Deschutes The Abyss

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

22 oz wax dipped bottle of the 2007 reserve. Pours a thick pitch black with a tan cappuccino like head that leaves some sticky lacing. Aroma of dark chocolate, molasses, wood, vanilla and alcohol. The flavor is bittersweet chocolate with lots of roasted malt and hop bitterness, very light alcohol taste. Very full body with average Imp Stout carbonation and a frothy thick mouth feel. This is a very rich desert sipping beer, drinking it at cellar temperature really brings out all the flavors. My only complaint is that it’s a bit sweet.

Brought this to the ORF tasting. My bottle was an ’07 and someone else there had an ’08. Wow this was absolutely delicious. I wish I could make two different ratings here though. The ’07 was significantly better than the ’08. You could definitely tell the benefit of aging this beer. The ’07 was black with dark caramel head and a pungent bourbon aroma. There were tastes of bourbon, caramel, molasses, toffee, and a few dark currants or other dark fruit. Smooth, complex, and delicious. Loved it. Thanks Brad for such a great beer! *The ’08 had a high hop or carbonation content that made it not as smooth. I would highly recommend aging this beer for 2 years.

2008 bottle thanks to bockeyhorsey. wow is this stuff good!! poured pitch black with a copper head and some lace. aroma was baking chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, and oak. flavor was bourbon, baking chocolate, licorice, and oak. medium-full body with low carbonation. man was this good. thanks bill for the hook up.

Reserve 2007, 2 years old
Black night color; big creamy head, beige, leaving a nice lace while reducing. Perfect aroma of milky coffee, coffee truffles, barley coffee (a substitute for real coffee), vanilla icecream. Silky and seducing body; strong roasted malt flavor, chocolate and quite evident liquorice, light vanilla; salty, thick; the final is powerful, bitter, with strong roasted malt presence and even saltier; light acidity from the roasted malt; there is a comfortable alcohol warmth. Mighty. It deserves the appreciation.

Pours black with a brown head. Smells of cocolate and coffee. Tastes of black licorice, oakiness and smoke, also hints of hazelnuts. A bitter finish.

2009 22 oz bottle. Poured pitch black with a deep tan head, smelled of lots of anise and smoke. Tastes of thick anise up front that goes into a dark smoked taste at the end. Not my favorite parts of a RIS, but an excellent brew with really complex tastes. When warmed up, however, the molasses comes through and perfectly balances the smoke, and is perfect!

09 bottle, not as good as the 08 fresh. some age will do this one good, it’s a bit hot which detracts from the palate and finish. a bit hot on the nose as well, masking some of the nice nougaty, earthy yeast notes. a year or two on the 09 will def put it up a few notches.

Pours pitch black with a dark brown head. Great stouty flavor with licorice and oak highlights. Perfect texture as well, rich but not overly sweet. Totally worth it