Deschutes The Abyss

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

Cappuccino Head is copper brown and says "I’m the beer you’ve been waiting your whole life for !!" Velvet cream texture, soft carbonation. Nice dark chocalte-like film left in mouth. Finish is almost oily,and has a fair alchohol bite. Perfumey hops (pineapple, prune) smoky malt (coffee. licorice molasses) aromas. Has a pungent cleaning supply (ammonia) smell as well as charcoal and red wine notes. Flavors of Gingerbread, Coffee ( I wish I could find coffe that tasted this good), Licorice and Molasses. Noticable hops astringency in mid, along with oak + bourbon. Excellent balance, rich and stimulating in both hops and malt. Bitter coffee aftertaste. Butter, just about the perfect beer. .

Beautiful pour of deep chocolate brown with a thick, dark head. Nose is interesting, with coffee, chocolate, and a hint of licorice, along with a woodsy aroma. Flavor is very smooth, with everything in the aroma represented and blending nicely in the complex flavor, with a bit of a smokey, subtle bitter and clean finish. Mouthfeel is creamy and the alcohol is well hidden. Great brew.

Thanks Bockyhorsey old pal!
After cutting my wrist open getting the wax sealed cap off..the beer poured engine oil black with a super thick creamy, long lasting brown head and heavy lacing. How in the hell can anyone give this anything less than a 5 for appearance!? Aroma and flavor of rich burnt roasted malts, coffee, molasses, dark chocolate, alcohol... with pine, citrus and alcohol on the finish. Awesome beer...better than Keystone for sure!

Bottle, 2007 Vintage, at the second Doubletree tasting, provided by MaltOMeal. Thanks! Pours black and mysterious with an aroma of plastic chocolate oak and the erasers one had in Kindergarten. Flavor is dry chocolate hops with alcohol and oaked bourbon. Full and pleasing mouthfeel. Clears the sinuses. More enjoyable as it warms. I’d love to have another and pair it with a good cigar.

Black/Dark brown color while sporting a nice chocolate brown head. Looks like a chocolate cream. Roasted malt and warm espresso aromas. Full body and perfect carbonation. Lots of rich roasted coffee flavor. A quick shot of dark chocolate, followed by a deeper layer of oak accents. I didn’t detect the licorice. Finishes surprisingly dry and not too heavy.

22oz. wax dipped bomber served in a brandy snifter. 2007 vintage. Poured a deep black with tan head that faded quickly. A lot going on in the aroma. Vanilla, molasses, some charcoal. Massive body with a huge roasted malt flavor with coffee. There is a good amount of hop bitterness evident in the start. Incredibly long finish of roasted barley. Alcohol was not evident, very drinkable for the ABV. I didn’t get much wood flavor, just the vanilla in aroma. This one lives up to the hype.

Tap @ Pizza Port Carlsbad. I was so excited when I saw this, and I can happily say that it lived up to all of my expectations. Midnight black pour with a thick, 1 cm tall brown head. Heavy aroma of burnt coffee, tobacco, chocolate, molasses, leather, wood, and just a little bourbon. Amazing taste. Lots of roasty malt, bitter coffee, baker’s chocolate up front and throughout. A deep, rich oak taste accompanies the sweeter molasses and licorice flavors. A bittersweet finish with just a little caramel malt and hop bite. I could drown in this beer its so good.

Excellent! On par with NC’s Old Rasputin Barrel Aged. Pours a dark, opaque black that no light can penetrate. Forms a frothy brown head that dissapates. The first flavors are coffee, chocolate and a lingering bitter taste that sticks around when the tannins from the barrels start to make their presence known. The tannins aren’t overpowering, and work well with the dark bitterness.