abyss kinda sucks

This, and what others have said above, parallels my own experience; except I have to say that it was the first really special beer I tried in 2014, which was when I first had it, and first "got into" beer. I cannot speak at all to vintages prior to 2013, having never had them, but the handful of times I had the 2013 on tap and once from a bottle, were all vastly better drinking experiences than the 2014 I recently had from a bottle. Maybe aging, even just a handful of months, can greatly improve this beer, as others have suggested. I, at any rate, like and admire the fact that Deschutes tries to do something different in crafting this beer--with partial barrel aging, wine barrel aging, etc...It is different, if nothing else, and when they pull it off (which maybe isn't every year for every person), it is something especially complex and quite extraordinary.

 

I'd say open one. It's a very different beer now than from when it came out. I had one over Christmas and found it to be weirdly grapey, which wasn't something I picked up on nearly as much when it came out or even a year later. Quite enjoyable, but took me a couple sips because I just wasn't ready for it. If it is getting sweeter, I don't know how much longer I'd sit on it.

As for the Abyss - I hate seeing "sucks" to describe it. It's still a good beer. Just because there are better stouts doesn't mean the Abyss is bad. But I do agree that its value continues to decrease. It gets more expensive every year, and less enjoyable every year. It might be a good or even great beer, but that doesn't mean it's worth $17 when there are other options available for less money.

I had the 2014 a couple nights ago at East Burn. Definitely my least favorite one fresh. Then again, the 2011 was probably the next one from the bottom and it's now one of my favorites. The 2011 was also more booze-forward, so it took well to aging. The cherry seems to be the most prominent taste for me this year, which I'm not crazy about since I love the licorice flavor to it. By contrast, the 2012 was one of my favorites when it came out but hasn't improved nearly as much with age.