Deschutes The Abyss

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

22 oz. Bottle. 2006 Vintage. Thin lacy espresso head. Thick pour. Burnt espresso mild bourbon oak hop front.Dry tangy rich espresso bitter burnt chocolate somewhat thin light bourbon body. Hot hop EtOH hint bitter dry spicy end. Rich complex big fully fermented dry Stout.

22 oz, 11.79 university market, I have another bottle aging in the cellar but i have been waiting for dechutes to release for a couple of months so i couldn’t wait. i think i got caught up in my own hype. a great imperial stout just didnt taste like there was much going on.

2008 Vintage poured into DFH Snifter. A - Pours black as black can be with a coffee/tan head which quickly vanishes leave tan bubbles around the edge of the glass. Nothing mind-blowing but looks good, nonetheless. S - Right off the bat, I get roasted coffee/expresso beans mixed with dark chocolate and a hint of alcohol. I could go on smelling this one for days but I think it’s time to move on. T - Nice dark chocolate notes up front along with some coffee grounds of some sort with a slight oak-alcohol kick on the end which warms me up a bit. A really nice sweet milk chocolate aftertaste. As it warmed & opened up in my glass, the hint of alcohol almost disappeared, amazing. M - Medium in body, not too thin, no too thick for this one. Very smooth & creamy with a dry finish. D - A very nice example of a RIS that is worth of its top 10 rating. Better then Dark Lord? Personally, I don’t think so.

Deep black, large tan head, excellent lacing. Aroma is deeply roasty, milk chocolate, coffee, chalky bitterness. Flavour is highly roasty, lots of chocolate, black coffee, some sugar sweetness, oatmeal. Highly bitter mouthfeel, large body, moderate carbonation. Finishes extremely roasty, very bitter, lots of chocolate.

This is huge, intense roast. Lots of roast and chocolate. One big fucking imperial stout.

650ml bottle shared by beerhugger, thanks Steve.
Opened on February 13, 2009.
Vintage 2007.

22 oz bottle- Pours black as black with a suprisingly thick tan head, usually beers of this caliber have a thin head because of the alcohol, but this beer retains, maybe because of the infernal regions of hell, i don’t know. Aroma is of alcohol, licorice, and molasses. The flavor is hard to pinpoint, there is so much character, I can say this- It’s gettin me drunk. Iicorice, Bourbon, chocolate malt. I can’t wait to try my other 3 bottles in the years to come. I read online that this beer is the most in demand beer in the country right now and most places are sold out-lucky me.

Bottle of 2006 vintage provided by BeerGod. THANKS! This is a WOW beer. Fantastic aromas of semi-sweet dark chocolate with a little creamed coffee.

2009 bomber. Pours thick, dark, and small tan head. The palate is thick and oily. The nose...oak, vanilla, bourbon, dark fruit, anise, and sweet malt. The taste is dry, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, anise, and a little warmth from alcohol. This beer is great and it hasn’t been aged yet. This will be great in a year or two. Have to get another! Thanks Deschutes!

[bomber- 2007 vintage] pours thick and black as night with a little tan head. Sticky and lacy on the glass. I get a sweet aroma with hints of oak and vanilla. Complex taste that is not too sweet but has flavors of malt, chocolate and cofee. Full bodied and slick on the tongue. This is a really good beer that is good to savor and enjoy - it’s going to take a while to finish my glass. Thanks MatSciGuy.