Deschutes The Abyss

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

Happy to say this is my 100th rating!!! Pours heavily-used motor oil topped wth a frothy milk-chocolate shake. Licorice and sticky sweet fragrance wtih a bit of oak, smoke, and vanilla. More sugary than most in this style, doesn’t begin with bitter but definitely displays chocolate and campfire burn. Extremely complex with multiple layers...caramel/toffee erodes into an almost hop finish. You can paint with this it coats the palate so well. Amazing beer...wish it was more readily available!!!

2006- Shared this w/John_Adam. thanks to Beerlando for this one. God this was smooth. Nice coffee taste and aroma. Very pleasing to drink loved every drop. Very enjoyable beer wish I had another. 2007 -imadeadguy kindly shared this one with me, thanks bro! Nice pleasant chocolate and coffee flavor. Not nearly as mellow as the 2006, but still good. Warmth on the finsh. I’ve noticed more chocolate flavors in the 07. Good, solid will not change my rating since I had the 06 first. I give this one a 4.1

Wow, what a beer... Aroma is sweet like brown sugar or candied dates... Dark black with a reddish tan head... Flavor is black licorice initially, then comes dark chocolate... Finish is coffee grounds on the palate... Delicious beer.

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. .

2006. Poured think jet black with a brown head. Aroma of chocolate and coffee. Lots of coffee flavors with some chocolate. Very smooth. Shared by therealbastard before he left for cali.

Poured dark black with heafty multi-colored head ranging from light brown to dark - the pour was visibly thick in appearance like no beer I have seen - aroma is sweet licorice, and bourbon. Lacing on the glass is smooth and silky -First sip was licorice, chocolate, sweet yet with a bite, with an aftertaste of pure heaven. 2nd sip was same but I noticed some fruit. Palate is perfect with a lot of carbonation and thick oily feel. Thanks to BIGBANG for this brew! This is the best of all the beers that I have tried all rolled into one. WOW. No flavor is too overpowering- as soon as I feel the licorice is a bit much I get a nice coffee undertone, or cherry, or bourbon, or carmel, or molasses. There is so much packed into this beer. This is the Biggest beer I have tried to date- Love it. I didnt think it would live up to the hype. As you drink this DARK brew and set the glass down, you can see the dark brew trickle through the tan head creating a kaleidoscopelike visual with the bubbles - Very cool! Not only a great beer but entertaining as well. I will now spend the next hour or so enjoying the remaining 3/4 of this beer. Cheers!

Wow. I didn’t know you could make a beer this intense and delicious. A jet black imperial stout with one third of it barrel aged in french oak and bourbon barrel oak. Chocolate, roast, coffee, licorice, molasses, this is a velvety warm beer to be sipped and cherished. There is no overt bourbon barrel presence, you find more of the trace elements (vanilla, tobacco, toffee, smoke) from it in the highlights. At 11% ABV, its is amazing how good this beer is young.

I’m not sophisticated enough to find all the "coffee" and "salty licorice" and "smoke" and whatever else this beer might taste like, but I know that it blew me away with its full, sharp, roasted flavor; its pitch-black color; and its thick and engulfing mouthfeel. It seems like there is no water in this beer. I had it on tap at Suds & Suds in Corvallis, Oregon. This is also my first review.