The Abyss
(has 16 batches)
Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Imperial Regular|
Score
8.22
|
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This special Reserve Series brew will only be offered December – February (limited distribution)
The Abyss: Stout brewed with licorice and molasses with 33% aged in oak and oak bourbon barrels.
It’s dark. It’s deep. It’s mysterious. Aged in French Oak and Bourbon barrels, this special brew has immeasureable depth inviting you to explore and discover its rich, complex profile. The flavor of molasses and licorice draw you in further and further with each sip. The Abyss beckons. Enjoy the journey.
The Abyss: Stout brewed with licorice and molasses with 33% aged in oak and oak bourbon barrels.
It’s dark. It’s deep. It’s mysterious. Aged in French Oak and Bourbon barrels, this special brew has immeasureable depth inviting you to explore and discover its rich, complex profile. The flavor of molasses and licorice draw you in further and further with each sip. The Abyss beckons. Enjoy the journey.
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9.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 9.5
I bought three bottles back in December of 2013. I cracked one open in February but forgot to mention anything about this back then.
Today, I’m having my second bottle that has a date of \"best after 08/16/14.\"
I poured this into a snifter, here we go.
The appearance, well, it poured like motor oil and I even heard the \"glub glub\" sound as it strolls out of the bottle, (did I pour too fast, hmmm...most likely not?). The head is about a finger’s worth of off-white to a nice tan color that lasts for a good minute before dieing and leaving a super nice coating of tan lacing clinging very nicely to the glass.
The smell is an almost perfect aroma to any imperial stout anyone could ever want. It goes a little something like this: super nice oaky/woody vanilla, cherry, chocolate, molassess and licorice. There is a slight aftertaste and its kinda woody with a nice dose of lingering molasses and vanilla. The finish is quick, dry and sweet.
On the palate, it sat about a medium to heavy. I sure did sip this. This is one not to gulp. Sessionability - ha, no way, man, one and done. ABV is felt. The carbonation is smooth and good for the style and for me.
Overall, American Double/Imperial Stout, wow, this practically defines it. Don’t ever pass up on this if you ever see it. I will be sure to look out for this next December when it comes out.
Today, I’m having my second bottle that has a date of \"best after 08/16/14.\"
I poured this into a snifter, here we go.
The appearance, well, it poured like motor oil and I even heard the \"glub glub\" sound as it strolls out of the bottle, (did I pour too fast, hmmm...most likely not?). The head is about a finger’s worth of off-white to a nice tan color that lasts for a good minute before dieing and leaving a super nice coating of tan lacing clinging very nicely to the glass.
The smell is an almost perfect aroma to any imperial stout anyone could ever want. It goes a little something like this: super nice oaky/woody vanilla, cherry, chocolate, molassess and licorice. There is a slight aftertaste and its kinda woody with a nice dose of lingering molasses and vanilla. The finish is quick, dry and sweet.
On the palate, it sat about a medium to heavy. I sure did sip this. This is one not to gulp. Sessionability - ha, no way, man, one and done. ABV is felt. The carbonation is smooth and good for the style and for me.
Overall, American Double/Imperial Stout, wow, this practically defines it. Don’t ever pass up on this if you ever see it. I will be sure to look out for this next December when it comes out.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 May 2014
at 12:58
8.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
22 oz bottle. Pours a pitch black colour with small brown head. Aroma is sweet, licorice, chocolate and alcohol. Flavor is licorice, coffee, chocolate, with a bitter warming alcohol finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 May 2014
at 22:07
7.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Solid imperial stout. Has al the traits of the style, but doesn’t trascend above the rest in my opinion.
Tried
on 04 May 2014
at 03:50
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
2012 Bottle. Molasses, sweet chocolate, vanilla, dark fruit and alcohol aroma. Black brown with a moderate tan head. Burnt coffee, chocolate, vanilla flavor with a long roasty bitter finish. Body on the lighter side of full, soft carbonation, dry finish. Seems rather thin for the style.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Feb 2014
at 15:53
7/10
Alkoholisk, litt oksydert. Kunne tålt mer lagring, men god.
