Obsidian Stout - Deschutes Brewery

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.51/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A- pours a dark pitch black color with a creamy light tan head that reduces to a thin layer, leaving lacing around the entire glass.

S- awesome pronounced roasted notes, not too smoky, some chocolaty malts with a bit of toffee and unlit charcoal. Loving these aromas.

T- huge chocolate notes from start to finish. Roasted, almost smoky malts provide huge pronounced flavors on the palate. Citric hops provide a slightly tart undertone and match well with the malts. The finish provides a bit of earthy and smoky coffee with a sweet-yet-bone dry chocolaty sweetness. Dark chocolate with a touch of hop bitterness stays on the palate long after .

M- medium-light mouthfeel, seems a bit light and not able to hold up to the strong flavors going one. Carbonation is just enough to provide a creamy mouthfeel with a silky finish.

O- one of the best American stouts that I've had. It has the flavors of a DIPA, with amazing roasted chocolate flavors. It's going to be a sad day when I run out of the 6 of these I traded for.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 02:33:48 | More by Treyliff

HuskyinPDX

Washington

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

Bottle opened on 2.4.13
Best By 03/25/13

A - Pours a dark brown with a huge foamy brown head with great retention.

S - Lots of roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate.

T - Coffee, then nutty, some sweet chocolate and coffee again.

D - Good carbonation and a heavier body.

O - Perfectly balanced and simple, but right.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 05:41:13 | More by HuskyinPDX

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.21/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured two fingers of tan head on a black body.
The aroma is roasted malt, dark chocolate and
The taste is great. Lots of roasted malt and bitter-sweet chocolate. A dry bitterness through; results in a complex drink.
The texture is smooth and crisp with low carbonation and medium body.
It's just about everything I ever wanted in a stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 02:31:38 | More by Fatehunter

jvillefan

California

3.08/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: I can see why they called it obsidian stout. Jet black body with a thick and heavy mocha colored head.

S: Not a big fan. It smelled like a chocolatey lager. There was intense chocolatey aromas but the soggy bready aromas were also very strong.

T: I'm not so sure why this beer is reviewed so highly. The malt has too mush sharpness from the roast. I love stouts but the roast is way too much. The lager soggy bready flavor matches that in the aroma. There is some chocolate flavors here as well.

M: Nicely carbonated and the body is a tad light for a stout but still good.

O: Know what this beer tastes like, I would not be disappointed if I never tried it. There are much better stouts available year round for less out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 04:52:28 | More by jvillefan

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

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

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

Appearance - Pours a dark chocolate/black with one and a half finger width of creamy mocha head. Nice lacing and head retention.

Smell - Roasted malts, barley, hint of espresso/coffee bean, dark chocolate.

Taste - All the aromas come through in the flavour with bold intensity and roasted taste. Great bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation. Touch of smoothness.

Overall - A well-crafted and flavourful stout from Deschutes. I really enjoyed the bitterness from the espresso/coffee bean and it makes this brew a real stand-out.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 04:30:04 | More by leaddog

popery

California

4.11/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes, 7/16/11. This is such a tasty stout. It’s got a big, rich combination of roast, chocolate and coffee, all backed up by some caramel. The body is creamy and smooth. It’s fairly bitter, which helps tone down the malt sweetness. Black body with a mocha head. Bubbles stick all over the glass prettily. It drinks easily, despite all of the flavor. Good stuff. Edit: Tried from a nitro tap. Excellent beer for nitro. Smooth and creamy. Not quite as much flavor, though.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 07:47:20 | More by popery

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

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

4.26/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This is a pretty special beer for me, as I’ve always read about Deschutes and their amazing stouts and porters. The main trouble being they didn’t export outside of the US. Well now I have one! The Obsidian Stout. Kindly brought back to the UK by an American friend for me. It pours black with a lively tan head, and has an interestingly original aroma. More coffee than I’d expect from a non-imperial stout but still those familiar dark, burnt malts. The taste is very nicely balanced between a dark malty sweetness, reminiscent of dark fruits like cooked plums, and a dry bitterness, from those hops and the burnt, coffee-like aspect of the malts. The beer has quite a wholesome yet drinkable mouthfeel, the dryness leaving you craving more.

I love this beer, and I love Deschutes.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 23:57:14 | More by CwrwAmByth

beergoot

Colorado

4.49/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Ah, it's good coming back to an old friend!

Opaque, black body and rich, thick, sticky tan head please the eyes. Dark, charred grain smell with a coffee-like hint; bitter chocolate. Bitter, chocolaty flavor with some astringency and dryness present. Medium-heavy body, smooth, creamy, clean, dry.

Yes, this stout has always been one of my favorites from years ago. It's been a while since I've sampled any (there are just too, too many different beer styles and breweries available to me in Colorado Springs - oh, the shame, the shame...), but this latest version still sits well with me. It's well made, nicely balanced, with a quiet yet deep complexity that brings delight with each sip.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 03:25:47 | More by beergoot

zac16125

South Carolina

3.43/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a pint glass
No born on date or other distinguishing numbers

Thanks to 3hops for sending this one over as an extra.

