Deschutes The Abyss

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Bend, Oregon USA

This is a fantastic brew. The pour is dark brown and opaque, the head is dark brown. The beer itself is fragrant, smelling strongly of roasted malts whos conversion was stopped just short of burnt, chocolate, and molasses. The mouthfeel is thick and tasty, somewhat bitter for some palates, but enjoyable for those who love a slight surplus of IBUs. Both the aroma and taste of The Abyss hold shades of the bourbon barrels this beer was aged in. The finish is dry and pleasant. The 11% ABV goes almost unnoticed against the complex flavors of this beer.

Bottle from 08. Pours black with a nice tan head. Has a smell of licorice and toasted malt. Has a chocolate, woody taste to it. Could use a little time in the bottle and would like to try an older one

07 Bottle. Black as oil pour and Dark tan head. Chocolate in the nose, some cream, anise, vanilla and chocolate. A bit of bitter coffee as well. Flavor is burnt Dark sugars and ashy coffee, chocolate. Boozey robust. Ash is the predominate flavor. Mouthhfeel is creamy and drinkable. The Char and ashiness on this one is awesome. A Big sipper

Bottle from whole foods. Pours like carbonated motor oil with a fluffy coffee colored head. Smells like malts, chocolate, toffee, coffee, graham crackers, and licorice. Tastes like roasted malts, semi-sweet chocolate, coffee, faint licorice, and flowers. Mouth is dry but not too dry, still leaves me thirsty, the alcohol is warming and contagious, I want more...now I’m thirsty again...damn, this is a never-ending circle isn’t it? Good thing I have my powerade here.

2009 bottle shared by MrPickles - Drank this one side-by-side next to 09 Darkness. Pours beautifully, with a tan head above pure blackness. Yep, it’s an impy. Smells of coffee, oak sharpness, light chocolate, and that licorice they talk about on the bottle. There’s some sweetness in the taste, milkiness, cinnamon, and dark chocolate. Deep roast on the finish, with a bit of oak and hoppiness. Not burnt and tarry like some impys, but not hoppy like the Darkness we drank next to this one. Smooth and pretty chewy, and overall a fine beer. Not sure if I’d camp out for it, but good nonetheless.

Thanks jake65! 2007 vintage. Pitch black pour with a beautiful tan head that is somewhat slow to recede. Aroma is heavy in the dark sugar department- date, fig and plum combine with molasses, lactic sugar, and brown sugar to culminate in a mildly warming alcoholic booze and heavily roasted barley. Flavor is chalked full of roasted barley, creamy chocolate, espresso, fennel, molasses, wood, burnt caramelized dark sugars, and a foreboding ashen malt profile. Palate is thick, rich, velvety, charred and silky. The uniqueness of this brew in a sea of stouts makes for a memorable and wholly enjoyable quaff.

2007 vintage, big thanks to oteyj. Pitch black head with a dark brown head- really good looking stout. Aroma holds cocoa, vanilla, cream, oat, molasses, anise, and a bit of oak. Nothing too aggressive on the nose, but smells delicious. Flavor holds lots of burnt sugar, ash, roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, caramel, and a definite milk or cream aspect to it. Alcohol, bourbon, and oak comes through at the finish as well. The burnt and charred flavor at the start is really delectable, and that same quality is what makes the finish and aftertaste so appealing. Palate is extremely smooth and immensely easy to drink for an 11% impy. Top notch imperial stout.