Dominion Oak Barrel Stout
“Oak Aged Stout Fermented with Vanilla Beans” ok, so that sounds good. This stout is legendary. I’ve heard people rave; read tremendous reviews on beeradvocate.com… so I figured I owed it to myself to see what the fuss was all about… Old Dominion Brewing, Co. from Ashburn, VA is an American Stout is worth every accolade afforded it. At only 5.2% ABV, this is your new winter beer du jour.
Appearance - Poured into a pint glass. The color is black, instantly reminded me of cola. The head is a dark tannish. Came in at a ½” then dropped. No retention. Just a wisp of head remains. Hugs the walls of the glass and most doesn’t leave the surface of the beer. There are strands which seem to climb up the glass.
Smell - Mmmmm. Nice. Vanilla and Roasted Malts dominate. Coffee and cocoa underneath. Wood maybe. Sweet but in a really understated way. Very enjoyable.
Taste - Wow! I love it. Its caught a complex blend of coffee, roasted malt and chocolate. No one more than the rest. It doesn’t leave much aftertaste, although I find myself wishing it did. I am a little confused when I can’t really get much oak or smoke.
Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, but nothing of substance. This is one area that I think it falls a little short compared to other stouts. It leaves as quickly as it arrived.
Drinkability - Pretty darn good. In fact, it totally kicks assThe low alcohol helps but the stout doesn’t feel heavy to me.
Bottomline – Wow, this is one I’ll be recommended to a lot of people for a long time. This is a pleasure to drink. If only their website was as pretty as this beer tastes.
A-
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