Deschutes The Abyss

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

22oz wax-topped bomber (2008 vintage) served in a snifter. Pitch black pour with a cakey head of slowly fading dark tan foam. A thick coat of lacing was left around the glass. The aroma had rich chocolate, molasses, bourbon, and also some cherry pits and plum. The flavor had milk chocolate wrapped in mellow bourbon and vanilla. Mildly roasty with some caramel. Some PNW hops hiding in the finish as well. Velvety smooth full-body with very light carbonation. No doubt, this is a well made beer. The only drawback was that the flavor seemed to be missing a little something.

Look pretty nice with a black body and a deep tan head. Metal, burnt and grape aroma. Sweetish/bitter flavour with toffee, caramel an liquorice3 aroma. Finished very bitter with liquorice, roast and toffee aromas. The finish is way too bitter and too many dark malts muddy the flavour. Not something I’d drink out of choice. Intensity does not equal comlexity or quality.

to me the 2007 was a better year for this beer. the 2008 seems a little more tannic and a little thineer than last years version. I will rate the 2007 version. This pours black and like the name suggest "The Abyss" makes you contemplate if you were to jump in to the glass you may never return due to the black hole it forms in your pint ware! the head is a nice tan head that escapes the blackness to linger around for a while. The taste is that of roastyness, cholocate, coffee, dark fruits. This beer has it going on

Draft at Back in Black ’09 at Brouwer’s. Pours a jet black with lingering dark tan head. Sweet aroma of the malts that reveals chocolate and a mild roasted coffee. Taste of rich caramel and molasses with subtle coffee undertones. The hops come through well and provide a little bitterness to this sweet beer, has a slightly long finish but incredible overall.

Oak was involved so expect much biased praise and lavished love.

Black gold fills my glass, scaring away all semblances of light and virtue while massive clumps of lace adorn my glass and her peak. Like a mist clinging to her cragged peak, wisp of licorice and vanilla bean cloud my sense while a faint lemon zest clears the way for more aromatic pleasures. Soft wood cushions more vanilla, caramelized crunchy sugars, raisins, and delicate tobacco notes. This is definitely one instance where having my head in the clouds is a compliment. My first quaff is clean with a surprising bite of tart spiciness that was nowhere evident in her nose. An almost dry herbal effect lingers on top of my tongue, tasting of nutmeg and cinnamon. Sweet crunchy molasses mingles with her spice for a dry finish. Filling my breath and seeping into my pores, smoke and tobacco permeates a lingering warmth and earthiness to The Abyss 2008 Reserve. Any coffee and chocolate notes are mild and subdued, choosing instead to take a backseat as the oak, smoke, tobacco and dry spices take center stage with a delicate sweet finish. Finesse; not usually a word one would associate with an imperial stout, but such is the case with this grand representation. Bravo.

All oak-loving biasness aside, this truly was an excellent imperial stout from Deschutes Brewery. Initially she was not what I was expecting, but turned into far more than I could have hoped for. Seeing as 2008 is over and it is now 2009, I hope to see and taste The Abyss 2009 Reserve Imperial Stout Aged in Oak Barrels.

Black body, light brown head, some lacing; Quite metallic very clear burnt wood aromas, some soft notes like oatmeal as well; Soft texture, slightly fruity, slightly sweet body; Long milk chocolate soft finish, slightly fruity sweet, slightly bitter. Strange composition.

I would push my mother down a flight of stairs if she was in my way of getting my Abyss fix. It poured a thick incredibly dark brown color. The head was a dark tan. But the smell was not what I expected. Smelled slightly of apple and not too much else. Taste is out of this world. I am pretty sure that the sediment is actually black tar heroin. Taste has feint bitter chocolate and espresso. The flavors arent overwhelming, toasty, but the body is VERY creamy. I cant believe how creamy and rich this beer is.

Shared as part of a BLIND TSTING of 6 different stouts at the Monistary of Drbayern, with Friar Celticbrew, Novice Beer Pimp Brian and Rector uncle Steve. Amen. I liked this one. Poured black with a creamy tan head. One of my only faults of the beer was that the alcohol was very prevelant in the aroma. Great mouthfeel. Hints of toffee among the coffee and chocolate!