Dominion Oak Barrel Stout

Brewed by Coastal Brewing Company
Style: Stout
Annapolis, Maryland USA

Pours pure black with a couple fingers of quickly fading head. Smells of oaky vanilla, roasted coffee beans and some chocolate. Tastes bigger on coffee then I thought it would. Vanilla and oak make a presence but no bourbon, which I actually like. Finishes a little sweet and bitter like bakers chocolate. Medium in the mouth and outstanding drikability.

A nice stout with a roasted character and a very woody taste to it. Very earthy and smokey. The thin body and powerful carbonation hold it back though.

12 oz. twist-off bottle, bottling date in the upper right hand corner of the front label, blurb on the back label, sampled in a pint glass. Dark blackish brown in color with an one finger high light brown head of bubbly, creamy foam that settled into a fine sudsy skim, the most minimal amount of splotchy lace. The nose is mainly mild roasted dark malts, milk chocolate and powdered cocoa, and vanilla extract, quite sweet smelling overall. In the background is the light scent of smoky oak, not barrel-like wood, but more liquid smoke like. Mildly pleasant taste, smooth full-ish feeling body that would have benefitted from a tad more carbonation to give the body more of a stout creaminess. Lightly roasted dark malt tastes of sweet milk chocolate and mocha. I thought the vanilla beans really melded well with the malts, adding a good deal of sweetness, especially to the mocha taste. The oak chips are really not that noticeable in the taste, towards the end a quite subtle woodiness does emerge, but any bourbon flavors, smoky or otherwise, are completely absent. A decent American stout, glad I had the chance to try it.

12oz bottle(courtesy of mj) -A pitch black body with a small ring for a head which has an aroma of coffee, vanilla, roasted malt, chocolate, and a little oakey. Taste is rather light for a stout with a taste of the vanilla being very prominent, followed by some oakey, coffee, chocolate, and a little bourbon. A nice tasting stout just a little light.

Not a bad beer but one that is a little on the light bodied style. The bourbon barrel stout that is on tap but unavailable in bottles is much better and way more complex, but that is quite variable and as I said not bottled. The few times I had this one I enjoyed it but was looking for more oomph.

Maybe it’s just me, but I need more carbonation, and this one had just about none. Mouthfeel is the same as Guinness, no carbonation whatsoever. Tastes like chocolate milk with some alcohol in it. Oak/vanilla sweetness with chocolate in the finish. Good for a local beer, but really could use some carbonation. I hear the draft version is much better, may have to check it out

What a great brew! By far the best Virginia beer I’ve had so far. I’d love to try it on draft. Silky smooth well balanced taste. I could and will drink this regularly.

My new fave! Love the chocolate taste :) But I can’t find it anywhere!! ..................................................