Into the Abyss.
Yeah, the header is a bit obvious and not very clever, but give me a break. I discovered last night that one of the things a man of a certain age might want to avoid is consuming a bottled of 12% abv wine (you will recall the Beaujolais NouveauI had with dinner) and following it with an 11% abv beer, assuming he wants to leap from his bed bright and chipper the following morning.
I did not so leap today.
Oh, it was well worth it, mind, and every bit of experience is to be treasured…after a couple of aspirin, lots of coffee and a day spent mostly in quiet thought about the deterioration of our capabilities over the years.
Ah, but you are not interested in my contemplating the ultimate abyss, are you, but rather in my feelings for The Abyss, Deschutes version.
The 2009 Reserve bottling is still a tad rough around the edges but an impressive brew nonetheless for those willing to man up and ignore the brewers suggestion on the label that that November 1 next year should be the first opening date. I think it will be full-fledged splendid by that point, but I’m not complaining now either.
The Abyss comes in a wax-dipped 22oz bottle and pours a rich, deep black in color and with a surprisingly large and long-lasting head. It has all the requisite roasty and chocolate notes and is smooth enough on the palate now and surely will get smoother with aging. There are touches of molasses and licorice as it warms and its hop characteristics become more evident as well, especially in the finish. Very tasty.
This beer is not available in Pennsylvania and has limited availability where it is distributed (bottle and draught). A single was priced at $12.99 in the state of Washington so you can figure it would be more than a few bucks over that were it to find its way eastward.
Ah, yes, it did overpower the carrot cake entirely with each sip. Not to fear. Ever resilient and prepared, I hauled out a pair of rich and nutty chocolate brownies and we had us a fine old time.
And then I fell asleep on the couch.
Man, a bottle of Beuajolais AND a bottle of this? By yourself? You’re a tough guy, Jack Curtin! Glad you liked it. I am thinking maybe this weekend or soon I’m gonna crack the bottle I got for myself and see what is the what for myself. Y’see, I know where this is still available in case I really get into it!
[...] The now self-designated The Invaluable Carl P (told you I’d regret using that description), driven slightly mad by his assignment to spend my money like a drunken ex-Border Patrol agent buying West Coast beers and shipping them East, decided to go crazy and spend more than $2.99 on a sixer of Natty Light and go for a real beer* last night, specifically a bottle of the Deschutes 2009 Reserve The Abyss I wrote about on Friday. [...]