A: Pours a thin appearing black with some browning on the edges and 2plus fingers width of mocha colored head, which dissipates down at a moderate rate to a thick film that hangs around throughout the entire drink. Leaves a good amount of lacing.

S: Roasted malt, burnt wood, heavy cream. The roasted and char notes are by far the most prominent aromas, and I dont get much else.

T: Follows the nose. Roasted malts and charred wood. Some mild dark fruit notes that I didnt get on the nose. A bit of anise and some medicinal phenolics. Surprisingly bitter on the finish, not necessarily in a good way.

M/D: Smooth, appropriately low carbonation, good drinkability but somewhat limited by the odd lingering bitterness on the back end. Could be creamier too.

O: Overall, not bad, but not terribly good either. Seems pretty mediocre, and I dont really see why the ratings are so high. Ive had a number of American standard stouts significantly better than this one. Its not bad, but its just slightly above average in my book.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 01:08:38 | More by zac16125

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

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

355ml bottle poured into tulip 1/1/13 first beer of the year

A black liquid with a deep cola edge, large and loose mocha foam slowly falls to a thick film leaving some random lace well down the glass

S lots of dark roast but there's some citric hops still shining through, there's some bakers chocolate, raisins and cold coffee with a little sweetness and char coco powder, smells fairly straight forward but its very strong and exactly what a stout should smell like

T again its a great mix of dark roast and hops, the malts a little darker in the mouth, quite rich and tasty I'm pretty stoked with this one

M lighter side of medium bodied with a good level of carbonation, a hoppy char aftertaste lingers quite strong for some time

O great stout going on here, hits all the spots and I could and will drink a few with no issues at all

Big dark roast notes with a hop kick, this is what I look for in a stout and I'm so very stoked to see this at my liquor store, great example of the style

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 02:41:58 | More by wordemupg

vfgccp

New York

3.9/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Like the name, the body is a straight obsidian black with a cola halo highlight. Creamy mocha head with nice retention and lace.

S - Somewhat one dimensional nose of medium roast grains. What's there is nice though.

T - Straight forward profile loaded with smooth, creamy roast malt. Touch of char, cream, and caramel.

M - Thick, smooth, medium body.

O - Delicious, simple, well executed. One of the better American Stouts I've had.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 21:08:09 | More by vfgccp

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

Zach136

Georgia

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

12 oz bottle picked up in a trade from suncrust, highly recommended!

Poured into a New Belgium Globe.

A - Pitch black with a 1 finger ,dark tan head that left great lacing.

S - Mostly chocolate with a bit of roasted nut and malt in the background.

T - Nice malt back bone. Mostly coffee with hint of chocolate and a tiny amount of hop bitterness on the after taste.

M - A little bit thinner than I prefer in stouts, but good.

O - A very solid stout. Hoping to try more from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 03:39:40 | More by Zach136

barczar

Kentucky

3.8/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque black color with a solid 2 inch cola colored head that dissipates slowly, leaving spotty lacing.

Coffee, chocolate, and roast malt dominate the aroma, with nutty, toasted notes adding complexity.

Fairly acrid coffee is the predominant flavor, overwhelming the roast malt, which almost seems charred. Chocolate becomes secondary. The finish is bitter, peppery, and dry. As it warms, the flavor improves significantly.

Body is on the thick side, with minimal carbonation, and a fairly acrid, astringent finish. There's slight alcohol warmth.

Pretty disappointed in this beer, given the exceptional ratings. Very coffee-forward, bitter, and acrid, roasty, but lacking in chocolate and malt complexity. Substantial phenols. Pretty harsh. The more it warms, the more I like it, but still expected more. Leave it sit out for a good half hour.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 05:11:58 | More by barczar

94Sip

Texas

2.75/5  rDev -35%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Overall: this was proabably my least favorite stout. It tasted like a typical west coast IPA mixed with a stout, and the result was the look of a stout and the taste of a Pale Ale. Maybe I had a bad batch because I drank 2 from the same 6 pack and they were identical? This is not something I would buy again.

A: typical stout darkness with nice tan head

S: I didn't pick up much of the roasted smells, or the coffee, malty smells either.

T: As I mentioned in my overall summary I just did not get the typical stout flavors that I enjoy - chocolates and coffees, toffees, caramels, roasted flavors. Instead it simply tasted like a typical Pale Ale. If I had closed my eyes I would have sworn it was a pale ale. I might say as the beer warmed up and if I let it sit in my mouth for just a bit I would get a little bit of a light coffee flavor, but almost unnoticeable.

