Deschutes The Abyss

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

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: DEC 21, 2011 2006, sampled multiple times, fresh to 3 months old. The nose is decent enough, with a mild mocha, licorice and dry roasted coffee scent, but flavor-wise it’s not such a stellar beer as it’s been made out. This actually tastes like a bad bottle of Rogue Imperial Stout, with the dry, ashy, hot alcohol and wood pretty much ruining any positives in this beer. The bakers chocolate malt and bitter coffee qualities take a while for me to warm up to, and the hops I really don’t enjoy. Any stout this large should not need hops like this. This is not a beer that knocks my socks off the second I taste it, in fact it took me a good twenty minutes in order to write down anything complimentary. But after some time I’m actually digging it. The finish at first was a major turn-off; being so parched and dry like licking an oak plank - that’s not something I enjoy. The molasses is barely noticeable, so light that without having been told that it tastes like molasses and licorice I doubt I would pick it up. All I can really say about this beer is that the palate is a complete mess. I love Deschutes, but this is not one of their better efforts. 7/4/7/2/14 = 3.4

2007 fresh bottle. The nose is much less ashy and roasty, and much more chocolatey and sweet. Has a distinct chocolate syrup flavor, and the dryness is still quite high, but it’s not so ashy, bitter or coarse. Much better than 2006, but perhaps my tastes have changed. I gave the 2006 some serious attention, two entire bottles, but didn’t like it. The 2007 is absolutely killer. 8/4/9/5/17 = 4.3

First off, wow! This was highly talked about so I really wanted to try. This beer definitely stood up to its reputation. Pours dark and creamy with a thick head. As I drank it the head slowly ran down the glass. The look was dark and thick witha Carmel head. The taste was like heaven in a bottle. Very complex, sweet with oak notes and licorice. I want to say there was a bit of cinnamon as well. Once it was room temp the flavors were more apparent. The feel was very smooth and sticky. Overall, this beer rates very high in my book. Can't wait till next years abyss. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

650 ml bottle from 16th St. 2011 reserve. Pours black with tan/orange head, which sticks around for a bit. Aromas of rich chocolate, roasted malts and dark fruit. Creamy like a swig of hot chocolate. Bittersweet chocolate and espresso flavor. Nice roasted malts. Warm but well balanced.

2010 vintage. Pours very dark and thick with a dark coffee head that is small but thick. Aroma of raisins, dark fruit, licorice, molasses and chocolate. Smooth and creamy chocolate and coffee with hints of dark fruit. Almost silky in the mouth and very full bodied. This isn’t the easiest beer to find, so if you like stouts grab a bottle of two if you see it.

Enjoyed in Peteluma with Jeff, Catina and Kaeti. Dark and complex, instead of identifying what’s in there, it was more interesting to find an IS aroma and flavor not un there.

Vintage 2010. Pours black with a light brown head. Aroma is roasted malt, chocolate, liquorish, coffee, oak, vanilla and light soy. Flavour is roasted malt, alcohol, liquorish, coffee, chocolate, soy, ash, tobacco, light oak and vanilla.

Dark, silky and smooth. A soft creamy mouthfeel with a rich molasses taste. Hints of black licorice and coffee linger afterwards ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

On tap at the St Louis Microfest. Pours an opaque dark brown with a small tan head. Coffee liquor aroma. Taste is big with lots going on: molasses, licorice, foffee, and chocolate. Sweet, complex and very strong.

66cl Bottle at AHBS, 2010 reserve. Black colour, beige head. Aroma of chocolate, light salty, liquorice, hard roasted malts, coffee, bourbon. Flavour is medium sweet, hard roasted malts, bourbon, dark fruits, oak, molasses, light salty liquorice, roasted bitter finish. Fullbodied. Very good.

I poured the beer into a wide mouth glass to drink. The beer had a black body with an amber-brown hue around the edges, and had a smallish, foamy dark tan head with short retention but good cling and lacing. Its appearance was somewhat watery; it did not have a thick or oily look. The aroma featured roasty caramel malt with notes of vanilla, molasses and brown sugar, and also had some earthy hops for balance. It tasted sweet and malty with flavors of caramel and vanilla, but also had some roasty earthy bitterness mixed with a bit of licorice and a subtle cherry bite. The beer was fairly light with a thinnish body and low carbonation and fizz. It had a clinging mouthfeel with a velvet softness that can only be described as "pillowy" and the presence of alcohol was almost nonexistent. Excellent beer, many thanks to Eric for the delivery and sharing.

Poured from 22oz bomber to airplane and rainbow themed tippy cup: Deep and dark, ominous black body. Dense brown froth that swells to the rim. Great lacing, even in the plastic children’s cup. The nose is one of the best - cocoa, nutmeg, smoke, oak, faint licorice, molasses, vanilla, a lot going on here. The taste is just as satisfying - big oak, warming booze, smoke, the finish is still a little hot. I’d like to take a more in-depth look at The Abyss in the future but, as always, delicious.