Deschutes Obsidian Stout

(Bottle, Stockholm Beer Festival, 20 Sep 2008) Black colour with frothy, brown head. Roasted, malty nose with black coffee and dark chocolate. Roasted, malty taste with notes of dark bitter chocolate, black coffee, and cocoa bitterness in a fairly dry finish. Brilliant balance. Very nice beer.

12-ounce bottle in Albuquerque. Very rich dark malt flavor - chocolately, dry black malt, no roasted character. Full mouthfeel with a medium to big body. Substantial carbonation but not out of line. Dry finish with hop bitterness lying just beneath the malt. Leaves an impression, memorable in a positive way.

12oz bottle-pours a rich light brown head and trailing lace and black color. Aroma is dark malt-cocoa/chocolate, oats, slight earthy. Taste is dark malt-cocoa/chocolate/coffee/caramel, oats, slight earthy, some acidic/ashy/tar. Semi dry finish. Not quite my taste but well done. Occasional. Thanks to BitterBill.

Sinfully black body with a small head after a vigorous pour, not overly done but noticable black unsweetened cocoa and coffee notes and licorice, dominating roasted malts, flavor is the same dry, roasted coffee and bittersweet baking cocoa, finish is dry, roasty, and some licorice herbal bitterness, body just a tad thin, I would have liked a little more body, that is what falls short here a bit, but a decent brew and for the price wonderfull. Drink this close to 50F, my first few impressions were at too cold a temperature, the brew felt thicker and less prickly as it warmed up.

Black body with a tan bubbly head. Has a nice smoked roasted character to the aroma. Chocolates and coffee on the tongue. Quite delicious. It does feel a little thin on the palate though, which I found the only really detracting quality. Overall, a good beer.