Deschutes The Abyss

Since I didn’t go to the NYC imperial stout tasting, I decided to have one of my own - 2006 bottle acquired in trade with beerbill (thanks!) - viscous, inky black beer, with a minimal ring of tan foam and some creamy froth floating on top - an almost spicy aroma greets the nose at first, followed by some vinous touches, , some hints of cocoa, a light doughy character, and very light oak - slick, creamy mouthfeel, with very little carbonation - a warming spice character settles in, and is complimented by a very mild alcohol warmth - fairly dry, not super sweet like many impys (reminds me quite a bit of Southampton’s impy in this respect) - vinous notes and dark fruit flavors - oak is present, but not powerful - notes of cocoa, espresso, leather, and a charred earthiness - lots of warm, peppery flavors, which is unusual, but welcome - she’s a nice one.

Shared at miketd’s tasting

I have been sitting on a bottle of this for a few months now. Since it was on a few people’s want lists I went ahead and cracked it open. It was a solid imperial stout that I am glad to see making a return. It’s not quite in the class of the best of the best but it is not far off either. I’d say it is on par with anything in the 95 to 99th percentile.

Aroma / Appearance - The midnight black body was almost as dark as it gets without being motor oil. A one finger muddy head was bordering on red. Sticky lacing left remnants of strata as I enjoyed my glass. Oak and vanilla were prominent in the nose along with expresso, brownies, smoke and black cherries. It wasn’t the most complex imperial stout I’ve tried aroma wise but it was cohesive and enjoyable.

Flavor / Palate - Smoke, oak, vanilla and expresso formed a very nice set of complimentary flavors. For a barrel aged beer it was easy to drink. Thick malts coated the mouth without being suffocating. A nice cherry finish topped it off. All in all I would say that it was an excellent beer but just short of my personal Top 50.

Not much aroma but amazing flavors and a perfect full creamy feel. Spicy as it warms up & a little bitter too. 11% isn’t noticeable at all. Incredibly drinkable.

Pours an inpenetrable opaque black with a dark chocolate milk head that dies slow. Smells very complex. Chocolate, cherries, hops, roast, smoke, all make appearances on different sniffs. Taste does the same as the smell. Shows a different delicious flavor each sip. Dark chocolate shows up the most..mmm. This one meets the hype. Full in the mouth and a sipper indeed but complete bliss in each sip!

Bottle from Buckeyeboy on 8/30/07. Had at Logan’s Oceanside beer tasting with AlohaC, and Hair, and Matt, and Ken, and Bill, and others. 2nd bottle I’ve found, but gave the other away for a Hommage. Pitch black color. small bubble head. Little carbonation. Excellent beer, but the Dark Lord I sampled tonight was better. Sweet. Nice chocolate aroma.

bottle. midnight black with great tan frothy head. dark fruits, chocolate and mild coffee with nice hoppiness in aroma. smooth mouth. delicious coffee, rich dark chocolate, roasted malts, mild sugars. nice hops and great balance. dark chocolate is amazing.

Pitch black pour mounted by a light, but compact tan head. To be noted first has to be the smooth chocolatey flavours that hit the nostrils first and leave the tongue the last. Also noteworthy is the actually balanced woodiness, barely hinting at bourbon, though devoid of smokiness. In mouth, a growing hop concern takes room, earthy and kinda piney, the whole of which pairs with the roast to make it rather dry. Classic, albeit much more impact than usual, Deschutes’ cleanliness. I don’t quite understand what puts it in the top 50, it’s a full-bodied, well-brewed impy, so are hundreds of others.

22 Oz Bottle via tever. An initial blast of chocolate, cherries, cream and bourbon cake evaporates quickly. Nose deep in the glass, I can now only draw thin wisps of salted caramel, cocoa nibs, and coffee char. Nice, but fleeting and volatile. Ruby-corned pitch black, edged in a cappuccino cream rim, lacing beautifully. Flavor comes forth with an expected density and sweetness. Lots of those beautiful estery fruits playing against mature and sentient 88% noir chocolate, then a swift shot into coffee rung alcohols, bright and peppery. Lots of good earth, musky woods and mellowed creams. Barrel seems to play great mediator, tempering the growing hoppiness with the rather complex and dense malt character. Alcohol brightens the whole mood. Nice body, full, yet not sticky, or hot. Rather exemplary and well-showing for the style. Gaussian in nature, it would seem. Bright nuttiness fills the backdoor. There’s some really unique, high up, floral spice notes that fill the humours early during the intake, then crescendoing quickly into a flourish of insipid vanilla character. A bit of oxidation in the heavy barrel char. Good use of the barrel, I would say, though. Hops, somewhat as expected for the region, although they tend a little worn out and on the celery side of things. Rather impressed with the level of carbonation this beer gives. I’m not sure whether it hurts nor helps. There might be some appreciated viscosity if the carbonation was less, but then less desirable feel might result. Round, deep and on point. Great, but not unique enough for me. Thanks Tom!

UpdateOriginally, I drank the first half of the beer and then recapped the bottle, planning to drink it later. Last night, (10/26/2007) I cracked it open and drank the rest. It was still awesome, so dense, rich, creamy, fruity, sharp, piquant and roasted. Just a full frontal assault of amazing flavor and feel. But, the real stunner came in a side by side with Bells Expedition Stout. A beer I revere so highly paled in comparison to the Abyss. There was flavor and hops, but no density, richness or depth, comparatively. I guess that’s what the barrel gives it, so you can’t really fairly compare it with a non-barrel aged example of the style. I was numb, I didn’t know how to handle this beer upsetting my benchmark. Thus I give it all the respect it deserves and a 4.3