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.

 

A rich, elegant, and lovely imperial stout that perfectly combines chocolate, molasses, and licorice for a dark and bold stout.

 

From a bottle packaged 12/16/24. Opaque black with a thin layer of dark brown head. Smells of roasted malt, brown sugar, and bourbon. Full bodied with lower carbonation. Roasted malt flavor with some boozy sweetness. Good stuff

RB transfer

The Abyss from Deschutes Brewery. Four pack of 12 fl oz bottles picked up at Franklin Berr, Franklin, PA, 28/08/25 - $ 19.50 (including tax)/$ 0.41/fl oz. Reviewed 08/09/25, review 3581. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped on label “PACKAGED ON 11/09/22.” Stored at home at 40 degrees F. Served at 52.8 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 56.8 degrees F.
Appearance – 4
First pour – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), nearly opaque.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, light barely penetrates at the edges, ruby.
Head – Small (Maximum 0.6 cm, aggressive center pour). Tan Brown, high density, good retention, lightening to biscuit as it oxygenates, leaving a 0.3 cm crown and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – Excellent! Wide band of near-microscopic bubbles coats the glass.
Aroma – 4 – Begins with subdued chocolate and roasted, slightly charred, malt. No hops, no alcohol.
Flavor – 4.5 – Begins slightly bitter with Baker’s chocolate. Barrel present, maybe some molasses. No alcohol (11.5 % ABV, according to the label) taste. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Eventual gastric warming.
Palate – 4.25 – Full: Creamy: Soft carbonation.
Style: Follows the style guidelines as condensed by BA.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 Uncredited label artist. Hard to believe I’d not reviewed this previously since I know I’ve had it early in my beer nerd career, but xin loi – I’m reviewing it now. This is an excellent example of the style, one that is deserving of both its popularity and longevity.

Found this being sold as a single for $6 in town today 8/26/25 bottled on 12/16/24
I have to say I am pleasantly surprised at how tasty this is!
Poured black as night into a snifter with a little dark head
Smell was noticeably nice as soon as I popped the top I thought oak/espresso
Taste was much syrupier than I expected & I love that! Mouth feel is important to me & this delivers nicely.
Taste reminds me a little of KBS Original but maybe a bit more syrupy. The 12.3% tastes great but not boozy at all IMHO
I am really happy to have found this & hope to someday find their Coconut version too!

Heavy but smooth

 

 

What hasn’t been said before?
Rich, liquoreuse, complex…
A syrupy thick, jet black stout with relatively mild, balanced oak and liquor flavours. Alcohol, bitter chocolate, espresso, molasses… and everything in harmony

 

 

Nice lacing. Rich, complex nose, though I can smell the alcohol. Comes together perfectly on the palate, Plenty of roast, a big note of molasses, and a light chocolate touch. Some wood and whiskey notes never overwhelm flavor. All elements in harmony.

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