Deschutes The Abyss

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

This is by far the biggest, richest and darkest beer I’ve ever tasted. As a good friend of mine put it, it made a Stone Imperial Russian Stout we had afterward taste like Budweiser. It pours like motor oil. Black. Not dark brown, black... with just a bit of a coffee-colored head that doesn’t stick around long. Initial aroma of yeasty chocolate, coffee, brown sugar, soy sauce and molasses - and it opens up beautifully as it warms. The first thing you notice on the first taste is the mouthfeel - it’s so thick and viscous that it’s syrupy, and coats your mouth beautifully with initial flavors of dark-roasted coffee, molasses and licorice, with just a hint of oak from the barrels. Sweet at first, but it leaves a dry, bitter aftertaste that lingers forever in your mouth. The alcohol is hidden completely. I’m still not a huge fan of stouts, but this is by far the best I’ve had - it’s a trip. RE-RATE 11.28.08. 2008 bottle. I managed to get my hands on a few bottles of this year’s release, and I have to bump up my score for this brew a few notches. I’ve developed a taste for stouts, and this one might just take the cake. 100% opaque, even around the edges. Great chocolate head. The flavors are as I described last year (above), with a bit of bourbon, too... but what strikes me is how incredibly smooth this brew manages to be for how huge it is. It does for Imp. stouts what Pliny does for Imp. IPAs. Just utterly fantastic.

Pours a dark brown with a 1" mocha head that disappears quickly. Very spotty lacing. Aroma of roasty malts, licorice, dark esters, and chocolate. Flavors of molasses, roasty malts, light chocolate, licorice, and dark esters. Sweet and a little dry. Taste the alcohol a little, but definitely feel the warming sensation of the alcohol on the way down.

Bottle courtesy tpd975. Pours blackwith a small but lasting tan head that leaves good lacing. Aroma of molasses, roasted malt, coffee, licorice, oak, dark fruit, caramel, and bourbon. Taste is the same as aroma. Full oily wonderfull mouthfeel with a moderate amount of bitterness and very well hidden alcohol. One of the best Imperial Stouts ever.

Now THIS is a top 50 imperial stout which actually lives up to they hype. The description (1/3rd oak-aged, molasses, licorice) makes it sound like a bit of a dog’s breakfast, but this is decidedly subtle. To the extent that such a huge beer can be subtle at least. No piney American hops or weird bourbon character here, the dominant character is immense, rich, espresso-like maltiness. Not so much the high-end roasty notes, more the middle-ground toasty, walnutty elements of a really good, concentrated long black. It tastes like brown malt to me, but who knows. British hop pellets in the aroma, with some hay and perhaps licorice (not sure of the power of suggestion element here). Just so intense and rich and concentrated, without any weirdness. Massively rich, smooth mouthfeel too. Has a real element of class about it that most American (and other) imperial stouts lack. Top darts.

a damn good irs.....mid bodied in the grand scheme of things.....don’t drink your bourban county stout before this....it is super complex and a great beer...too bad they did not make more......

Bottle courtesy of Bchung52077: Poured a pitch-black color ale with a huge dark brown color foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of vanilla, light smoke and huge black chocolate notes is pretty intense but well balance as well. Taste is a sublime mix between some black chocolate, some light smoke, molasses, some oak and bourbon. This is a very well balance mix with no flavour taking over and completely overshadowing the rest of the flavours. Body is full with engine oil consistency but with a creamy texture as well and good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Not being a big fan of imperial stout usually I must admit that I was really impressed by the craftsmanship of this one.

2007 22oz bottle enjoyed at An Evening with Pantanap #4. Pours black with a creamy brown head. Nose is lots of chocolate with some roasted and toasted biscuit malts. Creamy roast and chocolate flavors. The subtler notes were of coffee, dark fruit, molasses and vanilla. The bittersweet chocolate has a bit of a chalky flavor to it. Finishes really dry. Good beer, but I’m not blown away by this one.

’06 and 08 side by side thanks to xnoxhatex and 17th floor. Both pour a dark black with a beige head. 06 has a rich chocolatey nose that’s slightly ashy with molasses and bourbon. 08 is flatter with mostly just malt and some ash. 06 has roasted burnt ashy flavors that are slightly sour though not distracting. 08 is much more sweet and nutty, kinda hard to drink. The 06 was more enjoyable and better than most times i’ve had it. 8/4/8/4/16 = 4.0 08’s sweetness and lack of depth made it not fun or too enjoyable. 7/4/7/3/12 = 3.3

This is the best imperial stout that I have ever tried. This beer is legendary. Just unbelievable!