Deschutes The Abyss

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

I would rate this beer higher if it was already cellared. It was just released around christmas 06’ but I can tell this beer is made to age. Although still great now. Possibly the thickest stout i have ever head. Almost like syrup. The primary flavors are the roastiness and the licorice, not to say that it tastes like licorice but the flavor is definitely there. The oaky an vanilla flavors are much more subtle and mostly serve to round it out and mellows it down a little.I poured this in a goblet, after finishing my glass and going to rinse it our I noticed there was a thick syrup still in the bottom of the glass. Cant wait to have this again i a year or two!

From a trade with kyzr, picked up a 22-oz bottle, also picked up last remaining bottle from Woodstock wines and deli in Portland, OR. Pours an opaque dark broan brew with a small light tan head that dissolves quickly to a fine film. Aroma is complex with scents of vanilla, bourbon, toasted chocolate malt, dark molasses, and a touch of smokey wood. Taste is smooth, creamy, full bodied, with some wood and bourbon flavors. Finish is smooth creamy and very warm in alcohol in the aftertaste. IN the aftertaste, detection of raisins, molasses and deep dark chocolate. Very impressive!

Poured from a 2007 22 oz. bottle. Dark black with a medium brownish tan head. Aromas jump at you of smoky oak and licorice. Very smooth and velvety on your tongue. Great complexity of flavors with chocolate, coffee, molasses, and alcohol. Long finish of flavor. Excellent!!

Winter 2007 vintage, just a few months old. In contrast to the aged 2006 version, this one showed alot more roast and hardly any anise character. An earthy hoppiness shined through as well, lending balance and depth. I preferred the fresher version slightly. Both are excellent, but the 2007 really shined. The bourbon is incredibly subtle in both, enhancing the brew slightly while allowing the traditional Imperial Stout to take center stage. Great beer.

Original rating 8/4/8/4/17 4.1. Courtesy CaptainCougar. 2006 vintage, consumed January 2008. Pours as dark as something called The Abyss should.....pitch black. A small, frothy, bubbly tan head leaves behind random spots of lacing on the glass. The aroma is rich and deep, with anise, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and roasty espresso all showing strong. The chocolate intensifies in the flavor profile, leaning towards very dark chocolate with a high cocoa butter content. Oak is present in the form of woodsy vanilla. The roastiness is huge in this one. Smooth, almost creamy palate, but not quite as full bodied as I expected. Overall, this is a very, very good brew.

Bottle. ’08 Many thanks to Ibrew2or3 for sharing. Black beer with a dense creamy brown head. Lots of coffee, chocolate and booze in the nose. Flavor is burnt malt, anise with some coffee and heavy bourbon overtones. Quite boozy but velvety smooth full body. Great beer. Please send me more!

Pours dark no light showing through as dark as they come. This probably is probably one of the most impressive looking beers I’ve seen. Good lacing, smell is subtle hops, sweet and dark chocolate, and roast malt. Taste mainly was the dark malts with a hint of coffee. I didn’t get the licorice or oak, but I did find a little of the molasses just as the beer first hits your mouth, along with a nice hops presence. A little of the alcohol warmth as it makes its endeavor toward your belly. Damn good.

Big thanks to JVD for this one we traded this a while ago 2007 vintage Bottle poured into a snifter produced a large coco colored head that settled to a thick lace and trailed of to a nice ring as I waited. As black as black can be colored bodied ale no light coming through this at all Aromas of coffee, anise and some nice roastiness waft off the glass. I get some of the wood earthiness as well coming up as it warms. The longer I hold this I can say it’s a really nice complex aroma. The Flavors of molasses is very evident it helps tame out the roastiness of the malts this is so much better as it warms much more of the complexity of this stout comes thru. Thick in the mouth with just a slight amount of carbonation Ok I’ll give you that this is defiantly on par with Kate in it complexity although two different animals when it comes to flavors that present themselves. This is a wonderful Ale and deserving of a place in one of the best out there. Yes I will drink more of this and would seek it out

black pour with a chocolate brown head. sweet roasted malts, molasses and sugar on the nose. huge coffee and roasted malts, oak and some other stuff i can’t name. not quite as thick as i was hoping but it’s very easy and seems well balanced on the palate.