Deschutes Obsidian Stout

“Aroma of charcoal dust, dark toast, light coffee roast, with hop-forward pine and orange-blossom notes. High carbonation. Lots of deep, dark roasted malt in flavor, with pine, black pepper, bread crust, coffee. Hoppy, with clean bitterness that clears the palate. Rich and satisfying without being overly full or sweet, hop-forward yet maintains its stout character. Very well balanced, nice drinkability.”

**Aroma:** “Sweet roast, vanilla, coffee, and chocolate come through nicely. Low hops character with slight citrus notes. A hint of caramel sweetness. Smells like a vanilla latte. Moderate esters (cherry?) and a touch of damp wood.” **Flavor:** “Very nice roast character with slight burnt-like sharpness. The sharpness mellows out with a medium chocolate sweetness. Sweet fruitiness carries through. Hops character is moderate and present in the finish, but not harsh. Finishes sweeter than expected, almost saccharine-like. Perhaps milk chocolate? As it progresses, it dries out a bit with some coffee and roast.” **Overall:** “A nice American stout with a bitter hops finish that balances out the sweetness of the chocolate and pairs nicely with the roast of the malt. A little too sweet, but interesting with an enticing aroma. Otherwise, a standard American stout.”

**Aroma:** “Initially, malt is more prominent than hops aroma, though as the head falls off, some citrus and subtle piney character come out. Somewhat restrained citrusy hops aroma with a caramel malt sweetness coming through.” **Flavor:** “Somewhat one-dimensional citrus hops up front quickly give way to an overly prominent caramel malt flavor. Finishes bitter but with a moderate amount of competing sweetness. Hops flavors that do come through are typical NW flavors.” **Overall:** “A bit too much malt sweetness and crystal malt character, and not quite enough hops balance. Bitterness is decent but could benefit from more late addition or dry hops. Hops profile is a bit one-dimensional.”