Deschutes: The Abyss 2019 Reserve Old World (USA: Imperial Stout: 10.8% ABV)
Visual: Black. Still. Thin dark brown frothy head.
Nose: Tobacco. Mild peppercorn. Bitter cocoa. Subtle spicy red wine. Sherry soaked cake sponge.
Body: Bitter cocoa. Spicy red wine. White pepper. Charring. Figs. Plums. Sultanas. Toffee. Liquorice. Slight caramel. Thick molasses late on as it warms.
Finish: Tobacco. White pepper. Bitter. Bitter cocoa. Twigs. Cashew nuts. Bitter black coffee. Slight greenery. Cherries. Bitter and spicy red wine. Tannins.
Conclusion: Well, this is a completely darker difference to the standard The Abyss, a beer I adore. Without being told I would not guess it was the same beer at all! Or mostly the same beer anyway.
It is spicy, both in the wine influence and a more general white pepper note, showing a much more savoury styling than the standard Abyss. The barrel aging is much more evident, but like the standard The Abyss the strong base beer still manages to show through, which I appreciate.
As it warms there is a touch of dark fruit, never the dominant flavor but there, over a cocoa bitter base. The dominant flavor for a while is surprising the white pepper, which, while never overwhelming, is a still a spicy front throughout the rest of the beer and a big part of what makes it a very different, more rustic character for a big Imperial Stout.
While spiciness can be hit or miss with me sometimes, there are also tobacco notes floating over this heavy, slow drinking beer which I definitely enjoy. It is a deep and complex beer, less immediately rewarding than the sweet notes of standard Abyss, and instead layers of savoury, sweet, bitter, spicy and more as you drink.
The let down for me is the dominance of the white pepper flavor. As a side note it is very enjoyable, but over time it starts to wear out its welcome and hurts rather than benefits the complex flavor of the beer. However as mentioned I am not a huge fan of spicier beers normally so your mileage may vary.
So, the beer is very vinous, very spicy, and a challenging one. A beer that seems to actively defy easy enjoyment but instead delay gratification and demand your attention. Even with the overly spicy character it is so very interesting. I am so glad to have tired it, I definitely prefer the standard Abyss, but it feels like comparing apples and sheep to compare the two. This is such a different, heavier beer.
Fascinating, not a must have, especially at the cost and difficulty to find, but I respect a beer that goes so hard against the trend of sweet dessert like Imperial Stouts at the moment and appreciate it for that.
Background: So, this was a heck of a find. Was back in the restaurant attached to Renegade Bar in Chang Mai, and I saw this, not just The Abyss, a beer I found first in Japan and highly enjoyed, but the Old World version, made with black strap molasses, licorice, cherry bark, black pepper, vanilla beans and 80% aged in sherry barrels rather than the usual bourbon. This is a heck of a find as it was brewed exactly once back in 2019! I nearly thought I wasn’t going to get this as first staff member couldn’t find it – however turns out it had been in the fridge so long the front label had slipped off due to condensation, hence the photo of its import label. Thankfully they managed to find eventually, the final bottle as well. It was a tad pricey, even for Thailand, but I grabbed to take out and drink in the hotel as it was such a great rare find. Drunk in 2024, this has something like 5 years of aging on it, making it even more interesting.
