Obsidian Stout - Deschutes Brewery

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

A-Pours creamy and black. Velvety texture. Head is comprised of a half-inch patty of calm cream. The head lasts forever and laces the whole glass...thanks nitro-tap.

S-A well rounded aroma. A bit lactic but also quite roasty. Dried chocolate powder. Vanilla and hints if char. I am picking up an impressive addition of piney hops. It even smells creamy.

T-The flavor is excellent. Frothy latte with a big shot of espresso. Milk chocolate and vanilla milkshake. Then I get some burnt malt. It finishes with a supremely pleasant green grass hop wave.

M-Nitro-tap. Enough said.

O/D-Superb mouthfeel and just a great non-imperial Stout. Could drink this for days on end; especially when the weather is a bit chilly. Excellent intro into Deschutes.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-02-2013 16:44:41 | More by VelvetExtract

FosterJM

California

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

1708th Review on BA
Nitro tap to tulip
16oz

@Original Gravity Publick House, San Jose, CA

App- A medium dense brown with some darker edges and a center as well. A huge three finger tan/white head with great cling. Looked like the American Guinness.

Smell- This was a lot like an Oreo just in the liquid form. This was creamy and grainy but yet smooth and balanced with some vanilla and chocolate notes.

Taste- This was a good beer. I still think I should have a bottle of the regular to compare this too. The roasts notes are a bit pronounced for me and have a slight granular and vanilla/chocolate similar to the nose.

Mouth- A solid medium creamy body with a medium/low carbonation. A bit of a toasty residual flavor with some bakers chocolate.

Drink- It's a classic stout, bitter, chocolatey and grainy. One of the classics. Good beer. Would have again.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-23-2013 04:41:18 | More by FosterJM

kojevergas

California

2.68/5  rDev -36.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Served on nitro-draught into a New Belgium goblet at The Daily Pint in Santa Monica, California. Cost was $4.00 USD plus tax. Reviewed from notes. Expectations were high given the serving type, brewery, and style - all of which I love.

A: Pours a one finger head of nice tan colour, good cream, slick smooth nicely thick foam, and excellent retention. Colour is a solid nontransparent black.

Sm: Roasted barley, cream, milk, and chocolate. A mild strength aroma.

T: Heavy cream is dominant, an effect of the nitro no doubt. Some underlying chocolate and rather tame roasted barley. I liked it better out of the bottle; it's a bit stale here. Dark malts form the foundation. Poorly balanced on nitro. The increased cream attacks the balance. I'm disappointed. It's not bad, but it's far from good. A bit simple and not subtle.

Mf: Creamy, smooth, and wet. A touch too thin. Very undercarbonated. Complements the flavour profile only moderately.

Dr: Drinkable but unremarkable. Best from the bottle methinks. I wouldn't bother with it again on nitro-draught, but it might do better on-draught.

C-

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-20-2012 21:36:17 | More by kojevergas

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

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

I think I'll step out and say that this is the first time I've had a stout off of a nitro line that was this good. Spicy almost oat tones on this one. Very hearty, yet not overly thick malt tones that make up the backbone of this stout. Very consistent and very well executed. This should be a standard for stouts.

Serving type: nitro-tap

04-14-2012 07:32:33 | More by RblWthACoz

PorterPig

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wow.

A: Black as night. Beautiful tan head. Could have left more but was poured a bit too close to the rim.

S: Toasty malt and char

T: Wow. A suprising minerality that almost hits my pallet with something that verges sourness but opens up into rich malt with chocolate/espresso notes and closing with a lasting bitterness. Lively yet composed.

M: very round and buttery yet not heavy or oily. How does it remain so full yet clean? I guess the Nitro probably adds something here. I can wait to try a bottle.

O: Wow.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-08-2012 03:55:24 | More by PorterPig

Heavenisbeer

Georgia

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

On nitro-tap at Rogue in SF.

A: Eerily reminiscent of a Guinness Draught actually (which is the one saving grace of a Guinness, i.e. the look). The nitrous obv has much to do with this.

S: Chocolate espresso with a slight vanilla kick.

T: Burnt chocolate malts, slight espresso hints, and a smooth vanilla end.

M: Creamy and dry.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-06-2012 00:29:05 | More by Heavenisbeer

williamjbauer

West Virginia

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

Served nitro-tap in a pint glass

A- Obsidian, the name says it all. Just a few light highlights in this hazy dark storm of a beer. Chocolate two finger head with great head retention and great lacing.

