I tried some porters and stouts in Portland. Exceptionally drinkable. Makes me wish I lived in Portland!

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2010 16:46:56 | More by Zekezilla

Thorpe429

Illinois

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap during my wife and I's lovely trip to Bend, OR in August 2009.

A: Pours jet black with a nice deep tan head.

S: Loads of chocolate atop a slightly sweet roasted malt base.

T: Good amount of chocolate alongside coffee and roasted malt. Nice balance between everything.

M: Medium body with lighter carbonation and a bit of a chewy nature.

D: Very nice all around. Nothing too outstanding, but a quaffable, fairly low abv dark brew, which I'm always happy to find.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2010 20:51:49 | More by Thorpe429

SShelly

California

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours deep black with offwhite poofy head, great looking stout.

Aroma is smoky, chocolaty, tobacco, lots of smoke.

Milk chocolate, dark malt, smoke and tobacco, leaves a light sweetness in the mouth.

Tasty and drinkable, great beer, the smoke and tobacco flavors would probably keep me from ordering more than one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2010 02:58:15 | More by SShelly

pants678

California

4.05/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap at Father's Office in Culver City.

Comes out the deepest opaque chocolate brown with a creamy beige head.

Roasted chocolate and coffee malts.

This is about the closest I've come to pure milk chocolate in a beer. Though there's a touch of cinnamon and marshmellows (s'mores!) I would not call this complex, but it's not rich either. There's a nice balance of chewy flavors that's easy to sort through with the slightest hop finish.

The Obsidian is thick for sure, but it's a stout with just the right carbonation so I wouldn't have to struggle through the middle or end. Filling, without ending my night or obliterating my palate.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2010 12:11:12 | More by pants678

plaid75

New York

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at the Deschutes Brewpub, Portland, Oregon.

Poured a deep black hue with a one finger foamy tan head. There was very good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a elements of roasted barley, dry coffee, dark chocolate and a touch of smoke.

The taste consisted of roasted barley, semi-sweet chocolate and charcoal.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style with a nice lingering bitterness.

Overall an above average stout.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2009 17:52:43 | More by plaid75

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Black with a tan head, ring of retention, excellent lacing.

S: Bakers chocolate, licorice, black strap molasses.

T: Coffee, molasses, licorice, pumpernickel rye bread, dark caramel, great bitterness.

M: Moderate to full body is very creamy.

D: Loved it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2009 03:06:09 | More by Derek

barleywinefiend

Washington

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pitch black color with a tan head that settles fairly quickly. Aroma is highly roasted, heavy notes of coffee and touches of cocoa. Flavor is chock full of roasted malt goodness, along with lots of unsweetened chocolate type flavor. Mouthfeel is very smooth, some carbonation is noted on the finish, but nothing to write home about.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2007 16:23:15 | More by barleywinefiend

genog

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours such a black as night color with plenty of bubbling two inch tall head. The once bubbly head fades away and leaves plenty of lacing clinging to the side of my snifter. Smell is doughy and dried fruit with chocolate notes. Smell is not quite black licorice but more of a slight anise smell. This one started out strong but there was not a lot of flavor here. Some chocolate, coffee but it is all muted. Mouthfeeling is way too carbonated and makes this one not very drinkable. I had such high hopes for this beer coming from the makers of The Abyss.

Serving type: on-tap

12-25-2007 01:01:08 | More by genog

warriorsoul

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

My second PNW brew from the folks at Red Bones...
Arrived in a standard pint glass a dark chocolate color with a full finger of creamy tan head...lacing quite thick and very attractive, making it difficult to consume...yeah right.
Aroma was a masterful blend of belgian chocolate, espresso and a subtle malt sweetness.
The taste was more of the same with a very robust character that simply blew me away for the style. If my first experience with a stout was this and not Guinness, I would have been converted a long time ago. Not dry at all in the finish and no smoked flavors going on...finished very clean with a caramel/vanilla blend...no alcohol to be found during the entire pint.
Thick mouthfeel for this offering...wish I could find this one in a bottle to compare.
Quite easy to throw back a couple of these, but it was filling due to it's texture, so wouldn't have any more beyond that...either way, a definite winner.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2005 19:37:32 | More by warriorsoul

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

It is real nice that at least in the PNW that beer can bought at any grocery store for a good price for a six pack. I compare this to St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout as a high quality stout that is available easily. The beer had all the roasty notes coupled with chocolate esters but I had one small quible and that is the slightly abupt bitter finish. Other than that this is a great stout that provides great value.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2005 05:01:28 | More by canucklehead

SamuraiJack

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted at the brewery.

While this stout doesn't compete with the massive Brooklyn Chocolate Stout or other Imperial Stouts, it is none the less a serious, huge beer. And like the Chocolate Stout, this is, IMHO, an example of an excellent beer-maker at work - one of the top US brewed stouts.
First pour reveals a completely opaque black stout with a truly massive and almost gummy head. Initial aroma is heavy on the roasted barley and alchohol (perhaps the least pleasing attribute). Initial taste is one of both cream and sugar, blending smoothly into the roasted barley, fruit and (now balanced) citric bite of the alchohol. The aftertaste begins with the appearance of a nice burnt coffee flavour and integrates the subtle hops bitterness into the sugars and cream to leave a long, lingering finish.
A very fine beer. Dramatically superior to the bottled version.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2003 17:32:14 | More by SamuraiJack

mattmeiske12

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Picked up a bottle of this at Mari's Six Pack & More in Reading, PA.

Appearance - Thick, dark brown in color. I didn't get much head retention though.

Aroma - Smelled very nice... lots of coffee/expresso, some chocolate.

Taste - This almost reminded me of an irish dry stout. It's not quite what I was expecting, but none the less it was very smooth and chocolatey.

Mouthfeel - Very silky, light on the palate. I didn't like that it thinned off at the end, would've enjoyed some coffee or chocolate.

Overall - This is a very "session-able" stout, something I could keep drinking all day and not get sick of. This was also the first time I've had Deschutes here in PA and I'll keep looking for more.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 18:20:21 | More by mattmeiske12

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