Deschutes The Abyss

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

[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.

[2007 Bottle] Pours super dark brown with a small and mostly dissipating tan head. Aroma is bourbon barrel, plenty of sweet malts, roasted black malts, some dark fruits, definitely some anise, and vanilla. The thickness of the aroma hints at the body underneath. The flavor is a LOT more dry than I was expecting based on the aroma, which is a plus. Just the right amount of barrel character, tons of bittersweet roasted malts and chocolate, roasted coffee, great carbonation, some vanilla and anise. Fantastic beer. I wonder how much different this is than a fresh bottle. The dryness is really striking, and the fact that the beer still has so much flavor and can hide the alcohol is really phenominal.

2007 bottle courtesy of IrishBoy about a year ago, maybe more? 200th Rating! Pours a thick completely opaque brown with a thin but dense brown head. Nose is very sweet and very dark. Notes of chocolate, and in the background some faint hops. In the mouth it is big, plenty of coffee, some chocolate, and other big bold dark roasty malts. There’s a small bit of alcohol warmth in the finish, but just a small bit. It’s actually pleasantly bitter as well. Mouthfeel is thick and oily, carbonation is fantastic. Very nice beer on the whole. Very nice beer, but just lacking a bit of complexity. Maybe because it’s an older bottle,

22 oz bottle, 2007 Vintage. Possibly from several people. Pours a pitch black motor oil pour, thick and dark, with a big dark brown head, laces well, sticks around, brooding overall with a sense of something special in store. Aromas are a decent dose of bourbon, vanilla and alcohol, wet oak and a light spirit sweetness, licorice and caramel, roasted malts died back a bit, with coffee, chocolate, definitely less sweet than it’s counterpart (Black Butte XX). Sweet, deep, dark. Initial is full bodied, but not chewy, a thick roast grows on the palate with bourbon and a bit of heat on the front end. Backend displays more powerful growing roast, coffee, a touch of chocolate, and anise. Coats well, sweetness not as much as expected as lighter bitterness and bourbon, roast, and a good coating remain on the palate from the thickness. Powerful and brooding, just a bit thinned out by the barrels (likely because they only aged a portion). Bitterness grows surprisingly strong towards the back end, heat dances a little more, vanilla is lighter as roast and coffee take over strong, as a bit of ashy smoke, burnt malts take over as we get further into the glass. This beer is big, powerful, but not overly thick and the sweetness is really surprisingly less than anticipated. Overall, black licorice loses my favor.. but that is simply because of my opinion of that flavor. A very nice brew that surprised me overall. Good, very good! Although, I hear bad stories about the 2008. Glad I started with and still have some 2007. Cheers, All!

2009 Bottle. Dark, dark, dark pour. Smooth mouth feel, lots of dense flavors all smashed together. Damn tasty, but this needs some time in the bottle to chill out and let the flavors mature.

Bomber. 2009 vintage. Smells spicy. Also brown sugar, black licorice. Pours as black as can be with a nice head, good lacing. Tastes of licorice, molasses. Strong alcohol presence. Complex. This beer is still young. I plan on reranking it in a year; afterall, the bottle says it’s better after 11/1/10. It’s excellent now, I’m thinking it will be outstanding after that date.

The 2009 on tap at the Deschutes Portland location. Colour... black as night with a thick dark tan head. Nose... not much besides some sweet malt, gently hops and a hint of bourbon. Palate... opulent C02, frothy feel, anise, high cocoa mass chocolate, darkly roasted coffee, moderate smoke, oak, and hops and slightly boozy. Don’t like it as much as previous vintages that I tried on their release day (on tap). Likely needs time in the cellar. Should be bitchin’ in a year or so!

2008 Bottle... Pours a thick black with a dissipating brown head...Aroma is chocolate, licorice and coffee.. Flavor is dark chocolate, roasted malts and smoke, that’s pretty much all I can pick up from it. Don’t really pick up any sign of being in the barrel..A tad to thin for my impy stout likings...Not to bad but it didn’t blow my skirt up either.