S - Delightful roasted malt with nice chocolate and hop pine balance.

T - Chocolate and smokiness as first follow by coffee bitterness in the back palate and a little dry. Tastes just slightly watery in the end, but well balanced overall.

M - Creamy, full bodied, good carbonation. Almost perfect.

O - Excellent stout, would be the best beer at many breweries. Just wish I would have drank this before, and not after The Abyss because that is one tough act to follow. Would get this beer anytime.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-30-2012 16:54:45 | More by williamjbauer

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

one of the best stouts out, period. pours the thickest creamiest black coffe color with a frothy mocha head an inch and a half tall. milkshake texture. smells rich and roasty, and even a little bitter. flavor is great, some deep espresso notes, but nothing overpowering. again a slight bitterness in the finish. mouthfeel is gold, thick and creamy without being heavy. this is extremely sessionable. everything is in perfect poportion here, i imagine the nitrotap makes this one even better than its bottled version. silky buttery glory on this stout. as good as it gets

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-26-2012 17:52:29 | More by StonedTrippin

unclepedro

California

4.9/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Ok, I know that I'm rating this pretty highly, but this is definitely my favorite stout, and probably my favorite beer at the moment. I had it on nitro at Westwood Brewco on several occasions in the fall of 2011 and it's just really phenomonal.

A: One of the best looking stouts I have ever seen. Thick, smooth, coffee-colored head with a mesmerizing cascade as it settles. Dark, dark beer.

S: Malty, sweet, bitter. Like smelling tiramisu or a cold mocha.

T: Out of this world. It sweet, malty, but with a slight bitterness that makes your mouth water. I'm not sure if there's coffee in it, but there's something about it that has a delicious coffee-like effect on the flavor.

M: Smooth. So smooth. Almost desserty, but not quite. Which is good because it's not overwhelming.

O: Probably my favorite beer at the moment. I don't think I could pass this up if it was on the menu.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-09-2012 18:05:55 | More by unclepedro

BenHesk12

California

4.38/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Obsidian Stout can be considered a hidden treasure. At $8 for a six pack, this beer is inexpensive, widely available, and spot on for the style of an American stout. For this review, I was served on nitro-tap from a local bar in San Francisco's North Beach. This beer is a delight start to finish with lasting chocolate and coffee flavors, a creamy, delicate mouthfeel (partly due to the nitro), and overall a balance of alcohol and stouty flavors that leaves little to be desired. While not extremely complex or fancy, this beer is enjoyable on a special level.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-08-2012 08:07:02 | More by BenHesk12

MsRif

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on-tap at Deschutes in Portland, OR. Poured a deep, dark brown (almost black) with mahogany on the peripheral. Very nice creamy tan head that retained well, leaving beautiful lacing throughout the glass. Had an aroma of dark chocolate, roasty malts, molasses...dry, roasty but there is a touch of sweetness as well. Taste was pretty big cocoa, roasty/smoky malts and sweet malts/molasses.

Heavy mouthfeel...chewy. Definitely best saved for the end of a session. Overall a good representation of the style, and quite enjoyable. Recommended.

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-29-2011 16:00:42 | More by MsRif

dbmernin83

California

4.2/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with an off-white nitro head.
Aroma dampened but there's a faint roasted coffee and chocolate on the nose.
Holy shit! An unexpected whallop of chocolate, roasted coffee followed by a nice hop bitterness. This is one of the most flavorful regular American stouts I've ever had, especially on nitro.
It's on nitrogen, what do you think?
This is a fantastic stout that I will seek out again.

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-14-2011 03:24:53 | More by dbmernin83

Mora2000

Texas

3.15/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

On nitro-tap at the Holy Grail Pub in Plano.

The beer pours a deep, black color with a large nitro-induced tan head. The aroma is full of roasted malt and chocolate, just as I expected. The flavor is where the nitro really takes away from the beer. I get quite a bit of chocolate and roasted malt, but the nitro thins out the mouthfeel and makes the beer taste watery. There is also a little bit of coffee in the flavor. Thin to medium, watery mouthfeel.

Hopefully I will be able to try this beer in the bottle or on regular tap so I can re-review it, since I am sure it is a better beer when not on nitro.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-17-2011 18:57:22 | More by Mora2000

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On nitro-tap @ the Deschutes Brewery & Public House (Portland, OR) on 9/5/11. Served in a pint glass.

