The Abyss Deschutes 2014 release

Crap I paid $16.99 in CA at Whole Foods

 

It was definitely different this year, but I did not detect any soy sauce flavor. To me it had stronger coffee Benitez and was a little more bitter. I actually think this has been one of the better fresh batches.

 

The Abyss, to me... taste like someone had no idea what they were doing when they brewed it. They need to choose a booze/barrel formula and stick with it. All those supposed flavors are just lost in the abyss...

 

12.99 at bevmo! I had to get 2 of em.. I love ls this beer last year and kinda stoked to crack one open this week

 

That's the second remark you've made in this thread to the effect of them having no idea what they were doing. I'm not sure what you're basing that opinion on other than your personal aversion to the beer. You may not like it--which is obviously completely fine; not everyone is going to like the same things--but I think it's a pretty big stretch to suggest they had no idea what they were doing in brewing it.

I'm also not sure what you're referring to with choosing a formula and sticking with it. Aside from the fact that it's pretty common for big, once-a-year releases like this to be varied and tweaked from year to year, this is the fourth year in a row that the formula for The Abyss has been the same--11% abv imperial stout with licorice, molasses and cherry bark with 28% of it aged in barrels (6% bourbon, 11% pinot, 11% new oak).

Again, I'm not criticizing your preference here. You are welcome to dislike the beer. But some of your criticisms seem odd.

 

@LambicPentameter Watch Deschutes official video about the beer. That's what I'm basing it off of.

Also, just to be clear. I don't dislike the beer, it is a better than average beer. I feel that it isn't worthy of it's average review score though. I'm disagreeing with popular opinion. And I'm not of the mind that because a vast majority of people say something is great or buy it, that it makes it so.

 

Oh, I watched that video. I just didn't see anything that broadcast "we have no idea what we're doing". It looked like a pretty standard 'making of' video where they talk about how it was their first foray into making a beer that was so big and with so many added ingredients. Just because something is new doesn't mean the person doing it is clueless to what they are doing.

As far as whether it's "worthy" of the average review score... I not quite sure how to process that claim. That score comes from over 5,000 different people scoring the beer based on their own personal opinion of it. Unless you're suggesting that people are falsely inflating the score for some inexplicable reason, then it's absolutely worthy of the score. The score has been, by definition, earned. Similarly, if the vast majority of people believe that the beer is great and worthy of purchase, then, by definition, it is great/worthy of purchase.

That is not to say that everyone should therefore feel the same way about it, and if you don't think it's great or worthy of purchase, then by all means, you are entitled to feel that way. But it seems like you're trying to suggest that there is some inherent, objective truth about the beer that is defined by some way other than how people, as a plurality, feel about it. Beer, or any other thing--food, art, cinema, poetry, music, writing--that depends on people's personal tastes, must be defined by how people feel about it. At least in part.

 

^^^^^

Well said

 

I'm in OH so this is the first time I've picked this up. Is it essential to wait a year to crack it open? Is it any good fresh or would I be doing it injustice?

 

I'm going to stand by the Britney Spears defense.

 

In all seriousness, I agree with you. What I was saying is my opinion, just like you expressing yours. Coincidentally though, 4-5 years ago is when a lot of users on this site are saying the Abyss was at it's best. Maybe If I can get my hands on some of those older vintages, my opinion would be different.

 

I just picked up 2 bottles and this is my first time getting my hands on Abyss as well (I'm also in Ohio). Since it has a best after date of next Nov and based on the opinions I've read I plan on waiting. I'm going off the assumption that the beer was brewed with the thought that it will sit at least a year.

If you look at this thread: http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/top-5-beers-to-age.10207/
A lot of people recommend Abyss as one of the better beers to age. I'm not sure if they are saying that because it has a best after date, or because it actually tastes better aged.

 

If I understand you correctly, this is a poor comparison. Britney Spears was never a critically acclaimed pop artist, even before her career jumped the shark.

Consensus about Abyss being world-class has nothing to do with the amount of bottles sold, it's more about the cumulative opinions of 5,000 craft beer lovers as LambicPentameter said.

 

You're right... Weezer defense then.

 

If you like a mess of barrel flavors that will be better blended, such as Immort from Dogfish then I guess it might work. To me it's clearly a beer that needs 2 years but might be close at a year.

 

Saw this in Sheridan Wyoming for 17.99 And ok believe it or not I passed for some reason.....

 

Nope. Underneath all of the soy/wine flavor I don't at all enjoy, I can still taste that amazing base that The Abyss has always had. Maybe it will be a bit better in a year, but even a more balanced version of what's there isn't going to change my mind about it. Deschutes needs to go back to the 2010 formula, or better yet go 50/50 with bourbon and oak barrels, or even better - 100% bourbon barrel-aged (and maybe make the best beer on the planet?).

But yeah, enjoy your wine-infused stout if that's how you like it.

 

Has anyone from the houston area seen this around yet?

 

This beer has was definitely a child of the old greats from the late 90s into the mid 2000s, along with Kate the Great and Westvleteren 12. But times have changed, beers have evolved, more and more breweries are creating amazing beer, and our taste buds crave more. The abyss just does not stack up anymore.


I've had the last 3 vintages and each was... Good. Nice toasty stout, definitely very enoyable. Not at all worth 15-20$ a bottle. The decreasing barrel quantity is becoming a joke. I'm much more interested in the Black Butte Vintage Series, because those are always changing and always great. The abyss... Will continue to be that beer I buy every year and wonder why I spent so much on it.

Plus the bottle is sexy as f***

 

The wine flavors will blend into the other flavors and not be as distinct. Not sure what "soy" tastes like so I can't comment on that part. Still the beer is very raw and honestly is likely going to need 2 years to get everything blended. I can't imagine drinking a beer like this fresh and assuming the end result can even be guessed this far out. I mean a non barrel aged beer like Immort takes 2-3 years to peak and it has similar odd flavors that need time to blend. This is a far more complex blend, it's gonna take time for flavors like the wine to stop being so strong.