M: perhaps some of the creaminess of a stout with the head, but definitely that thicker feeling that I get from other stouts.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 03:24:34 | More by 94Sip

Danishboy59

4.65/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12oz bottle poured into cold, traditional pint glass

A: A deep, very dark, truly "obsidian like" color, with a rich and moderately thick, stout-style cocoa colored, single finger head.

S: Nose of smoky, dark roast Coffee, with a pungent bitterness on the end

T: Coffee is up front, rolling into big roasty, toasty malts, hint of balanced sweetness, big hops imparting an espresso-like bitterness on the finish, later developing into a carmel-ish toast for the long haul...

M: Robust, with some serious richness to it, some creaminess, but not nearly as thick as I'm used to from traditional Irish/UK stouts. Incredibly long and dry-ish finish!

This beer had that classic familiarity of a Guinness (have had it in Dublin!), but is also it's own unique interpretation of a classic stout. It is incredibly bold and robust, even more so than the aforementioned standard, but it is all woven expertly into this beer. It doesn't feel as heavy going down as most stouts, an extremely endearing quality. Can't imagine a stout that would surpass it!

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 12:36:02 | More by Danishboy59

CJS

Florida

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

A nice rich cocoa velvet color. More than a fingers witdh on the initial pour of collar. khaki in color.

S Rich in dark chocolate and coffee aromas. Smells a bit bitter

T slight bitter astringency at first. Develops into dark cacao flavors. Slight coffee appeal, but not a lot. A touch of sweetness mid mouth and more caramel and maltiness than anything. Then a dry breadiness on the way out.

M Has a viscosity appeal a bit more than thin. Not a bad thing for what it is.

O Def a competitor in its category and I would buy more if I got the chance.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 00:39:29 | More by CJS

joecast

Australia

3.9/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Happy thanksgiving! Starting off right.

Obsidian is right. The name suits this beer. Head is a bit thin but on the darker side. Nice lacing.
Light aroma mainly of roast and coffee beans. Maybe a touch of alcohol.
Robust stout flavors. A bit of dark chocolate with lots of roasted malts.
Fits nicely with the milder porter and this stout as two excellent dark beers. I prefer the porter, but this a great beer in its own right.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 21:13:03 | More by joecast

ScorpyX

Colorado

4.93/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Thick and dark, very dark brown, nearly black. Two finger-width dark tan head. A little bit of lacing left behind.

S: Sweet coffee smell, chocolaty notes. A bit of brown sugar there, too. Very pleasant.

T: Nice coffee dominates. That thick sweetness is there, too. Presence of roasted malt as well. Very nice combination and a great example of a stout. One of my favorite beers out there.

M: A little heavy, but not overwhelming. Certainly not a session, but it's surprisingly smooth.

A great beer from start to finish. One of my favorites out there.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 17:24:03 | More by ScorpyX

NatetheGreat

Nevada

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

A: the mention of "black beauty" on the label really can't be improved upon to describe the appearance of this beer.

S: sweet chocolate, coffee, caramel, cherry, fig, and other dark fruits

T: coffee is pronounced initially, dark chocolate, fruit, toast, and fairly well hopped to offer surprising balance

M: rich with a dry-ish finish

delicious brew; desert in a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 06:19:46 | More by NatetheGreat

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

jaasen64

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz. Bottle poured into Founders Snifter. Best by 1/28/13

A- Pours a dark slightly translucent dark amber brown that appears jet black when sitting in the glass. About two fingers of creamy fairly thick mocha brown head that has great retention and coats the glass with fairly thick foamy lacing. Decent carbonation for a stout with consistently rising bubbles.

S- Roasted malts, espresso beans, barley, and some dark chocolate. Fairly roasty, about average aroma strength.

T- Roasty malts, espresso beans, some light hops that blend with the barley, light dark chocolate on the finish that lingers along with the barley taste. Fairly robust, definitely roasty, well balanced, and decently tasty.

M- Fairly carbonated for a stout, smooth, a little bit velvety, goes down easy. In my opinion a little bit overcarbonated and a tad bit too velvety which made it a little bit hard to finish for me.

O- A decent stout that I enjoyed drinking but nothing that stood out too much. A tad bit too roasty, overcarbonated, and velvety on the feel for my liking. Looked fantastic when pouring. Overall a decent stout that was definitely above average, but there are plenty that I would take over this. I would recommend trying it out especially if you like a lot of roast.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 21:49:14 | More by jaasen64

tlazaroff

Virginia

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

Coffee, espresso, and other roasted goodness are the first things that hit my senses. I can pick out some chocolate as well, as well as a light floral character on the tail-end of the aroma.

Black as obsidian with a nice dark mocha head. It doesn't last too long though, but doesn't go away completely. Lacing is nice.

Beautiful chocolate covered espresso beans from start to finish on this one. Actually, its the opposite, it's like a gob of chocolate covered in powdered espresso beans, because you get the espresso first. Lighter body than I expected, and higher carbonation than expected. Overall a very nice beer, and strangely refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 01:13:06 | More by tlazaroff