Deschutes The Abyss

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

Pours midnight black with a foamy tan head. Lots of aroma: dark chocolate, licorice, coffee, wood. Deep smoky flavor, with hints of all of the above and just a touch of vanilla. Full thick body. Delicious!

07 Bottle shared by pudditane. Pours black with a brown colored head. Aroma is bitter chocolate, coffee, oak. Flavor is chocolate, coffee, oak, molasses, and yes some licorice notes, very slight bourbon. Palate is full bodied, medium to mild carbonation, finished very bitter. This just didn’t do it for me. Good brew and I can see why people like it so much, but just not one of my favorites.

Bottle. Thanks to Thaddeus for this gift. Black color with a foamy medium to dark brown head. The molasses and licorice come through well and the oak barrels smooth out the flavor without adding too much of the bourbon vanilla element. An intense coffee and bitter aftertaste with a rich full bodied finish.

On draught at Freakin’ Frog in Las Vegas. Pours black as night with a medium and foamy light brown head that has good retention. Rings of lacing on the glass. Big aroma of cocoa, roasted malt and bourbon. Rich body with bittersweet chocolate, roasted malt, coffee and a bit of spice. Light smoke and bourbon in the background throughout. The finish is full and moderately bitter coffee and hops with a sharp alcohol aftertaste. Would probably benefit from aging a bit. Overall this is a very good Imperial Stout.

Bottle. Nose is chocolate with light smoke and soft acidity. Something fruity, light fig and plum are possibilities. Warms up with more fruit, cherries and raspberries. Black with a thin patchy creme head, small bubbles and great lacing. Loads of chocolate, lightly acidic, nice but without much depth. Roasty finish with some alcohol in the aftertaste. Seems that it needs some time to truly express itself. Lots of potential. Thick but a bit dry. Easy drinking for the style, other than all the alcohol presence. Flavor opens up a lot with warmth, but is matched by a huge rise in alcohol presence.

Pours a nice medium-brown with a decent head & some lacing. Wow! Strong aroma, very bready & nutty. Tastes very nice - a stout with a barleywine malt balance, strong warm finish. Ok body - a tad thin, and reasonable carbonation. Pleasant beer - I like the finish.

Shared bottle, thanks to Chris from thebeergeek.com. Poured pitch black with a solidly tan head. Full-up aroma ... what is that, currants? Licorice, chocolate, moderately bittered, rich milkiness, definitely rich. Like a mocha gone wild. (#3410, 4/11/2008)

Poured from a 2007 22 oz. bottle. Dark black with a medium brownish tan head. Aromas jump at you of smoky oak and licorice. Very smooth and velvety on your tongue. Great complexity of flavors with chocolate, coffee, molasses, and alcohol. Long finish of flavor. Excellent!!