Beer #37

Posted by David on May 19th, 2009

Ok, enough of those American Belgians.  Tonight I am having a stout.

#37: Dominion Oak Barrel Stout

I was curious to see how Old Dominion makes a beer when they’re not celebrating their birthday.  The barrels mentioned are used bourbon barrels, and this stout is additionally flavored with vanilla and some hops and some actual chunks of oak.  The smell reminds of Heath bars: there’s a big caramel aroma, and toffee, and vanilla.  And there’s a whiff of something sharp and acidic, like the smell of a porter.  The taste starts out with a big, bready flavor and a litte bitter twinge that moves into the chocolate and candy, and behind that a light woody taste and just a hint of bourbon.  The sourness from the smell flits in and out and ends up sticking around on the finish.  This is a fantastically complex stout.