abyss kinda sucks

i've been feeling this way the last few years, especially with the increase in cost and difficulty finding it locally. best after date rubs me the wrong way also. beer better be ready to drink when you sell it to me.

 

Had 2011 or 2012, can't really remember, and I'll agree it is thin.

 

My girlfriend brought one home recently. It was the first one I've had in quite a while and wow ... I didn't enjoy it much. I found the molasses way too pronounced and the barrel character lacking.

Used to be one of my favorite barrel aged stouts and now I doubt I'd buy it again. Especially with what they charge for it these days. A far cry from the $5 they charged for the 06 vintage!

 

Am I the only one who's noticed that people grouse about an Abyss vintage when it's fresh and rave about the same vintage in a year or two? IMO wait until after the best after date to form an opinion good or bad.

 

Agree. It's one of many classics that's just a bit outdated now. I respect the history, but I dont even consider buying this anymore

 

Havent had any abyss before but always looked forward to trying it, things like this make me leary to try and trade for it.

 

drank a 14 last night and really enjoyed it, on the other hand drain poured an abraxas..talk about thin and artificial tasting.

 

Abyss certainly isn't a bad beer. There have just been a million better options for the style brewed since Abyss was debuted. I don't buy bottles but I've got no problem stopping by the brewpub for a glass once a year.

 

It definitely doesn't suck, but it is certainly overpriced at this point.

 

I cannot agree more. Abyss when fresh is alright. With about 2 to 3 years, it turns excellent. 2010 Vintage consumed in 2013 was one of best bottles I have ever had.

 

2010 was the last year that I thought was world class. I still like the more recent vintages, but not nearly as much

Seems like every year since tastes really burnt and somewhat acrid. I taste almost no barrel character either. I dont agree on the "thin" part, but its certainly something I done buy more than one bottle of.

the 2010 on Nitro this year was one of the best beers I have ever had

 

The 1,000,001st best Imperial Stout in the world! I shudder to think where something like Worthy's Dark Muse would rank. Would we need 10 digits? ;-)

HERE GOES ANOTHER OF MY LONG A$$ RANTS ... ;-)

Not pointed at you but here are my general thoughts on the "Abyss Sucks" meme that crops up regularly (admitting that I have yet to try 2014):

1. Freshness versus age. Abyss isn't at its best fresh. Most people agree with this ... or they end up saying "it's not as good as it used to be" after they drink a 2010 or 2011 (which I have had recently and which are world class). I can understand people not wanting to buy a beer and wait 2 years to drink it, but that's slightly different than concluding it sucks. Many (most?) imperial stouts really don't improve with age - some fall off quickly (looking at you Marshall Zhukov and kikkoman flavor profile after a couple years) and some hold steady, but not many really improve. Abyss is, IMHO, in that small category of those that do improve.

2. Body. The "too thin" thing rubs me the wrong way. I hear this applied to beers of all styles. Brown ale? Too thin. Porter? Too thin. Non BA stout? Too thin. Again, not directing this at you ... but it's as if people have been infected by some sort of mind-controlling brain virus after drinking syrupy sweet double barreled stouts and now think everything has to be motor oil. I haven't tried 14, maybe it's water ... but I doubt it. Abyss is a big bodied, smooth beer. This is not even subjective. Sure, it's not DB Huna or Black Tuesday ... but not all beers have to be. I can drink a bottle of Abyss and after 6 - 10 oz of DB Huna, DB Abraxas, BT, etc, I'm overwhelmed by the body. Drinking Life is Like was like pounding pudding. Sure, that's a nifty trick to make a beer that a spoon can stand up in but there's a reason brewers for hundreds of years didn't bother; it's not all that drinkable. All these gigantor beers are basically "share" beers - meant to impress geeks at tastings. Really, how many people are going to enjoy putting away a 22 or 750 of a 15%+ sugar bomb? They impress in their midwest 2 oz doses.

3. Sweetness and bourbon are like the crack and heroin of imperial stouts. I get that Abyss doesn't provide the junkie fix but not every beer needs to have the body artificially juiced with unfermentable / residual sugar or the flavor of the base overwhelmed by bourbon. Mix a tablespoon of sugar (or piloncillo for that Prop action) and a drop of four roses in, maybe some ancho chilies, and all of a sudden Abyss would be so 2014! Personally, I like stouts that finish fairly dry, with a defining base beer character. The cherry bark / licorice / molasses add bitterness that balances it. To me, there's a lot more balance to Abyss than most 14%+ bruisers or "put it in bourbon" solutions to poor quality bases.

4. The myth of innovation. When people talk about Abyss inevitably someone will claim it's out of date, that the world has moved on and left Deshutes behind. If only they'd follow all the 'me too' trends! Where's the coconut, kopi luwak, brazil nuts, caramel corn, or jalapeno? I have problems with this concept of innovation when it comes to beer. For the most part, we're not talking about technological progress or advancements in science. It's not as if there's an equivalent in beer between, say, comparing a 2006 Honda Accord and a 2015 model ... OMG, no heated seats, no navigation system, ugh - your beer is so out of date! It's not progress that's being referred to in beer; it's trends. I just recently had a Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout. It was awesome and has been for decades and decades. I get that it's very challenging to evaluate things based upon their intrinsic nature rather than by comparison. "More" almost always wins in comparisons. More sugar, more abv, more bourbon, more adjuncts, thicker body, more (overwhelming) "flavor" = better, right? There's something very "80s excess" and unrefined about this to me. We've probably all had the experience of trying something in a tasting, finding it very flat, and then trying it later and finding it lively and dynamic. It just couldn't compete with the MORE. Flash back to big burly red wines in the early 2000s and it's the same story. Many people eventually came back to more lively, balanced, drinkable wines - more tautness and structure, some acidity, balance. IMHO, Deschutes isn't playing the "share beer" game.

Of course, people are free to like and dislike whatever they want. I just felt compelled to point out what I think are some odd criticisms and some of the bothersome beer trends. I'm glad there's diversity.

 

I think you misinterpreted, I meant that The Abyss is the 1,000,001st best imperial stout aged in a combination of bourbon, pinot and oak barrels. JK of course . There's room in my belly for both classic beers and trendy beers. I just stopped buying bottles when I realized I could get my fill of fresh and vintage Abyss on tap at different events around Portland.

 

Drank one last week. Enjoyed it. Would drink again.

 

I enjoyed this rant to no end, particularly #4. I made the same case regarding IPAs a few months back and got slammed for it.

Happy New Year!

 

I enjoyed a bottle and picked up a second.
It was more enjoyable to me because it was 'thinner'.
Midnight Sun Berserker is a barrel stout but so syrupy in comparison. I can split a bottle of Abyss and not feel like I ate a meal.
And I enjoy the roasted flavors instead of just overpowering bourbon.
Definitely doesn't suck. I think there is just so much hype around some beers and that drives crazy expectations.