Pours black in the glass, with a finger of thick and creamy looking mocha colored head. This sticks around with a ½ finger of richness, which just drenches the sides of the glass with thick and sticky lacing. The aroma just smells delicious, with smoky burnt grains, bittersweet chocolate, and then a dash of tangier caramel. Some green citric character mixes in to, with maybe a touch of light floral tones hanging on the edges as well. The chocolate and roast are the main components of this though and they do their job well here in the nose.

The taste is heavy with chocolate, which mingles with green citrus flavors and roasted malt to really give off a deep roasted twang on the palate. Like the nose, this put a lot of emphasis on that dark chocolate here character here, with those hops and roast lingering in the finish with burnt tones and some leftover notes of bitter rind. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and just unbelievably smooth and creamy feeling here on nitro, which gives this lightness on the palate that the depth and robustness of the flavors here would suggest otherwise. I mean this just drinks effortlessly for a 6% beer. Just a tremendous overall nitro feel to this.

This was already an extremely well done American Stout in my eyes to begin with but here on nitro @ the Portland Brewpub, it was just heavenly. The smoothness and richness of the flavors in this glass just did it for me and I wouldn’t hesitate for an instant to try it again this way. What a treat!

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-03-2011 17:12:40 | More by Kegatron

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

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

Serving type: 16 oz nitro into a pint glass

Haven't had this since Philly Beer Week. Just as good as I remembered it being. Starts off with a fingers width crown that quickly dissipates while leaving more than enough evidence of it's former presence. Chocolat, toffee nose. Nice smoothe mouthfeel with the usual suspects regarding flavors you'd expect from this type of stout. A fine example of what makes Deschutes a premier stout brewer.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-02-2011 18:29:48 | More by Retail1LO

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

First had: on nitro-tap at Capone's, Norristown, PA

Poured into a pint glass jet black with a small, dense, tan nitro head. Very clean aroma, infused with espresso and roasty malts. Roasty, roasty taste, coffee, dark chocoate, more roastiness, almost burnt, but not quite. Silky and uh, roasty, with a coffee-bitter dry finish. Full body and quite drinkable.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-10-2011 13:19:34 | More by Rifugium

UpToMeBeer

Colorado

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

Wow. This is the creamiest, thickest, chewiest nitro-stout I've had. It is a sheer joy to savor in the mouth after admiring a one-inch thick head and decent lacing. Don't let the full-bodied character intimidate you if that's a danger... This is a very drinkable, pleasant beer.

Smell-wise, it's rather standard with hints of chocolate and coffee. It tastes like stouts of similar quality; the thing that sets it apart are the body and creaminess. A definite advantage I had, even here in Colorado, was getting served on nitro (thank you Taps, in Fort Collins).

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-07-2011 02:00:52 | More by UpToMeBeer

scottyg354

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

No need to get into details, this is by far one of the best looking, best smelling, tastiest, smoothest Stouts I've had. Wish I was back out in San Francisco were this would be a staple in my fridge. Unfortunately, it's not available in PA or at least in my area.

This is one awesome brew.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-01-2011 17:28:03 | More by scottyg354

beagle75

Iowa

4.22/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Draft nitrogen service into a 0.5-liter mug at Hollingshead's deli.

A: Opaque black color with two fingers of super-fine and persistent light beige foam head. Within the lofty head, cascading veins cut a dark network through the more pale substrate. Thick, localized lacing forms low on the glass.

S: Mild and roasted, with notes of earthy tree bark--chicory perhaps.

T: Begins off-dry, with refined roasted malt that features a quality of bitter-sweet chocolate syrup and no detectable acidity. Bitter chocolate carries into the middle where flavors generally become more mild. A whiff of fennel seed develops in the finish where bitterness is agreeably restrained.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, very smooth on the palate yet substantial, with very low carbonation.

D/O: Deschutes Obsidian stout is among the finest of American-brewed export stouts that get to see the inside of a small-format bottle. It is full-flavored yet not too strong, allowing the drinker to enjoy ther best of both of those worlds. The use of nitrogen propellant removes any suggestion of acidity on the palate, allowing the subtle flavors and eminent smoothness of the style to be showcased without battling the often-distracting acidic taste or texture.

