Deschutes The Abyss

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

Beer pours jet black with a thick, retained dark tan colored head. Aroma is rich with vanilla and cream, chocolate cake and wood. Mouthfeel is slick and elegantly soft. Flavor is very enjoyable with molasses, very rich dark cholcolate and enought hops to produce a dry, hoppy finish. Delicous. Thanks to Larry Pitonka!!!

Bottle... This beer rocks!... Pitch black with a mid-sized, creamy, deep beige head. Terrific retention. The aroma provides notes of cola, mocha, nuts, vanilla with a whisper of mint. “Sweet and chocolaty” shifts slowly to “burnt and bitter” throughout each drink. Slight, butterscotchy diacetyl smooths out any rough edges. Full-bodied and lightly creamy with lively carbonation. Finishes chocolaty and bitter. World class brew! A big SHOUT goes out to kmweaver for his generosity!

Big bottle via trade. Was it SSS (summer secret santa)? It was a great day for beer, a great tasting, the first of many. Unfortunately my ratings and most of my memory fell into The Abyss. I remember the black rich liquid, the brown head, the intoxicating effect of the beer. The silk tar sliding across my palate. And most of all my desire after losing my carefully crafted notes to find more, a lot more.

Black,lasting tan head.Rich molasses brown sugar nose.Starts sweet, huge complex roasty bitter palate. Huge body, great rich profile, smoky, hint of maple?

Black. Straight up, no questions. Tan head and lots of lace. It is a looker. Soon as I opened the bottle, the coffee and roast wafted up to my nose. I knew I was in for a treat. Aroma is comprised of smoke, coffee, and roast. Some hints of tobacco and a little bit of chocolate. The hops come out mostly bitter, but there is just a touch more. Dark fruits muster about. Flavor disguises the heat of the alcohol with an onslaught of roast and bitterness. Coffee and a touch of chocolate compliment the malts as the bitter hops come out. There is also a touch of piney hops about. The body is thick and chewy. It is rather cloying as this lovely beer leaves its touch on me. The finish does have a hint of the alcohol and a shit ton of roast. This beer is quite good. I love Deschutes.

Ahhhh... scents of licorice, chocolate, tobacco, and wood. Pours black with a big light brown head. some bourbon flavor in the taste if you search for it, otherwise there is roasted malt, licorice, coffee, nuts, and tobacco flavors present. Aftertaste leaves a bitterness and a warmth. Very enjoyable to drink as a sipper.

Bottle courtesy of bitbucket. Excellent beer. Bourbon and oak notes are very subtle. This beer isn’t in your face like a Bourbon County. The usual stout flavors dominate, with undertones of smoke, bourbon, and oak. Excellent.

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.