John: The thing I hate about this beer is that it’s hard to drink it — without chocolate! That’s the only thing I don’t like about this wonderful, genuine stout from the Northwest. I am a bit of stout snob (or at least I think I am). So much so I don’t like most of it’s distant cousins, porters. This no porter. Black (obsidian is a color of volcanic rock), rich, thick and full of flavor in a phrase. It pours black, thick and bubbly. Only a slight head that slips away quickly. A disappointing light dark malt aroma with not much to draw you in until you take a sip but that’s what beer is all about–sipping. No one buys beer for sniffing right? So let’s move on to the taste. Nice blend of molasses and malts. As it warms hints of sweet, almost milk chocolate and coffee shows through. If you are patient small hints of toffee and just the slightest citrus hops poke through. A full-flavored beer, and like everything else from Deschutes, a very solid brew. Grade: A-

Michael: Beer can be such an education. Yes the smelling and the tasting and the pouring, all of that takes some special attention and learning, in order to get it all just right. But that’s not what I’m talking about. Tonight, I learned what obsidian was. The brewers at Deschutes gave me a little lesson in the ‘smooth and black…volcanic rock.’

The name is, of course, fitting. A smooth a black stout flows from my bottle like obsidian from its source. It bubbles a bit too, creating a soft, inviting, tan head, making its deep, dark body a little more approachable. The scent is mostly malty, maybe a little brown sugar and an almost porter-like scent. There is an interestingly dry quality as well. The taste is good, more of the same, actually, a very heavy, earthy malt up front. A dry coffee coats the end of my sip and it mellows into a constant, bitter, bark-like tone that sits on the back of my tongue. As for mouthfeel, it isn’t quite what I’d hoped. If one’s claim to fame is ‘smooth and black,’ it better be both, in spades. While it is blacker than night, the texture seemed, instead, lively, again more like a porter to me. Its carbonation bubbled around in my mouth and rather than seeming smooth, it leaned more towards a flat feeling. Not a bad offering from Deschutes, but knowing what they did with their Black Butte Porter, I guess I’d rather grab one of those. Grade: B

Taylor: A great, warm, dark, roasty stout. I thought it was pretty boozy, too. I paired it with a hearty stew, and it tasted really good. Definite aroma and tastes of coffee and chocolate. It’s definitely bitter and dry to the taste rather than smooth and milky. One of the sharper stouts I’ve tasted. Grade: B

Overall Grade: B