Over the years I have waffled over what I considered Deschutes's greatest strength as a brewer: they make a lot of good pale ales, yet their Black Butte porter is the very archetype of its style, for those that have access to it. The fact that such a brewery can also brew an export stout that is so similar in some ways to the porter, yet make each product stand apart from the other when it counts, is testament to the exceeding mastery possessed over the porter-styles in general (and perhaps an even greater harbinger than is the appeal and popularity of their more limited imperials, such as The Abyss.) In the end, I refuse to be swayed in my opinion one way or the other.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-18-2011 02:16:35 | More by beagle75

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

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

Had this on nitro-tap at the Deschutes brewpub in Portland. Thick tan head on top of an opaque almost black beer. Nice rings of lacing after each sip. Big roasted malt smell, both chocolate and coffee. Incredibly well balanced stout, some roast bitterness and sweetness in the flavour. Creamy mouthfeel, likely from the nitro. Really nice stout.

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-22-2010 21:05:43 | More by kwjd

tewaris

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On nitro tap at Pracna on the Main during their Deschutes December event.

Pours usual dark colored but with poor head, poor head retention and some lacing. The aroma and taste were roast, malts, chocolate, coffee and had some coconut notes, something that I never got from this beer. In my opinion "nitro" hurt this beer's mouthfeel; can't say how or why but seemed thinner than usual and there was no creaminess that I was expecting. Drinkability is ok.

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-21-2010 02:11:21 | More by tewaris

MasterSki

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On nitro at 515 Kitchen & Cocktails. Served in a giant snifter.

A - Beautiful looking pour of a beautiful looking beer. A few fingers of persistent tan foam that settles to a thick cap and leaves behind glass-coating lace. Pitch black body. Not sure what else you could expect here.

S - Lots of cocoa, light coffee, a bit of smoke, roasted and charred malts. I think the nitro has muted the smell a touch. This is on the dryer side of things, and isn't overly sweet.

T - Taste contains the same collection of flavors, but with different proportions - light smoke, roasted barley malt, touches of milk chocolate and coffee. Finishes with a combination of roasty and hop bitterness.

M - Soft body, low carbonation. Perhaps a bit thin for 6.4% but otherwise pretty much what you'd expect from a nitro pour of an American Stout.

D - With the low carbonation, smooth body, and well-hidden alcohol, this is one stout you could drink all night long. I wish the flavor and nose popped a little more, but otherwise it's very delicious.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-11-2010 15:57:15 | More by MasterSki

nickd717

California

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

Nitro tap at Rose & Crown.

This beer pours black, like the volcanic rock (sorry, I stole that from the description) with a two-finger tan head and great lacing.

Aroma is a little muted by the nitro foam, but a little straining of the nostrils reveals a pleasant smell of rich chocolate and roasted malts, with maybe a little coffee as well.

This is a solid, satisfying beer with a rich roasted malt flavor (sorry, stole that from the description again). Damn, this one is chocolatey. The dark chocolate Ghirardelli chips I am eating for breakfast this morning as I write this (breakfast of champions I know) remind me of this beer. It is roasty as well, with notes of coffee and charred volcanic ash, which is fitting given the name.

Extremely smooth on the mouthfeel, which I know is helped by the nitro, with medium-full body. Some slight drying from the roastiness.

This beer reminds me of the world's largest obsidian flows at Newberry Volcano--just a few miles south of the brewery. "The Big Obsidian Flow," as they call it, covers more than 700 acres with shiny black obsidian. (Yep, stole that too.) Ok, here's something original: This beer was good. I liked it.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-08-2010 18:04:26 | More by nickd717

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.38/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bim bam, it doesn't look better than this. Jet black. Smell isn't overpowering, as you'll soon find, this beer hides its alcohol presence extremely well behind a wall of deep burnt malt. But whoa, there's some zippy hoppiness in there. Cascades for sure I'd guess. For sure I'd guess? Meh.

That deep taste of chococoffee never fades, it becomes even more drinkable throughout the bottle. While I've had other Deschutes stuff that at times tastes inconsistent, I've had numerous Obsidian Stout's in various forms, and never, ever has any of them been anything short of magnifique!

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-24-2009 18:37:49 | More by Beerandraiderfan

joedon

Minnesota

4.58/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Perfectly opaque black beer with a creamy tan head. Aroma of dark fruit, licorice, roasted malt.

Taste is perfect! Rich malty sweetness and a good amount of roasted-coffee/barley notes. Exceptionally smooth [Nitro!] and has a dark toasty, slightly bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel also perfect. Almost like a dessert custard-thats how smooth and creamy this stout is. Drinkability was outstanding for a pretty big beer.

I would love to have more of this but I never see it in the midwest.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-26-2009 23:51:31 | More by joedon