Dominion Oak Barrel Stout (brewpub version)

Formerly brewed at Old Dominion Brewing Co.
Style: Stout
Dover, Delaware USA

Thanks Jeffin7 for the Growler: This stout pours with a black body topped by a medium thick brown head with good lacing. The aroma is slightly sweet and malty with a nice bitter note, some oakey notes and a little roasted coffee. The flavor is very similar to the aroma yet more bitter with some licorice notes. Medium to full bodied and smooth.

From my notes (tasted ~ 2 years ago). My wife went to work at a client in Va for a week and as a surprise, she brought me back a Growler of this (no wonder why I married her!). Still have the Oak Barrel Stout labled growler. Poured dark with a tan head. Strong woody aroma with vanilla and chocolate. Could taste teh bourbon flavor on top of the oak, chocolate and vanilla. Very good beer. After revisiting this from my notes, I would like to have this beer again.

I had this at the brewpub, for some reason all of the beers were overcarbonated. I was very disappointed. Still, the stout was smooth but I was expecting more flavor.

Draft at the Green Leafe tavern in Williamsburg, VA. I rated the bottled version 4.0, and I liked this one even better! Pours dark brown, with aroma of bourbon, vanilla, malt, coffee, and scotch. Tastes very malty, with a creamy vanilla, molasses, bourbon, coffee, chocolate, slight smoky, roasty, even slight fruity finish. One of the most complex and drinkable stouts I’ve had. I found this one to be more intense in flavor and complexity than the bottled version. This one is so good I’d consider driving 5 hours to get more. I’d force a Hindu to eat prime rib to get a growler of this stuff.

Near black, nice tan lasting head. Rich chocolatey, coffee nose mild dark chocolate bitterness. Flavor is a complex blend of chocolate and vanilla with some smokey/ woodiness. Just a wee bit thin on the palate , but over all an excellent stout.

Aroma is an earthy roasted malt smell with a good bit of smoke. Very dark black body with foamy tan head. like used motor oil. The flavors closely mimic the aroma. A little oaky but I really don’t detect any bourbon. Smooth and oily going down. Very good stout!

On tap at brewery. Opaque brown black brown under a medium size lasting tan head. Earth, old fireplace, claypipe tobacco and roasted malt aroma. Luscious smooth body. Surprising (for such low ABV) hint of whiskey/port vinous character. Other flavours include earthy, unsweetened chocolate and roasted malts. Medium soft lightly dry mildly sweet finish. Nice!

Very similar to the regular vanilla stout. Smell is huge with lots of vanilla, the major difference being the presence of hazelnut in this beer's aroma. Taste is big and lucious with more alcohol and a bolder vanilla presence. Aftertaste is gentle but the palate suffers from the smearing of vanilla. I'm happy with the original.
Earlier Rating: 8/24/2003 Total Score: 4
Wow! My 100th beer and also the 10th rating for this beer, so now it will count as one of the better stouts available. I had this off tap at the Dominion Brewpub right before I took the tour. I actually got to see the old Oak Bourbon Barrels this beer ages in. A great visit, I recommend to anyone in the Northern Virginia area. The people at the brewery are friendly and knowledgable as well. Now, for the beer. Very dark (90% opaque), with a creamy, 1/3 inch, egg-shell-colored head. Smell is not very strong but you can definately pick up honey, oak, and vanilla in the nose. Taste is big and lucious with smooth, savory vanilla upfront with some honey, leading to bourbon, roasted/toasted malty goodness. Beer has a distinct wet feeling in the mouth; it is not drying at all. A soured cream taste emerges on the palate as the beer warms along with tobacco. Alcohol flavor is next to nothing; the brewmaster said its only about 5.5% which would explain why. This was a very thoughtfully made, complex beer. Very enjoyable and definately worth a try if you can make it to the brewpub