The Abyss
Deschutes Brewery

22 ounce serving, bottled with a “best after “ date of 08/16/14. Poured into a large stout snifter glass.

The color is ebony, dark, nearly black. Roasted looking dark tan head, quick drop to a ring, no more than spots of lacing. 11% abv. Nice look.

Bourbon and red wine are the out front aromas. Molasses, a tiny hint of licorice, and wood soaked alcohol.

Extremely malted ale drenched with bourbon and red wine flavors, along with molasses, oak, and lots of vanilla.

It’s thick and smooth, full bodied feel. Boozy. Molasses sweets balance the booze blend.

After acquiring it more than a decade ago, I’m enjoying it today! The abv is manageable. Unique style ale that leans towards a strong stout at a sip or two.

I’m not going to sully this heavenly beer with garbled limbo-jumbo. If you ever encounter this ambrosia; buy it!

Look: Pours like motor oil – jet black- and the pour initiates a slow-forming dark brown head that settles to a lid, leaving a coating of lacing on the rim of the glass

Aroma: Bourbon, baker’s cocoa, black coffee, molasses, freshly baked brown bread, tobacco, licorice, and light earthiness

Taste: Opens up with a flood of cocoa, coffee, and brown bread that immediately develop depth as trickles of earthiness creep in. Bourbon asserts next and licorice dances around as the bourbon and cocoa/coffee/bread synergize before the earthy notes signal that the party’s over and closes out with some ethanol

Mouthfeel: Full, smooth, medium carbonation, and dry on the finish with ethanol coming through

Overall: This is a deep and tasty Impy Stout. I’ve had this several times throughout the years, including the initial release back in ‘05/’06 but never reviewed it. It’s a well-made barrel aged Imperial Stout with a ton of depth that keeps unpacking more as it warms up. A great sipper and one of the better examples of the style, IMO. If you dig these types of beer and haven’t tried this, make a point to do so

L: Dark brown pour, a decent tan head, a bit of spotty lacing.
S: Chocolate, booze, licorice.
T: The above, plus some dark fruit, toffee.
F: Smooth, thick and creamy.
O: Terrific

 

 

Nice licorice and vinious/dark fruit notes.. sets it apart from the others.

packaged on: 12/16/2024, abv 12.3%, little ppppshshsh open cap up and go on my shelf with opener (mother-in-law gift which said "drink more beer ), little quiet pour in small tester size snifter (from Mississippi Key City Brewery & Eatery) black liquid no head (slow pour not aggressive) temperature 66.6F ;-) toasted bourdon not strong smell, sip played in the mouth swallow exhalation, smoked toasted a little sweat whiskey roasted creamy malt dark shroomy chocolate coffeeish after taste, a layer of thin dryish syrup remained in the mouth, feel one note taste is hard to tell I wish can remember even close my eyes and squinted ehhh can't tell alluring flavor (when I remember I will edit my comment - still three bottles left) almonds molasses marzipan I don't now hm... oke doke well made imperial stout, which I wanted to try for a long time, tasty delicious oh man stout, loved!

Black with medium-sized, white head. Chocolate, coffee, bourbon, and licorice in the aroma. Heavy and sweet taste balanced by roasted/woody/alcohol bitterness.

Had a sample at Grapes N' Growlers in Vancouver WA. Strong alcohol taste, but also smooth dark chocolate and fruity taste. Slightly sweet. Deschutes know how to do beer; they are one of the best large, small breweries around. Rated 9-26-2018. 68 IBUs

 

Drinking in a large snifter.
Pours a clear dark dark mahogany color.
Smells of bourbon, coffee, cocoa.
Very smooth on the tongue.
Nice balance.
Tastes of dark roast, chocolate, coffee.

 

2021 vintage poured into a 16oz tulip, fairly aggressive pour. Gorgeous tumbling not unlike the pour of a Guinness with an initial large mocha shaded head. Very intricate flavors of black licorice, dark chocolate, dark fruit, bourbon of course, and burnt coffee intermingle extremely well. A bit too much char for my liking, but I can't fault the craftmanship here. Density is perfect, not too thin or viscous. Stands up to its rating IMO

First time trying this classic which has recently become available in my state.

