Schokoladig und röstiger Antrunk. Sehr intensiv, vollmundig nach Bitterschokolade. Noch einmal deutlich intensiver werdend, SCHOKOLADE. Wenig herb, erdig. 11/13/12/13/12/13

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 10/30/2017. Pours dense pitch black color with a 2 finger dense and rocky dark tan head with amazing retention, that reduces to a large cap that lasts. Thick soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Insane appearance. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, molasses, licorice, vanilla, cream, bourbon, red wine, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, dark bread/crust, wood smoke, charcoal, cherry, raisin, prune, fig, date, leather, tobacco, bark, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Slight booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malt, molasses, licorice, cherry bark, vanilla, fruity yeast, and moderate bourbon/wine/oak barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, molasses, licorice, vanilla, cream, bourbon, red wine, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, dark bread/crust, wood smoke, charcoal, cherry, raisin, prune, fig, date, leather, tobacco, bark, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine, herbal, woody, grassy, peppery hops; roast/charcoal bitterness; and light bourbon/wine/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, molasses, licorice, vanilla, cream, bourbon, red wine, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, dark bread/crust, wood smoke, charcoal, cherry, raisin, prune, fig, date, leather, tobacco, bark, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malt, molasses, licorice, cherry bark, vanilla, fruity yeast, and moderate bourbon/wine/oak barrel flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness and bourbon/wine/oak spiciness. Medium carbonation and very full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and fairly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 11.4%, with minimal lingering booze after the finish. Overall this is an amazing flavored imperial stout. All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malt, molasses, licorice, cherry bark, vanilla, fruity yeast, and moderate bourbon/wine/oak barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the modestly bitter/charred/tannic/drying finish. Perfectly balanced super rich malts, flavorings, and fruity yeast complexity; with great overall bourbon/wine/oak barrel presence/integration for only being 50% blended. Balancing earthy hops against sweetness. A highly enjoyable offering. Feels fruitier than I remember previously, but still top tier for the style.

Milky coffee, cocoa nibs, strong oak presence but not overbearing, charcoal, strong vanilla, cork in the aftertaste, bit of black licorice

MANY thanx to ships for this one ! an actual big want , right here! also big thnx for the empty bottle of this ( and other ones i got in the past) 2011 vintage. pours black, brown foam. smell is roasted malts, taste is sweet, yet not sugary. warm, good, but not a new fav.

Bourbon barrel aging works with this :)

Bottle from international trade; 2012 bottle, dark brown with luxuriant mocha head, quite heavily laced bourbon aroma, I’ve had bourbon BA stouts before where the bourbon is to overpowering in this it’s more subdued and definitely adds to the taste experience, very robust malts with plain chocolate quite earthy and woody has liquorice. Carbonation is ideal and adds to slick mouthfeel.

Personal contribution @ ‘The Adam Jackson Tasting’. Obtained in a trade with Adam. Brewed with molasses and licorice, that just sounds like a joke, apparently also 33 % was BA in oak and bourbon barrels. 2011 Vintage I believe? Best after 08/04/2012. 65 cl bottle sampled. Pours black with a reasonable mocha head. Nose is sweet and licorice heavy, smooth and well integrated, touch molasses, roasted malt, underlying sweetness and coffee, anise. Bitter black licorice taste, bitter molasses, burned coffee, chocolate, pure chocolate, bitter coffee grounds, cacao. Full, very slick, everything is well integrated. Well done and I appreciate it even with the licorice focus. Another top 50 beer explored – whaling with Ahab.

Imported from my RateBeer account as Deschutes The Abyss (by Deschutes Brewery):
Aroma: 8/10, Appearance: 4/5, Taste: 8/10, Palate: 4/5, Overall: 17/20, MyTotalScore: 4.1/5

25/II/13 - 1Pt. 6Fl. Oz. bottle @ home - BB: n/a - 2011 vintage (2013-197) Thanks to AdamJackson for bringing and to 77ships for sharing the bottle!

Clear dark brown beer, small creamy brown head, unstable, non adhesive. aroma: lots of caramel, dark chocolate, bit sugary, dusty, cocoa powder, vanilla. MF: ok carbon, medium to full body, smooth texture. Taste: very nice caramel flavours, fudge, bit sugary, lots of chocolate, sour touch, vanilla. Aftertaste: caramel, vanilla, molasses, some bitter hops, sour touch, bit earthy, coffee and mocha dominating in the end.