3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle from GBBF 2011 and drunk in March shared with AndrewC. Hugely chocolatey on the aroma. Normally I’m not a huge liquorice but I don’t get a lot on this. Espresso coffee. It’s pretty decent if a little papery, newspapery on the really dry roasted malt. Some heat on the end, some alcohol. Some dark berry fruit on the finish. Not much hop, some sting. Some bourbon does come through eventually. Touch of vanilla too. Mostly coffee and choc though. Yes this papery vanilla flavour on some mouthfulls isn’t great. Quite oily.
4.5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
bottle thanks RasmusOtt. Pours pitch black no head. Aroma: savory notes, soy, salty caramel, dusty, light smoke, ham, floral, roasted, chocolate, vanilla, oak, butterscotch, lakridskonfekt, liquorice, smells so good!! syrup, molasses, earthy, sweet coffee, nutty, browned butter, some alcohol, bourbon notes, Taste: Low carbonation, chocolate, vanilla, salty caramel, grassy, some bitterness, coffee, earthy, some alcohol burn, grape rind, roasted bitterness, resin, floral, dark syrup, molasses, liquorice, oak, bourbon, fresh cut grass, plant sap, dried fruits, figs, prunes, plums, raisins,
4.9 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
okay so another one of my favorites...I am a chick so I don’t usually describe it all, but hands down something I look forward to every year. Love the flavor! I don’t actually mind the black licorice in this, but not a big fan of that in real life. A must try if you love dark beers with a lot of character!
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
2008 vintage on tap. Black pour with fairly light head considering. Nose is a bit smokey with notes of burnt wood, barrel, roasted malt, and coffee. Taste is also smokey and woody but light on the sweetness I was expecting. Would actually like to taste a more recent version to compare.
---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Holy moly, if you like stouts this is the way to go. So rich, sweet, dark, and amazing...many years of happiness to come with this one.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Deep roasty malt hot red wine, sweet and bitter, pine tree, not too pleasant. Has a good dry sweetness, fruity and spicy. The flavors are sharp and standout.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Shared 22oz 2011 vintage bottle. Solid mocha, coffee notes, chocolate, brown sugar, roasted malt notes. Creamy notes, roasted malts, touch of hops, anise.
4.8 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
22 oz. Bottle. plucked from the cellar after a year. Pours black with a dirty head. A nose of amazing complexity and as smooth as they get. Flavor bombardment of coffee, Brown sugar, Alcohol, oats...Good lacing. Haven’t found a better finish yet. Smooth. Perfect Balance!
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
From notes. First reviewed 2/9/2011. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a tulip. 2010 version.
This pours somewhere between mahogany and black, with a ruby walnut corner in the middle. A creamy brown cap sits on top, fading to a few islands after a short while and leavin a few spots of lace.
Roasted malt, dark chocolate, anise, smooth mild coffee, and a bit of earthy hops. Great balance and depth in the aroma.
The roasted malt and espresso are the first two flavors to hit my palate. A little bit of dark chocolate integrates well with anise, vanilla, and oak. There are some earthy hops that blend well with the anise as well. The end of each sip warms the stomach.
I felt like this got a bit syrupy, which is the only true detractor for me. It has a huge body, a great creaminess, but the light carbonation contributes to the syrupy feel for sure. There is some light residue that sits on the tongue afterward.
This reminds me of Stone’s IRS in how balanced it is. Not a coffee or chocolate bomb, Abyss simply presents a variety of enjoyable flavors to you, one after another, letting them integrate over time. A very relaxing sipper.
4.6 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
Pours black with a slight head that lingers until the finish. It smells of roasty/chocolate malt with coffee-ish notes. The flavor has similar characteristics, but with some dried, cocoa in there as well. It’s not too sweet and is fairly balanced for the strength and style. The body isn’t as heavy as I thought it might be considering the strength. All around a great beer.
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