Tried
on 31 Jan 2014
at 22:18
7.6/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
2006 22oz bottle, batch 1 drunk Summer of ’09, at my Farewell to the beer scene tasting.
Compact, creamy, charred-beige head is very persistently retained, and tops an opaque, deep ebony body with dark brown edges. Moderate sediment in the bottle after 3 years rest.
A somewhat more subtle aroma for the style, not to be confused with a weak aroma, it’s just not pouring forth with either heavy amounts of vinousness, nor sweet chocolate/malts. Rather, it’s lightly smokey, with soft vanilla creaminess and some ashy roast notes. With warming, some barrel tannins emerge and mix with the light alcohol and roast, producing a liquorous-like warmth and complexity and rendering the nose quite dry. Long, dry black pepper and sweet bourbon lasts quite well.
Somewhat alcoholic and a bit sharp on the initial sip, with chocolatey malts and sweet vanilla notes softening it some. Not as tight a carbonation as I was imagining, leaving it a little bit watery on the end and providing for only a medium body relative to style. What it does do right is provide an ashen, chocolatey and bourbon-like flavor that is quite interesting, very unique. Hints of pruney vinousness on the finish, with touches of raw, grainy wood (alcohol and barrel tannins). As it warms, the flavors come together a bit better, though the sweet malts never integrate fully, leaving the beer a bit disjointed, especially due to the somewhat light mouthfeel.
Compact, creamy, charred-beige head is very persistently retained, and tops an opaque, deep ebony body with dark brown edges. Moderate sediment in the bottle after 3 years rest.
A somewhat more subtle aroma for the style, not to be confused with a weak aroma, it’s just not pouring forth with either heavy amounts of vinousness, nor sweet chocolate/malts. Rather, it’s lightly smokey, with soft vanilla creaminess and some ashy roast notes. With warming, some barrel tannins emerge and mix with the light alcohol and roast, producing a liquorous-like warmth and complexity and rendering the nose quite dry. Long, dry black pepper and sweet bourbon lasts quite well.
Somewhat alcoholic and a bit sharp on the initial sip, with chocolatey malts and sweet vanilla notes softening it some. Not as tight a carbonation as I was imagining, leaving it a little bit watery on the end and providing for only a medium body relative to style. What it does do right is provide an ashen, chocolatey and bourbon-like flavor that is quite interesting, very unique. Hints of pruney vinousness on the finish, with touches of raw, grainy wood (alcohol and barrel tannins). As it warms, the flavors come together a bit better, though the sweet malts never integrate fully, leaving the beer a bit disjointed, especially due to the somewhat light mouthfeel.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Jan 2014
at 11:35
9.1/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 10
Flavor 10
Texture 10
Overall 6.5
On draft at independent ale house in rapid city it is a dark brown color with a slight head. The aroma is roasted coffee the taste is of licorice with an amazing roasted coffee flavor that resonated on the palate
Tried
from Draft
on 22 Jan 2014
at 19:39
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
Draft - Vintage 2012 - Dark roast coffee, anise and dear fruit. Jet black with a persistent but small brown head. Rich bittersweet chocolate, some dark fruit and coffee. What makes this beer shine is the rich oily body.
Tried
from Draft
on 17 Jan 2014
at 14:37
9.4/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 9.5
2012 vintage. On tap at the Olympics "there will be darkness" event. Loads of coffee, chocolate black licorice and toffee. Hot and boozy, but not as hot and boozy as the 2013. A year in their keg cooler has been good to this brew.
Tried
from Draft
on 22 Dec 2013
at 20:43
7.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Tap (nitro) at Deschutes, Portland. Colour is black with medium brownish head. Aromas and flavours: Coffee, sweetness, hints of chocolate and roasted malts. Supersoft and enjoyable.
Tried
from Draft
on 12 Dec 2013
at 12:44