Obsidian Stout - Deschutes Brewery

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

starkmarvelo

Texas

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

Deschutes Obsidian Stout

A- pours pitch black with a loose tan head.

S- dark chocolate, some smokiness. Good coffee like flavors with a bit of sweetness to it as well.

T- again dark chocolate bitterness, big robust stout flavors. Borderline imperial. Tastes great, a lot of chocolate flavors.

M- medium to thick with pretty aggressive amount of carbonation. Still smooth though. Also as a bit of warming alcohol presence.

O- one of the best regular stouts I've had. No barrel aging, no vanilla, no extra bells and whistles. Just a superb example of beer that doesn't need to be limited to be great.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 16:26:57 | More by starkmarvelo

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

I finally got a hold of the elusive Holy Grail of stouts from the west coast. It's hard to find this stout east of the Rockies. This stout is UBER BLACK with a tan persistent head with plenty of lacing. Obsidian is so black I cannot see any brown. No light seems to be able to pierce this stout. That is pretty cool so I rated the appearance high. The aroma is good nothing wrong but nothing outstanding. Smooth clean sweet stout fragrance.

Now taste: When Obsidean hits my tongue it comes on bitter and strong yet with a creamy hint of sweetness. The taste is more like a dark chocolate or maybe lightly sweetened or even unsweetened chocolate you buy for baking. I have had similar strong stouts, but they lingered with a bitterness that was gritty. However, Obsidian is strong filled with flavors but with a creamy smoothness that is really nice. BALANCED.

Lightly carbonated smoooth texture. I prefer other stouts that are sweeter so I downed the score just a bit for that personal finding.

In head to head comparison with Deschutes Black Butte Porter, the beers, I found the beers were very similar except the Obsidian has like a teaspoon of rich molasses & an extra shot of espresso added. Butte may be a little more refreshing for a summer, but the Obsidian finish is like a cold dry refreshing clean espresso expression to me that really lingers in a nice way. I also compared Obsidian to Well's Double Chocolate Stout. Wells is smoother, creamier, less carbonated & the double chocolate shows. Obsidians firey little bubbles & espresso finish separate widely. Sweet beer lovers will go with Wells.

Regardless of what I say this is a world class brew, just not my personal favorite. This is a black brew of deep strong black flavor that is well balanced. So what goes with this stout. Something strong black bold. James Brown - Live at the Apollo. Please Please Please! This is something that is inherent to black. Something white guys can't do.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 06:21:52 | More by frankiepop

GossageBrewery

Missouri

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

Poured this 12 oz stout from a bottle into a pint glass. Poured dark black, produced a huge thick tan head, excellent retention and off the charts lacing left on the glass. The aroma of this stout consists of roasted barley,and milk chocolate. Full bodied, the mouthfeel of this stout is creamy and smooth. Sweet up front, the sweetness moves to roasted barley, coffee and milk chocolate that gives way to a bitter hop finish. This is one of the best Stout's I have tried. This is a must. Great Session beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 23:56:02 | More by GossageBrewery

GMB

Japan

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

Deschutes Obsidian Stout pours a body that refuses to allow any light to penetrate it. Thin strips of crimson do appear at the edges and bottom of my glass, but only after I hold it directly against a strong artificial light source. The head is a real surprise and a marvel to behold. A lighter shade of mocha than I would expect from such a dark beer, it appears slightly gassy at first, but proves to be extremely sticky and resilient as it falls. It clings to the glass as it settles into a thin disc on top of the beer's body. Viewed from the side, this appears as a basin of mocha terrain which hides a dark chocolate underworld.

The nose is rich and deep without being muddy. I expect to pick up dark fruits and chocolate in a stout, but these aromas are extraordinarily pronounced here, and the faint smell of alcohol suggests that these figs, dates, dark raisins, and prunes i allowed to ferment before they transmogrified into liquid form and found their way into my glass. The roasted malt is deep and inviting.

I rolled my first sip around in my mouth for almost a minute. The mouthfeel is almost perfect; the foam is not as chewy and viscous as I had hoped it would be. The roasted flavors take time to develop. Sweet dark fruits, chocolate, coffee, burnt caramel, emerge and recede in turn before relinquishing the palate to lingering flavors of blackened meat (e.g., the burnt ends of brisket), and figs and prunes braised in browned butter. Floral notes emerge as the beer warms. Have confectioners considered experimenting with chocolate, chrysanthemum, orange blossoms, and braised prunes?

I cannot imagine improving on the taste of this beer when it is at its best. But the alcohol seems less integrated as I approach the end of my glass, and so I am compelled to deduct points from its score. Would that I could give it a rating of 4.75 in taste!