From bottle marked packed on 11/20/23.

Poured into my tulip glass this stout is used motor oil black with a tight mocha cap. Head recedes to an oily skim with some bubbles around the edges leaving plenty of soapy lace.

Scent is boozy bourbon vanilla. Chocolate cherries? Roasty coffee notes.

Taste is rich with dark chocolate and fudge notes, vanilla, chocolate cherries. Bourbon although not as pronounced as in the nose. Raisins, figs, dark fruit. There's something which I couldn't quite discern but that I realize now is licorice. There's a subtle bitterness and some spicy hop notes which seem to build as I sip. Nice long finish delivering waves of chocolate, fudge, vanilla but ending with a dry crisp bitterness which keeps the beer from being overly sweet.

Mouth is velvety and voluptuous.

When a beer of this ABV is so quickly and easily emptied that I wonder where it went and wish I had another I consider it a testament to the brewers skills.

 

Purchased at Bound Berverage, Warrington, PA. $20.50/4pk 12oz bottles. Purchased in March 2024 and bottle has a packaged on date of 4/28/21, so this appears to have almost 3 years of aging.

Pours a very viscous, deep, dark abyss black. A thin, tight bubble, dark tan colored head on the initial pour.

Aromas of chocolate and a slight boozy smell.

A delicous stout. Numerous flavors hit you right away of bitter dark chocolate, coffee, deep roasted malts and a boozy bourban flavor. A bitter and tangy aftertaste. The ABV is noticeable but doesn’t overpower the flavor profile.

Thick, creamy consistency with mild carbonation.

A top-notch stout. However, I’m not sure it deserves a 99/100 rating. Just a bit too dry and bitter on the aftertaste for my liking. That being said, I’d still recommend it…cheers!

 

Tonight’s Cellaruary pull is also a side by side. I’ve had the 2014 vintage for almost a year and forgot about it until I recently got the 2022 vintage from Tavour. That made me remember the 2014 and made me realize Cellaruary is the perfect time for this vertical tasting (which will leave me destroyed for the night after drinking all of this). I’ve never had any vintage of this beer before, but it should be interesting to see the difference 8 years makes in this beer.

2014: Pours completely pitch black with a finger of soapy light tan head that quickly fades to a ring and leaves decent lacing
2022: The exact same as the 2014, but leaves just a bit less lacing behind

2014: There’s a bit of a funk in the nose here, but I’m not complaining. I’m picking up on aromas of molasses, tannic red wine, cherry pit, cocoa powder, medium roast coffee, aged hops, sharp oak, smoky tobacco, and leather
2022: This one is way more hoppy and bitter as expected, but I can see how the aromas here can evolve into the funkier aromas in the older beer. I’m picking up on aromas of leafy hops, molasses, cacao nib, medium roast coffee, burnt sugar, orange marmalade, toasted oak, smoky tobacco, vanilla bean, and light caramel

2014: There’s less to it in taste unfortunately, but I still dig it. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting molasses, burnt sugar, smooth oak, vanilla bean, licorice, smoky tobacco, cocoa powder, raisin, and light coffee. The swallow brings notes of cherry pit, molasses, aged hops, smoky tobacco, cacao nib, leather, raisin, and medium roast coffee
2022: Similarly here it just tastes like a watered down version of what the nose had promised, but again, still good. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting leafy hops, burnt sugar, golden raisin, caramel, toasted oak, vanilla bean, light roast coffee, and cacao nib. The swallow brings notes of leafy hops, cacao nib, vanilla bean, cherry pit, burnt sugar, smoky tobacco, medium roast coffee, chicory, and light caramel

2014: A medium full body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a slick and chewy beer. Finishes a tad sticky but dries out over time
2022: A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a slick beer. Finishes mostly dry and quite bitter

It’s amazing how different these beers are yet are scored nearly the same. They’re both damn good in their own ways. My official review will use the scores of the fresher bottle

2014:
4.29/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2022:
4.3/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25