Dominion Oak Barrel Stout

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

black in color and garnet at the edges. dark tan dense foamy head. aroma is roasted malt softened by cocoa and faint vanilla. light to watery mouthfeel, soft roasted malt flavor. chocolate milk too. a little vanilla extract flavor, then dry in the middle. finish is vanilla cream soda, smooth and slick.

Bottled beer of the month. Nice solid stout. Dark and roasty. I couldn’t pick up the bourbon. But it still was a winner.

Bourbon and vanilla in the nose. Creamy dark tan head -- dissipates quickly. Deep black and ruby colour -- strong roasted flavour with full, sweet dextrine taste.

Poured almost black with some ruby around the edges. Killer aroma of wood and vanilla. Silky mouthfeel but thin. This would be outstanding if it was fuller bodied.

Draft under nitro at Sharp Edge. Mild chocolately aroma with a decrnt amount of coffee bitterness and a bit of woody sawdust. Chocolate malted and a bit of tang. Dark brown-black with silky light tan lacing head. Light-medium body with smooth carbonation, under nitrogen. Starts smooth with good roasted chocolate maltiness, bittersweet coffee acids, chocolate covered cherries, and mild oaken notes. Very little bitterness anywhere, though there is a bit of acidity or tang tonthe finish. Mild nutty chocolatey after, with coffee bitter dryness. Nice stout. [7,5,5,8,16=4.10]

From bottle - a slightly different story. Nice chocolate and vanilla aroma, a bit woody and metallic. Some coffe and brown sugar. Dark black clear with thin foamy light tan lacing head. Medium watery body with medium carbonation. Starts rather sweet, with vanilla and caramel, chocolate and coffee. Has an oaky flavor but reaaly has a stale woody flavor that’s dry and resinous. It’s like getting thatmnasty taste of pine stick in your fudge bar, with the grainy scrape against your tongue. Dry nutty bitter finish, with coffee bitter after. Off flavors are disappointing; enjoyed the draught much better. [8,5,6,3,11=3.30]

The 12 oz. bottle pours a near-opaque, ebony-bodied ale with an average tan head; lacing was average and head disappaited quickly. The aroma is distinctly vanilla bean and roasted malt, caramel and chocolate. Initial palate is lightly caramel sweet, until the vanilla takes over; chocolate, coffee and campfire flavors round out the palate. The finish is dry, but a bit short; mouthfeel is silky and creamy.

Dark brown/black with ruby highlights and a large off-white head.Aroma of vanilla, chocolate, roasted malt and oak. Flavor of oak, sweet malt, chocolate, vanilla sweet finish. Creamy,silky smooth mouthfeel.

Dominion really brings out the vanilla in this stout....putting your nose to it is like sniffing a bottle of vanilla in the kitchen. Appearance is black with just a bit of brown...light does come through it. Small head with a wee bit of lacing. I had this once before and I really enjoyed then , too. Front end is not that impressive, but the back end is really full of vanilla.