Deschutes The Abyss

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

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.

One of the most noticeable aspects of this one was the wonderful mouthfeel- like silk on the tongue. The color was darkest black. Alcohol was hidden at first, but raised it’s head late in the bottle. An almost chewy beer.

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.

This is a very dark beer out of the bottle, with a short lived brown head that shrank to a lasting whisp. Viscous coating on the side of the snifter. Dark sweet aroma of charcoal, molasses, and coffee. This is an incredibly complex beer. Lots of coffee, chocolate covered cherries, vanilla, alcohol, and wood. You feel every bit of the 11% without it really interfering with the flavor. Thick mouthfeel. This is one of the beers that lives up to the hype. Big flavors in a big beer.

pretty dark but showing glimmers of an orangish brown in the light. thin dark tan head. remarkably vivid brownie aroma, chocolate galore. thick lucious chocolate flavors...signifantly sweet, but perfectly so. biscuity chocolate everywhere...hop bitterness is there but completely balanced by the sweetness ...slightly roasty but only enough to round out the chocolate flavors and bridge them with the subtely spiced hops. this is one of those imperial stouts that is really hard to find faults with....well done!

Bottled. Thx. to Ughsmash for this gem. Pitch black coloured. Dark brown dense head. Lasting. Sweetness, liqourice, vanilla, chocolate and coffee in the aroma. Flavour is quite bitter. Chocolate, liqourice, coffee and cocoa again. Vanilla spice and light sweetness. incredible smooth and balanced. Full bodied. Has a nice chocolate and cocoa end, with light roasty notes. Fantastic. Has light bourbon notes. Wow. Would want more.