I can't recall the last time I took such small sips and kept each sip in my mouth for so long. I'll be revisiting this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 01:17:49 | More by GMB

BobZ

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Deep, dark, dark brown, nice dense 3/4” tan head that recedes to about a ¼” and hangs around. Very nice lacing.

Smell: Rich roasted malt coupled with strong coffee and chocolate aromas.

Taste: Coffee and chocolate cut with the bitterness of the roast, well balanced. Depth of flavor with some hints dark fruit.

Mouthfeel: Creamy on the palate with a nice clean finish.

Overall: Excellent example of an American Stout. All of the coffee and chocolate flavor you would both expect and desire.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 19:48:49 | More by BobZ

NiceTaps

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A- Dense black color with a 2-finger mocha-colored fluffy head that tapers down to a thin film. There is a lot of sticky lacing left behind.

S- Dark roasted malt and strong coffee/expresso. It has quite an inviting aroma, there's a hint of sweetness as well, chocolate.

T-Roasted malt and coffee flavors are dominant for me. The chocolate is balanced by the 55IBUs so it's not sweet.

M- A little thin despite the good carbonation. Those coffee and malt flavors linger.The hop balance on the finish is near perfect.

O-This is a very good stout, too bad it's N/A in NJ.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 19:48:08 | More by NiceTaps

gtermi

Texas

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

A: Pours a nice black body, with a semi-thick tan head that slowly fades. The beer leaves a lot of lace on the glass as it fades.

S: The smell is a pretty nice part of this beer. It has the roastedness of a typical stout and even has a little bit of chocolate sweetness.

T: This is for sure the best part of this beer. The flavors have a nice roasted malt flavor with a nice amount of chocolate and coffee.

M: The beer has a bit of crispness on the back of the throat and the tip of the tongue. There is also a nice full body from the carbonation.

O: This is just another great beer from Deschutes. I drink their beer all the time and this is for sure one of the tops.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 05:19:20 | More by gtermi

WankelEngine

Illinois

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

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a very dark brown, almost black and completely opaque. A huge, fluffy mocha-tan head has moderate retention before bubbling down to a cap of foam. Nice layers of lacing.

S: Front and center is roasted malt. Dark chocolate and maybe some brewed coffee. Decently sweet, maybe some toffee. Sort of reminds me of a milk stout.

T: Bittersweet chocolate dominates followed by some coffee and a light floral hop flavor. A very roasted flavor overall. A slight pine and lingering bitter chocolate make up the finish.

M: Medium bodied with very mild carbonation. Easy to drink.

O: A good stout. A lot of roasted flavor but still very easy drinking. A stout good for winter or summer.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 21:24:43 | More by WankelEngine

mjurney

Texas

4.58/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pitch black in color, can't see though the light. Thick tan color head. Leaves a beautiful lacing behind.

Lots of dark roasted malts in the nose. Burnt caramel, hint of vanilla. Smells awesome!!

Taste starts off dark roasted malts along with dark bitter chocolate. I'm getting espresso though out the taste. A little hint of dark fruit. Burnt caramel towards the end of the palate. Roasted, slight dry finish. Medium-heavy bodied, carbonation is moderate.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 20:08:34 | More by mjurney

ichus

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

This is my new favorite. I work in a grocery store that sells alot of beer and this is the best I've tried. I like to drink it in tandem with a hot cup of strong coffee. I'm giving it a 4 only because there are alot of stouts I haven't experienced. But out of all the generallly available ie grocery store stouts and porters, this is the best. Black Butte porter a close second. Way better than Monkey Face, Pipeline, Guinness black Etc.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 00:14:25 | More by ichus

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

4.73/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deschutes Brewing "Obsidian Stout @ 6.4% from a 330 ml bottle 6 pack
A-pours a very dark brown/black with some subtle crimson along the glass edge with a fine cola head leaving some spotty lacing along the pint glass
S-roasted malt , black barley both very mild
T-a sweet/sour start with just enough hop bite to cut thru the sweetness , crisp finish
MF-deep robust , richly rewarding , good carbonation , full bodied
Ov-a slow sipping beer that you can linger over , over , again , again
just a bit better than Black Butte , both great beers , well done Deschutes

Cheers LampertLand

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 21:06:08 | More by LampertLand

draheim

Washington

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

12oz (best by 11/5/2012) into a snifter. Pours a deep brown/black w/ a thick mocha head that settles to a dense pillow.

Aroma is dark roasted malt, bitter chocolate/coffee, dark fruit, molasses, floral hops.

Taste is chocolate malt, bitter hops, dark fruit.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, soft but bitter finish.

