Deschutes The Abyss

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

22 oz bottle. Pours a pitch black with a slight mahogany head. The aroma is of roasted coffee, chocolate, molasses, etc. The flavor is VERY sweet and creamy of roasted coffee and chocolate. Smooth with slight carbonation and ends with a slight warming (alcohol). Very good.

Had this on tap at the Green Dragon in Portland, OR. This is a fantastic Imperial Stout! Pours black with a nice tan head. Amazing mouthfeel. It’s all there in both aroma and taste...oak, chocolate, chocolate, molasses, bourbon and more. I’ll likely have to rerate after I drink the 22oz. I picked up @ Belmont Station.

A massive and complex Imperial Stout, layered with thick chocolate, malt and licorice with hints of rose petal. Nearly as chewy as Dogfish Head’s World Wide Stout , with half the gravity (and alcohol).

Timfoolery scored this bottle on a trip to El Dorado county. Smelled of licorice and brown sugar. It poured a used engine oil black and so thick that I thought I may have to chew it on the way down. Complex flavor, with sweet malty goodness matched perfectly with the right amount of hops. I enjoyed the journey

Bottle courtesy of Naka. Pours black with chocolate head. Raisin plum and cherry nose with chocolate caramel and vanilla. Alcohol is also present. Taste is chocolate with mild roast and lots of caramel sweetness. The chocolate is almost velvety smooth with licorice. There insane sweetness in this. Thick as hell. Very mild hop character, enough to balance it out. A very tasty beer.

old rating: 7/4/9/4/18 - 4.2. pours a jet black with a medium size brown head, excellent lacing. smell of cocoa, coffee, molasses, touch of walnuts, some smoke, some caramel, and sour malt. taste is creamy and thick, bakers chocolate, dark chocolate, coffee, woody, black licorice, some walnuts, caramel, a little smokiness, and a touch of vanilla, excellent bitter ending that is just a touch on the dry side.

Bottle. 2008 (Sampled 2/15/09). Pours a chocolaty black with a small tan had. Nose is very chocolaty with a nice bourbon tone. Tasty is even more chocolaty then the nose, a nice dark chocolate too. Bourbon note are very balanced not over the top in your face like they can be! Molasses and black licorice notes do build as you drink. Mouth is wonderfully creamy and warm, with a little bit of a bitter finish. Top 5 IRS, wonderfully complex and balanced.

(bottle, thanks for sharing tytoanderso!) Pours out black with a lasting dark tan head. Aroma is strong with licorice, roasted malt, some coffee, and a slight bit of oak. Taste contains the usual suspects for an impy, with roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, with a light bit of vanilla, and a hint of oak along with roasted malt in the finish. Full, thick mouthfeel, very well made.

(2007 bottle, via Gunhaver) Pours inky black with a dark tan head, perfect five. Aromas of smoke, coffee, licorice, roasted malt, and dark chocolate. When warm, the beer takes on a sweeter aroma. Just an amazing taste of dark roasted coffee, roasted malt, and a good dose of chocolate that really stands out mid-palate. The finish of this beer is the highlight, with just a perfectly roasty/bitter finish, that is not overpowering or astringent like some Impys can be. Very well made, and a year of aging has vastly improved this beer.