Deschutes The Abyss

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

Bottle shared with Dave at the Brick House Pub. Soapy head on dark chocolate. Yeast in aroma. Taste is coffee mostly. Drying mouthfeel.

Bottle (22oz). Shared with biegaman, via trade with Irishboy. Thick-looking, near-opague ruby-black pour, smallish tan frothy head. Deep roast coffee/cocoa, bitter, herbal, slight treacle. Taste - same, bitter, thick, treace-ly, some syrup, hint of cola - no oak or borbon or anything at all - strong, but subdued - blended and impy-ish. Slick, roasty, mild carbonation, bitter-burnt finish. Lovely, well-done, not over the top, woody and silky - well done.

Tasted at the February Northern California Beer Tasting. This Imperial Stout pours a dark black color from a 22oz bottle. Small to medium sized tan head. Aroma is chocolate and coffee with a hint of vanilla. Medium to full bodied Imperial Stout. The malts are chocolate and coffee with a touch of vanilla and wood. The hops are earthy. Nice balance. It’s a little light in the mouth but is an excellent Imperial Stout. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is a slightly bitter.

2008-12-22. Pitch black body with a good sized creamy tan head. Rich dry cocoa over dark malt in the aroma, dry roast malt, light kiss of alcohol. Flavour is likewise, rich roasty dark malt, dry moderately bitter finish. Notes of cocoa. Molasses I pick out mostly due to label influence, but it is there. (9+) Smooth medium to full bodied palate. Just really really good. <i>2007 Vintage, Bottle from Brown Jug, Anchorage</i>

JSquire, Hotstuff and I had this at a tasting party at his house last night. We had a blind 5 stout tasting and this was #3. By far, this was the best beer of the evening. This bottled brew from a rating party poured a extremely small sized head of fine to medium sized bubbles that were fully diminished and left behind a no visible carbonation black colored body and thick foamy lacing. The nice aroma was roasted malt sweet coffee and dark malt. The semi-thick mouth feel was tingly at the start and at the finish with a biting malty aftertaste. The yummy flavor contained notes of toasted malt roasted malt dark malt and coffee. This one gave me to good sign! The beer shivers! Good job here.

Bottle. [#17 Blind tasting session @ Sk8viking]. Small creamy light brown head that mostly lasted. Good display of lacework. Black color. Aroma of heavy malt, coffee, chocolate, burned malty notes. Light floral, oatmeal notes. Full bodied with a light alcoholic texture and flat carbonation. Moderated sweet flavor with heavy bitter notes. Bitter burned finish. 07-09-2007 Re-Rate: #32 Bottle [Sk8viking great American blind tasting] Small brownish fizzy head that mostly diminished. Fair display of lacework. Pitch black color. Aroma of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate. Over the palate came bitter liquorish, bitter chocolate and burned malt. Full bodied with a soft carbonation and thick alcoholic texture. Moderated to heavy sweet and bitter flavor. Lingering bitter English liquorish finish. 8 / 3 / 8 / 4 / 17 = 4.0

Shared bottle, thanks to Chris from thebeergeek.com. Poured pitch black with a solidly tan head. Full-up aroma ... what is that, currants? Licorice, chocolate, moderately bittered, rich milkiness, definitely rich. Like a mocha gone wild. (#3410, 4/11/2008)

Bottle (Thanks Jens) at PlanB. Black - brown head. Bourbon, vanilla, coconut, chokolate, burned, sweetness, oak, high sticky sweetness. Lovely.