Obsidian Stout
Deschutes Brewery

I like dark beers. I tried Coors Light...... once. Budwieser. Shitz. And the cheap ones make me ill. For me the yummy beers are dark, darker and darkest. Obsidian Stout tastes great and is definitely not less filling. I'm a one and done beer drinker so this one is perfect for me. If this beer isn't sold in Germany, it should be. I would take this beer over any Hefeweizen any day.

I noticed the label on the bottle I have is different from the label on the above photo however, the name is the same: Deshits, its dark and smelly too. It definitely tastes better than the Deshits name would suggest. I really like this beer.

 

 

A very good traditional style stout. Pours a dark hue. It has robust, rich flavors of dark chocolate, roasted malt and licorice. I was fortunate to have it at the brewery itself.

 

Rated the same way I do Untappd.

Poured into a tulip glass.

Very dark in color. Tan head

Coffee and subtle chocolate aroma.

It's an "old school" stout. No big adjuncts. Big roasty character with espresso notes. But it doesn't finish with the really assertive coffee bitterness. It finishes a bit more smooth. I think maybe there are some chocolate notes that are helping accomplish that. Quite enjoyable. I tried it with some gouda cheese and it worked really well.

 

 

Great beer!

 

Appearance: Pours a black cola color with brown hues. A small, khaki colored foam head. Lacks retention.

Aroma: Roasted malts, peanut shells, and bread.

Taste: Roasted malts and a nice bitter hoppy bite up front, coffee, molasses, and a little bit of chocolate in the middle. Slightly biscuity and fades into a milder bitterness that lingers around in the finish.

Overall: this is a pretty decent stout. The taste is surprisingly complex for the rather simple aroma.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t know why it has taken me this many years to try this beer. It’s really darn good. Very much an American Stout with the piney PNW hopping and bitterness levels. SRM, head color and solid retention is practically perfect.

Poured from a 12oz bottle.

On the pour a nice head forms my pour was pretty gentle so it wasn't huge, but it was made up of fine light brown bubbles. It fades to a decent ring with some on top. It's pitch black with no light coming through.

Smell is mostly roast with strong note of dark chocolate on top of a nice dark bread base with some earthy piney hops in the mix as well. It's a very pleasant aroma a bit heavy with some lightly fruity fermentation notes.

Taste follows the nose, but with a big bitter hop bite on the front with the roast malts shining through right after. The hop bitterness lingers as the flavor evolves from the hop flavor to the malt roastiness. The fruity fermentation stick around a bit. In the stout it's like raisins or vague dark cherries but it isn't pronounced. Quite nice and very nuanced.

Feel is quite heavy. One of those liquid bread beers and quite thick in the mouth as more head forms. Despite that it's easy to put down and quite smooth. Goes with a meaty meal or just a nice cold night with a good show.

Overall despite being a standard stout at just above 6% it's got a big flavor without adjuncts. Very good what they did with hops water and malt here. Good job.

 

 

 

 

12/31/21 Espresso dominates with roasted malt & chocolate overtones. Not sweet. Some bitterness (55 ibu) & burnt. Prefer less coffee but very good. Comparable to Old Rasputin. Prefer Founders Breakfast Stout.

 

Appearance: Dark cola color, maybe a bit of brown towards the bottom. Fluffy khaki colored head, spotty lacing.

Smell: Roasted malt, peanut shells, rust.

Taste: Chocolate, ash, grains, burnt toast.

Feel: Medium bodied, well carbonated. Dry.

Overall: I've waited years to try this. I'm happy I did.

12oz bottle pkgd 8/11/22 into a nonic pint glass.
L: Pours black w a 2" dark tan rocky head, good retention, no visible carbo, heavy lacing & banding.
S: Dark chocolate, coffee, char, a hint of prunes, a sensation of peanuts.
T: Dark chocolate, strong coffee, char, a hint of peanut, moderately resinous. Bitter coffee returns at the end and really lingers w a hint of lime zest. So first, a light zesty hop bite then bitter dark chocolate and bitter coffee with the chocolate being a bit mineral-like.
F: Sort of a whipped-up medium bodied feel with a fairly drying and lingering finish. Almost tawny.
O: A beautifully straight forward and unmolested American Stout that's easy drinking, moderately bitter and is quite affordable. Deeply flavored, lightly intense and masterfully brewed, it is outstanding in its style.

look: 92% black

smell: toasted bread, light coffee

taste: robust, dense bread, some smoke

feel: medium body, balance, easy crushable, overall finish is towards the bitter end

overall a well rounded high quality stout, not as good as founders breakfast or old rasputin

 

 

Almost most black, tan head fades to a ring, leaving a nicely laced glass. Aroma of bitter coffee and roasted malt. Tastes is similar, a nice hoppy finish. Ful bodied, grat carbonation, terrific beer!

Black body with creamy brown head. Completely full body, impossible to see through. So nice looking. Aroma is of coffee and medium dark chocolate, some dark fruits as well along with a dash of earthy hops. Taste is superb, with rich chocolate textures and an espresso bitterness. The earthy hops provide a a nice dry balance. Mouthfeel is slightly milky with a mild chalky feel. This is a terrific example of a stout.

 

I have enjoyed this brew many times before, but never reviewed. Now is the time. A new hop to me, Delta. The malt profile promises rich creamy and sweet.
An impressive mousse caramel head with microbubbles forms straightaway. Appears nitro but is not. The liquid is black black as expected. Not super thick but enough for 6+ abv. Carbonation only seen when shaken.
Nose: Cocao, chocolate chip cookie, deep roasted coffee notes lingering. Dark and indulgent. Hop presences with malt. Cream. Comperable in smell to Old Rasputin.
The espresso notes are certainly there. It leaves the same aftertaste as biting a coffee bean. Excellent for those who enjoy. Pleasantly lighter than I expexted with a slight bite to balance the malt. There is residual booziness but when combined with the bitter espresso it works well.
A sharp stout.

As a coffee lover this works for me. If you dislike, avoid Obsidian. The mouthfeel is lacking in fullness and action, but is made up for in taste and smell. For Deschutes, I think their Porter is a better option (but not fair, as it is one of the best.)

12 ounce bottle into a snifter. Bottled 2/24/21, had 6/20/21.

Pours a dark brown, opaque, with a quarter inch foamy head and some slick foamy lacing. Aromas of roasted malt, chocolate, vanilla, a bit smoky. Flavors of chocolate, herbal hops, roasted malt, vanilla, a bit of a smoky flavor, a little hop bitterness on the finish. Smooth, a very good medium to full body, well carbonated.

A good, solid stout, roasty and smoky. Very enjoyable.