Overall a solid, hoppy American stout, nothing extraordinary.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 07:21:56 | More by draheim

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Near black. Head is the color of coffee milk. Rocky and creamy to start. head drops to a thin cap and fluffy collar. Some nice splashes of lacing. Pours nice and smooth.

Smell: Deeply roasted malts with a tiny burnt edge. Coffee grinds and cocoa nibs. Touches of chocolate malt as well. Lingering malty sweetness. Some caramel malts. Mild alcohol in the back.

Taste: Solid roasted malts up front. A nice undercurrent of burnt goodness. Sweet cooked malts. Caramel and some bitter cocoa. Lingering spent coffee. So deeply roasted. Grainy. A touch of citrus zest on the back. Almost smoky level of burnt. Borders on char. Nice.

Mouthfeel: Body pushes toward full but firmly resides in medium. Smooth carbonation. Creamy with a bitter dryness from the roasted nature.

Overall: Benchmark achieved.

Deschutes sets the bar yet again. A solid American stout. No frills, no muss, no fuss. Pure malty goodness.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 20:29:55 | More by Goblinmunkey7

TBoneJones

Texas

4.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Looks pitch black to me. Great fluffy head sticks around.
Smells light and roasty. Some coffee.  
Tastes creamy, with that same roasted taste, cocoa, coffee, nice.
Good, slick mouthfeel with lingering bitter goodness.
I will certainly buy this again, and what a great value in a six-pack. One of the more highly drinkable stouts I've had.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 02:44:04 | More by TBoneJones

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.73/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass.
Best by 12/02/12.

Appearance: Pours very dark, oily, and nearly completely black. Lots of bubbles and a huge five finger creamy tan head with good retention. Leaves a lot of creamy lacing around the glass.

Smell: Fairly sweet with lots of roasted and burnt aromas. Dark roasted malts with good hints of dark and milk chocolate, coffee beans, burnt caramel, milk, cream, toffee, and a little bit of nuts. Also some molasses and a light touch of smoke. Some hops are also in the mix giving a earthy aroma. A nice robust aroma.

Taste: Very rich and roasty, with a nice hop kick to balance the sweetness. Big taste of roasted barley malts with notes of coffee, dark chocolate, burnt caramel, chocolate milk, cream, nuts, toffee, and molasses. Nice mix of sweet chocolate flavor with some bitter roast and smoke. Nice hop presence with some earthy hops and even a little bit of citrus. A really good roasty taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with a moderate carbonation. Creamy, and sweet to start, then finishes with a bitter roast that lingers into the aftertaste.

Overall: A really great American stout. Very big taste for a non imperial stout. Nice balancing of the sweetness and roast bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 06:33:57 | More by MattyG85

Nugganooch

California

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

12oz to taster nonic style glass – BB 11/14/13

A: Pour is a dark dark brown. Nearing black but not quite “Obsidian”. Has a sort of ruddy edge to it. Forms a thick and creamy light brown sugar colored head that displays some great stay. Finally subsides to a thin cap leaving sporadic splashes of lace down the glass upon each sip.

S: Smells of toasted grains/cereals and light roast coffee bean. There is a fair amount of earthiness with a faint licorice note. Aroma is mild but pleasant.

T: Tastes of rich espresso mixed with bakers chocolate. Black malts and toast grains are invasive and give a dash of smokiness. There is a nice subtle sweetness throughout and a great hoppy bitter charge bringing in a bit of earthiness. I get some mixed dark berries and black pepper spice towards the end. Slightly acrid toast flavors. Big step up from the nose. Really robust and complex for a session stout.

M: Smooth creamy texture like that of an Oatmeal Stout. Moderate thickness overall. Frothy on the palate with a real dry crisp finish.

D: A very nice quaff. This should be the standard for the American Style Stout. Big imperial flavors packed into a more sessionable format. Great roast flavors without the filling body, overbearing sweetness, or boozy abv’s.
A classic in its own and one I quite enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 22:42:38 | More by Nugganooch

Patrick2012

California

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

Poured into tulip Glass

A: Pitch black, Thick caramel head. very nice appearance

S: Not intense, fairly light aroma. Notes of espresso.

T: Roasty coffee bean taste that is very delicious. Very good balance of maltiness and hopiness. I could put this one down in a few gulps if I was dehydrated haha

M: the coffee sticks out, it tastes like i drank a cappucino and then an ale.

O: a delicious, roasty, coffee noted stout that is very appetizing and lives a tingly sensation and you can taste it around your entire mouth

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 22:22:40 | More by Patrick2012

Auracom

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

6 oz. into a tumbler glass on August 5th, 2012.

A - Moderately-heavy brown coloring. Very little retention of a medium khaki head but decent lacing.

