The Abyss
Deschutes Brewery

 

 

Very dark, nearly black. Brown head sticks around. Smell of Hershey's chocolate syrup. Taste does have some spice but primarily molasses and ethanol. Sweet. Negligible bitterness. Feel is dominated by ethanol burn. Not as viscous as I would have guessed. Fine for a porter or stout. But pretty heavy and dark.

I don’t usually drink stouts, but love to occasionally try them. I will buy this when ever I find it. Easily the best beer I’ve ever had.

April 2021 12oz bottle from a Chimay chalice

L- deep dark color, no light from my iPhone gets through this beer at all. Very little to no head.
S- dark sweet chocolate
T- sweet milk chocolate sone hoppiness and a bit dry to the finish. The ABV is undetectable and this drinks way too easy for what it is. My biggest issue is there is ZERO barrel here, Zero!
F- quite thin for what this beer brings with it. Has a silky feel, just needs more body. There is no carbonation.

O- this was a beer I always wanted. Would not put out the $ for the bombers. Found these 4 packs in 2021 and overall am disappointed. Not a bad beer but with Zero barrel and a light body I’m out after I finish the one more I have sitting.

 

L - Look is black like coffee bu with little head
S- Smell isn't potent, smoky stout.
T - The taste is of course the stand out. Very complex. very bitter and earthy. Possibly the most earthy stout I've ever had. I personally enjoy more sweet stouts where this is very very bitter and woody. However, I believe the complexity and richness speaks to the craft and would be absolutely loved by some.
F - Feel is slightly bubbly and thick.
O - As stated, I want to like it but it's not quite sweet enough for my tastes, and it's extreme earthiness is beyond my pallet. That said it's enjoyable and worth a try.

Aged leather gives way to notes of strong, dark licorice. There are notes of burnt marshmallow in there, as well as a taste of either ripe plums or fresh Mediterranean figs. With an ABV of over 11%, this beer does not come off as overly boozy, despite its aging in bourbon and French oak barrels. Finally, there is a finish of sarsaparilla and milky molasses.

This beer will only get better with age. I see this beer as mellowing its edges with another year or two (if you can wait that long), on the shelf, aging.

Awesome

Unsure of the 99 rating. Wasn't impressed a year ago, and not impressed a year after proper aging. Dark chocolate and leather are present but there is a "burnt" characteristic to this that just turns me off. Some astringency as well. Interested to see 1 more year of aging on this to see what happens, otherwise there are plenty of other barrel aged stouts out there I find to be much more preferable.

Drinking a 2018 bottle (cellared). This RIS has a roasted malt or grain characteristic which sets it apart from some of the others. It is not a sweet beer with lots of cherries, plums, or fruits. Rather, it is a dry, dark and burnt character leaning towards tart/bitter end of the scale for me. It is like a dry RIS. I like it. More of the bitter Chocolate and Coffee end of the spectrum. It is mellow, and not boozy (for me). Mouth feel is medium, and not too chewy. Just right actually. Looks like motor oil from an old V8 that has not been drained in 20k miles. Reaching for my 2nd one just now. This is a quality product from Deschutes.

 

 

 

2017 Reserve. Bottled on 10/13/17. Pulled this bottle out my cellar. Was not sure what to expect, but...it is still tasting great! I suspect that the wax over the bottle cap along with the hefty ABV helped. Pours jet black with a frothy coffee colored head. Some slight hints of this beers age come through in the nose, but not enough to be offensive. As many other reviews state, there is a lot going on in this offering. Every sip offers up a new flavor or aroma that I did not pick out in the previous. The barrel aged flavor complements this beer instead of overpowering it. The nose is the only hint that this beer has just over 5 years on it. Overall, an enjoyable and complex imperial stout.

 

 

 

12oz bottled 4/28/21 (nearly one year ago) poured into a perfect pint glass at fridge temp 11.8% ABV per label. The beer pours pitch black with no light penetration and light brown head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of tiny bubbles. Sparce lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring chocolate, roasted malt and oak barrel. The taste is bittersweet roasted malt with more subtle oak, bitter chocolate and a moderately bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with just less that average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. The substantial ABV is well hidden. Overall, very good.