The Abyss - Deschutes Brewery

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BA SCORE
100
world-class
-
3,132 Ratings

THE BROS
96
world-class
-
read more »

rAvg: 4.56
pDev: 9.65%
Reviews: 1507
Hads: 1625

Ratings Help

Brewed by:
Deschutes Brewery

Oregon, United States

Style | ABV
American Double / Imperial Stout | 11.00% ABV

Availability: Winter. bottle (1340), on-tap (150), nitro-tap (12), growler (4), can (1).

Notes:
65 IBU

Vintages (production numbers from Deschutes):
2006 - Released December 2006 (approx 90 BBL)
2007 - Released January 2008 (approx 350 BBL)
2008 - Released November 2008 (approx 350 BBL)
2009 - Released November 2009 (approx 600 BBL)
2010 - Released December 2010 (approx 600 BBL)
2011 - Released November 2011 (approx 600 BBL)

View: Beers (94) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by wordemupg:

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.43/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

650ml bottle poured into tulip 14/10/12 cheers Rutager for this one

A shes black right out of the bottle before it even hits the glass, a deeper reddish cola edge then I expected after seeing how dark this one looks sitting in the glass, large three fingers of dark foam hangs around for a couple minuets and leaves a few spots of lace

S the nose has a fair bit going for it to say the least, bakers chocolate, molasses, chocolate covered raisins, cinnamon, dried dark fruit, and a blend of wood almost like incense before you burn it, I get a little smoke and the booze is there but not out of control and a little coffee and hard nutty toffee

T thankfully the taste is similar, darker roast with char and more like espresso in the mouth compared to the coffee I could smell, more barrel but its still mellow, very dark licorice and the cinnamon is gone, booze is still there but manageable, complex tasty ultra dark roast

M its thick and rich with just enough carbonation to give it a little life, a little heat but its more likely to hit your chest then your throat, very long finish of espresso and charred wood

O a big complex monster of a stout, I was expecting more barrel but this one has everything going for it and some age would make it amazing, the booze needs some time to mellow but everything else is there

I forgot this one was stashed away and I'm not sure why I picked a random Sunday night to drink it but here we are. If this one was forgotten for another year or two it might get a world class score because the booze is a little strong but everything else is there, very complex ale

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 05:54:26 | More by wordemupg

More User Reviews:

visionaries

California

4/5 rDev -12.3%

05-23-2013 15:15:14 | More by visionaries

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4.25/5 rDev -6.8%

05-22-2013 01:02:46 | More by mikeincharleston

aleman39

California

4.25/5 rDev -6.8%

05-21-2013 21:17:55 | More by aleman39

CosmoHopHead

Kansas

4.5/5 rDev -1.3%

05-21-2013 04:01:59 | More by CosmoHopHead

Ahappyhiker2

New Jersey

3.55/5 rDev -22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

2011 vintage.

A- Pours black, has a decent head on it, tan lacing.

S- Aroma is very sweet. Coffee, molasses, chocolate, and malt are the main flavors I get. A little bit of caramel as well.

T- Initial sip I get a lot of bitter dark chocolate. The flavor is very sweet, like the aroma. It has a good amount of barrel character, nice amount of oak. Coffee, caramel, lots of burnt notes. Again, very sweet, not too sweet though.

M- Medium body, as expected with The Abyss. I traditionally prefer stouts thicker, but for what it is it drinks very well. Could use some more carbonation, its fallen off a bit.

O- The Abyss is always a solid stout, though for the life of me I don't understand why it's one of the highest rated beers on this entire site. I've had it fresh and aged, several times. It always drinks well and has a good amount of flavors but I always feel like it lacks something. As I said it's solid, but it never blows me away.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 13:43:29 | More by Ahappyhiker2

bumchilly25

British Columbia (Canada)

4.25/5 rDev -6.8%

05-20-2013 02:53:47 | More by bumchilly25

Ctrauty

Minnesota

4.75/5 rDev +4.2%

05-20-2013 01:27:16 | More by Ctrauty

illy0sis

Texas

4.5/5 rDev -1.3%

05-20-2013 00:23:09 | More by illy0sis

moonknight31

California

4.5/5 rDev -1.3%

05-19-2013 17:00:19 | More by moonknight31

ShawnMH

Indiana

4/5 rDev -12.3%

05-19-2013 14:56:19 | More by ShawnMH

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4.5/5 rDev -1.3%

05-19-2013 04:23:45 | More by LambicPentameter

haknort

Illinois

4.5/5 rDev -1.3%

05-19-2013 03:28:14 | More by haknort

douginromeo

Michigan

4.95/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured aggressively into a snifter. Bottle says best after 11/1/13 but I couldn't wait!

Appearance - Black, thick, and impenetrable by light with a 1 inch beige head that hangs around for a good 10 minutes.

Smell - Chocolate, licorice, and coffee with a hint of bourbon. The smell of this beer is beyond complex - lovely sweetness and maltiness underneath everything.

Taste - Oh the taste - I swear I heard angel wings flapping as I savored it. So complex and balanced without a hint of booziness. Sweet on the tongue with everything you want in a barrel aged stout - chocolate, coffee, bourbon, and a nice bitter finish

Mouthfeel - So silky with just the right amount of carbonation. Oily and thick - this is what I expect from a huge stout.

Overall: my favorite stout that I have ever drank, replacing KBS. It's so well done and complex! I can't wait to taste my other one after it ages!

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:48:40 | More by douginromeo