Deschutes The Abyss

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

2007 bottle. Rich and delicious. Dark plus, with brown and red hilights, coffee, cranberry, silk, very viscous, so much...there’s a choclatey aftertaste, very dark, wish I could say it’s Venezuelan or Honduran or some such but I’m not yet that much of a cocoa nerd...anyway, just great and surprisingly hype worthy, a dark stain inducing monster!

A black appearance with a moderate tan head. The aroma is dark chocolate, coffee, licorice, raisins, and some alcohol. The flavor is rather sweet with more dark chocolate, coffee, molasses, and raisins. The finish is very smooth considering the ABV. Overall a very good beer!

Thick vicious pour thats incredible to watch unfold its heft into the chalice. Sits black and thick as newly wettened tar and caps the top with a roof of dark brown foam that’s thick, spongy, and lush. Inky glared stings of lace fling about after each sip. Aroma is thick and oaky with a dark chocolate heft over a tang of rich molasses, cherry, fig, and the ever present oaky bourbon scent that helps add a bit a of wondefully fulfilling, nose whirling, heat. Trace of burnt coffee ensues with a nice addition to the profile. Taste is immaculately woven with dark chocolate and a smoothly thick, lush body tranfused with all sorts of vanilla, molasses, coffee, and bourbon oakyness. A very well balanced and heavy treat. The chocolate is tenderly bittered with the heat and quite dark in its efforts. Anything and everything dark from the cocoa bean has been placed in every inch of its flavor. Spiced with a touch of peppery hops, coffee, and a terrific, if not down right perfect notion of bourbon hints wavered all throughout the chocolatey body. This is some pretty thick stuff, noticed in the pour, felt on the palate, and rendered in the gut. Smooth and velvety, thick, lush, and firm with a great creamy sense of chocolate and cream. Nice feathery spiced finish that stays creamy and enduced within a deep, darl chocolatey depth thats quite incredible to behold. It really makes a solid impression. A supurb stout!! Wonderfully thick, chocolatey, and lasting with a great impression of a well made brew. Deschutes has themselves a big time winner with this one! Wow!

2008-12-22. Pitch black body with a good sized creamy tan head. Rich dry cocoa over dark malt in the aroma, dry roast malt, light kiss of alcohol. Flavour is likewise, rich roasty dark malt, dry moderately bitter finish. Notes of cocoa. Molasses I pick out mostly due to label influence, but it is there. (9+) Smooth medium to full bodied palate. Just really really good. <i>2007 Vintage, Bottle from Brown Jug, Anchorage</i>

In the bomber bottle from Wilbur’s. Pours a Heinz Ketchup-thick black potion with the darkest brown head I’ve ever seen on a beer. Aroma unfolds majestically with a serious hazelnut scent, subsequently followed by the smell of roasted coffee. The flavor is thick with extreme blackstrap molasses sweetness, licorice, and such an astringent coffee bitterness that I had no idea I had bitter receptors that far back on my tongue. Long lingering coffee bitter dryness on the back sides of the tongue. Incredible. Head remains big and thick from start to finish. A perfect pour and a perfect palate.

22 oz. bomber. Opaque black pour into a snifter produces a tight, tan head that is short-lived. Lace is irregular. Aroma is full of woody sherry and bourbon, carrying along the rich coffee and chocolate for a ride. The flavor is full-on dark fruit, chocolate, and a pinch of spice. This is a nearly perfect imperial stout, and a nearly favorite beer for me. Gotta save some room at the top, I guess.

2006 release, and it’s been in my cellar for more than a year now, thank you Tom/After4ever, it’s wonderful! We drink it to celebrate my new position as top woman rater here on RB, its the beginning of February 2008. It’s pitch black with a huge, nice, creamy mocha-brown head. The aroma has notes of coffee, chocolate and hints of oak/vanilla. The mouthfeel is oily. The flavour is smooth, velvety seducing with notes of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, licorice, light bitterness and very light oak/whisky and the finish has a roasted bitterness. It’s lovely, complex and very full bodied!!!

Bottle shared by Afterexile. I love the aroma and the licorice and woodiness in the flavor. This rich and complex flavor stands out. I love this beer! It has a certain tingly texture as I sort through all its nuances while other RIS beers are heavy and sweet. This one keeps my attention and has a nice coffee-like finish. Thanks Kevin! The only negative is there might be a bit too much of the licorice aspect when the wood pieces shine.