Descutes Brewery: Obsidian Stout

Before drinking this stout you need to prepare yourself for a big west coast style beer experience. The brew is black. Blacker than soot. It's a very dark stout and produces a deep tan and brown head to match.

The flavors are also very powerful and build off the shadowy color. Incredibly strong roasted malted barley sensations are present in every sip. Despite these intense flavors the beer is very well carbonated. There are some monster sized bubbles floating around in the head. In addition, the carbonation cuts through the roasted malt flavors producing a smoothfeeling that is necessary to cleanse the pallate. If you didn't have the high carbonation this beer would taste similar to an imperial stout. It's boasts a high alcohol content and rich flavors all around.

I wasn't expecting such a strong stout when I cracked the bottle. Deschutes' black butte porter has less alcohol and softer flavors. I'm glad I branched out from the Deschutes brews that I know. This is one of the most powerful stouts I've ever have and sometimes that's what you want. A dark deep black beer. Cheers.