S - Freshly-roasted coffee beans dominate the nose. Underneath is a sweet contrast of caramel mocha.

T - Pronounced espresso, dark chocolate bitterness throughout the entire drink. Front end shows a stronger roasted almond note while rear-palate picks up more of the dark cocoa. Lingering bitter aftertaste.

M - Medium body, high carbonation for the style, dryer finish for a stout.

D - Simple, yes. Still done well and I'm very happy to have tried this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 15:28:49 | More by Auracom

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

4.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Good looking brew, black as night with a nice brown head and good lacing.

Smells great. Good roasty and burnt aromas of roasted barley, a little sweet malt character.

Taste wise this is one of the best stouts I've had in a long time, it's downright fantastic. Great burnt, smoky and roasty character, a bit of chocolate, great coffee flavors, and a bold hoppiness that add just the right amount of bitterness.

Body is also wonderful, very thick and rich, acrid bitter and roasted barley aftertaste, perfect amount of carbonation. For a pretty low ABV American stout this beer has incredibly big body and flavor.

This beer is just fantastic. Deschutes continues to impress me every time I try another one of their delicious beers.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 02:24:03 | More by AlCaponeJunior

jjboesen

Maryland

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

Apparently, the name of this magnificent stout has something to do with volcanic flow. Whatever, this is one superb beer: it looks like a stout should; deep and dark, tar black body beneath a finger of vanilla froth.

Breath it in; the nose of sweet cocoa powder with a little whiff of musty basement to make it interesting. There is a mildy chewy malt backbone here, one that supplements a sleek balance of malt and hop, all of which ends in a sweet miasma of bittersweet chocalte. (maybe even some coffe thrown in for effect?) Yet, neither ingredient overwhelms the other - call it simpatico.

I anticipated quaffing this beauty and mourned the finishing of it - we all can't live in Oregon. Truly a worthy stout. Wo to the sad bastard who has never tasted this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 23:38:13 | More by jjboesen

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

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

Poured into a standard pint glass.

Look: The beer is charcoal black with only a trace of brown on the very edges in the light. A massive foamy dark cream colored head sits atop. Good webbed sticky lacing coats the glass, naturally.

Smell: Oreo cookies, burnt malts, chocolate.

Taste: A fine, rich dark chocolate start gives way to a creamier, oreo cookie body. Dark, rich bitter chocolates and fudge come to mind. And the finish has hints of bitter hops, hints ...

Mouthfeel: Dry, dark, rich.

Overall: I think "rich" is the best word I can think of. Bitter, dark, rich. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 18:04:35 | More by JuicesFlowing

tut2528

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: extremely deep brown in color, with a tan colored head. About 1-2 fingers worth of head formation. Enormous lacing, big foamy retention. Head stays solid even past the 1 minute mark.

S: strong espresso and coffee notes, I get a touch of chocolatey sweetness and a slight touch of slight hops. Definitely smells quite lighter than I expected.

T: again, I get a nice balance of espresso and coffee grounds with a nice creamy yet hoppy finish. The malt backbone sits in along with an ever so slight nutty aspect.

M: medium bodied, high carbonation, nothing too crazy.

O: overall, this is my 1st Deschutes offering. I thought it was a nice beer all the way around. I was definitely hoping for more creaminess or a vanilla finish because of such a strong espresso taste, but regardless, this is a nice beer all the way around.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 03:05:52 | More by tut2528

homebrew311

Illinois

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

Appears opaque, deep brown/black with generous dark brown head. Nice retention. Aroma features pronounced roasted barley along with dark chocolate, coffee, and mild hop character on the back end. Taste is bold and robust with dry notes of roasted barley, bitter dark chocolate, and a snappy bitter finish. This brew is nicely balanced and intensely roasted. Mouthfeel is moderate with appropriate level of carbonation. This is a nice every day 6 pack brew with tons of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 03:59:55 | More by homebrew311

Pegasus

Texas

4.23/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Utter sable in color, with a moderate, dense tan head, which retains fairly well. Thin, fine-beaded lacing coats the glass walls.

Aroma: Deep aroma of roasted malt, espresso, bitter cocoa, and a faint citrus hop note.

Taste: Opens with prominent roasted barley, soon followed by bitter cocoa, espresso. These flavors carry throughout the taste. Towards the close, fairly strong grapefruit rind hops appear. Finishes with a lingering charred note and lesser grapefruit hops.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, quite pleasant.

Drinkability/notes: A superior example of the style, and very reasonably priced in light of its quality, $6.99/6-pack at Spec's in Austin, TX.

Presentation: Packaged in a custom twelve-ounce brown glass bottle with a pry-off crown, served in a Chimay chalice.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 17:42:59 | More by Pegasus