Beer – #1047 – Deschutes – The Abyss Tequila
Deschutes The Abyss Tequila – the 2017 release, A gift from the favourite boy chid of mine, I’ve only the one, so they’ll figure out who I’m talking about. As always I’ll mention that Tequila and me are not close friends and I’d struggle to tell you what’s happening, but I’m going to give it a go, after all what could go wrong?
100% aged
A grand bottle that is of 650ml bottle of a beer that is 11% ABV, and carries 80 IBU things (IPA”s and Stouts tend to top out around 60, the typical American lager is around 15), a hearty beer then, with all that this would be around that 354 calories a serve size in NZ. This bottle would be 6.05 standard drinks n NZ
into the Abyss it is then
To celebrate the 12th anniversary of The Abyss we’ve bottled a 100% Tequila barrel-aged version for you to enjoy.
Imperial stout brewed with black strap molasses, licorice with cherry bark and whole vanilla beans, 100% aged in Tequila barrels for 10 months.
So, What could possibly go wrong?
So aside from not knowing enough about Tequila I know that this beer is rare stuff indeed.
And OK so I don’t know Tequila but I know that aroma from the bottle is of it, it’s a sharp but not unpleasant alcohol note, which is quickly washed over by the lovely dark sweet notes from the molasses or liquorice.
It pours dark thick and oily with a matching dark brown head of some thickness and firmness that just bubbles away atop. That superb aroma is much better from a bigger opening than just the bottle top.
Goodness that’s lovely beer, Deep notes, sweetness, a hint of the tang from the alcohol, warmth early on that does not give up, and it sits at the back all smug and clever.
There’s a lot of subtle and interesting things going on in just the smallest sip of this, a lot of notes competing for attention, but in a polite and orderly way, there does not appear to be a shouty element amongst them.
So, aniseed, chocloate, molasses, fruits that might be pears or peaches perhaps, that spike of the tequila and then the fish of warmth, again, compelling and inviting. I might cut and paste the last sentence for the next sip.
(The cheese and the pate seem to have taken a back seat whilst I sit and ponder over this, but I can tell you the pate is more a parfait and it’s really nice, in case you were wondering).
The big mistake of course has been starting the evening on this beer, and when I say evening I mean late afternoon, because I have no idea how you follow this with a beer that’s going to take you mind off it.
The music was somewhat laid back, and this all helped to slow down and relax the afternoon. I’m not sure that I really enjoyed it, but it’s just music, and it wasn’t offensive or difficult on my ears.
But, near the end, and that uncomfortable moment when you snap from the reverie and have to call it like you see it. I like this beer, but, and there’s always a but, I’m not really sure that the heat part sits well, because at my age you have a mild panic about it being acid reflux, which is totally the worst thing I can say about this beer, there is nothing else that I don’t like, don’t enjoy, or don’t want in a beer, I just don’t want a heat that scares me that I’m going to have to hunt up an antacid tablet. Picky much?
I’ve really only finished the one glass (As pictured above) and when it’s empty the glass inside is filmed with alcohol that sticks and slides slowly down the glass, it’s a wondrously viscous thing to see, and pretty much one of they delay tactics before you pour the last and final glass from the bottle, of a beer that’s rare and unusual.
There’s always next years version. By which I mean 2018. Of course.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 of its things from the thing. It’s a nine! I struggled a little with that alcohol burn that I got, it might be more me than the beer though, it could of course been the Tequila, I’m not an expert. It is a fine fine beer with so much going on that you sip rather than sup because each one of the things is a delight that challenges you to identify it before the next one slides in. Superb.
The double dip review
- Where did I get it? It was a gift, but it’s from the BeerJerk people
- Am I enjoying it? I am loving it!
- Would I have another? I would always welcome gifts of this nature
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes, clearly a beer that’s on top of its game, balanced, even, and as per the label, done with panache and apolmb.
Music for this: ”Smooth Big Cat by DOPE LEMON on the Spotify player
A life just as ordinary 