Deschutes The Abyss Barrel Aged Imperial Stout Reserve Series

 Deschutes The Abyss Barrel Aged Imperial Stout Reserve Series.

11.7 % ABV. Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR. 

Absolute ebony. Terminal opacity. Rich tan head rests above.

In the nose: Boom. There's the bourbon, there's the barrel. Charcoal, smoke, molasses. Deep rivers of chocolate. I could sniff this for days. 

In the mouth: richness and hugeness, together at last. Full bodied, deep, swimming in chocolate, molasses, espresso. Slightly sweet, a touch of  bitter, altogether deep, vast, abyssmal. This is the sort of beer that I love to climb into and stay with for a very long time. Luxuriate and meditate. Dip me in and cover me up. Let it all roll over and surround me. Let in seep in every corner and satisfy my soul. I want to live in it, not just drink it. I need it to surround me, capture me, give me strength. It makes me say all kinds of meaningless, archly poetic kind of pretentious crap that most folks encourage in their rock lyrics but mock in their beer descriptions. 

All that aside, this is about as good as it gets.

Oh, wait, no, it would be better with marshmallows. Yeah, add marshmallows. And cookies! Throw in some cookies. And what else? Oh, this crap I scraped off of my shoe, that would be tasty, let's throw that in ....ooo, yeah, ...um, needs more...shoelace! Get it nice and lacey, oh, yeah....my old leather belt! That would add some texture, sure...oh, we're on a roll, now! 

Brewed with black strap molasses, licorice and dry-spiced with both cherry bark and vanilla beans. In addition, 50 percent of the beer was aged in oak bourbon, oak wine and new American oak barrels