Deschutes The Abyss

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

Dense blackness, dark as you get...huge head, burnt tan, slowly crumbling, leaving lace... Roasty, toasty aroma, chocolate and espresso, yes, and more...carob and raisins, dark rum, and molasses...ah! Dark and lovely! Whoa! Once in the mouth, it’s a delivery of rich, thick, deliciousness....whiskey-toned, a bit, mixed with dark chocolate...indulgent, decadent...full, but surprisingly smooth. Velvety...someone should paint a portrait of Elvis on this. Here comes the whiskey kick again...here comes the blackstrap... I’m only halfway through the bottle, and I’m feeling mighty satisfied. Do I wish I’d saved it for friends? Maybe, but I’m too content to worry about them now.

My 2500th rating!! Bottle (22oz) courtesy of Kevin. 2007 vintage. Wow, the big TWO-FIVE-OH-OH! I finally made it. Thanks to Kevin for the bottle, thanks to all of the great people I’ve had the pleasure of trading with on this site, and many thanks to my fellow Ratebeerians, especially the Toronto crew! 22oz of an 11% beer eh? This is gonna be fun. Here we go: Pours a beautiful, impenetrable black with a large lasting frothy light-brown head and great lacing -- we’re definitely off to a good start. Wonderful rich aroma of roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, coffee, plenty of hops and notes of vanilla, wood and bourbon (yes, just notes, this is bourbon barrel-aging done just right in my opinion) -- smells simply delightful. Flavour, oh that flavour, it’s definitely no slouch. Rich, roasted malt with coffee, dark chocolate, lots of hops, molasses and again, notes of bourbon, vanilla and wood and finally, a long roasty bitter finish. Alcohol’s noticeable, but nowhere near 11% noticeable -- it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the beer at all. Full bodied, creamy mouthfeel. This is pretty fucking outstanding stuff and probably (I didn’t check) in my top 10 now, simply superb. Thank goodness I have another bottle. Woohoo, 2500!!!

Bottle with a thanks to Jon. Pour is perfection... dark brown/black with a massive forming frothy head and thick aromas of molasses, chocolate, dark fruit and anise. Flavor is a little edgy with the ABV, but has a nice mix of anise and dark chocolate with a touch of citrusy hops.

Very much thanks to Josh! Pours a deep dark black with deep tan creamy head that left lacing. Aroma of espresso, molasses, hints of oak and bourbon, some creamy vanilla, nutty, Flavor of bitter coffee, dark chocolate, hints of alcohol and a heavy dose of hop bitterness.

RBSG 2007 Grand Tasting. 2006 Bottle. Dark black body with a small creamy light brown head. Coffee, caramel and chocolate aroma. Strong coffee, chocolate and molassas flavors.

RBSG 2007 Grand Tasting. Oh WOW, did I love this one! Black with a brown head. Big, rich coffee and chocolate nose balanced out and softened with vanilla. Excellent coffee and chocolate flavors, very bitter chocolate invades the sides of the tongue. Light nut and vanilla creep up in the finish. Simply excellent!

Bottle courtesy tpd975. Pours blackwith a small but lasting tan head that leaves good lacing. Aroma of molasses, roasted malt, coffee, licorice, oak, dark fruit, caramel, and bourbon. Taste is the same as aroma. Full oily wonderfull mouthfeel with a moderate amount of bitterness and very well hidden alcohol. One of the best Imperial Stouts ever.

As the name suggests, be careful. Rich silky palate, not too thick. Good balance of alcohol and drinkability. You can tell the whole beer wasn’t aged in bourbon barrels, which makes it more approachable sooner, and it will age well for years to come. Slight oak character, hard to pick up on if you didn’t know it was there. One of Deschutes’ best releases of late.