Into The Abyss
Back in February, I bought an extra bottle of The Abyss by Deschutes. Originally, this bottle was meant for another. Unfortunately for them, our plans for the exchange fell through repeatedly and we gave up. It was then going to be shared with Wes when he was in town. This one fell through the cracks on a rather busy weekend of drinking. So I was determined to find someone to share this bottle with. I didn’t just find someone, I found many.
Let me introduce the group: Bill the bartender, Dean the restaurateur, Chris from Agilent and 3 others at the bar, who I didn’t get a chance to actually meet. Tastes were poured and passed around. Dean read the label to us to give us an idea of what we had in store.
Stout brewed with licorice and molasses with 33% aged in oak and oak bourbon barrels. It’s dark. It’s deep. It’s mysterious. Aged in French Oak and Bourbon barrels, this special brew has immeasureable depth inviting you to explore and discover it’s rich, comples profile. The flavor of molasses and licorice draw you in further and further with each sip. The Abyss beckons. Enjoy the journey.
This brew is incredibly deep and complex, full of coffee and chocolate flavors with a nice soft oak presence. The licorice lingers on the palate. There is a subtle sweetness to the beer and the flavors last on you palate for a while afterward. The Abyss drew rave reviews across the bar. Surprisingly, for an 11% beer, no one commented on the strength of the brew.
While at the Hopmonk, I also had a chance to sample the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA that was on tap. Not sure how long this will be available because the asking price for a keg is $200. Dean said he kept it on tap for those who had tohave it, like the handful of people I saw order it in a short period of time, myself included.
I also got a chance to try the Houblon Chouffe. The Chouffe is a funky, yeasty Belgian IPA. This is quite different from the IPA you’ll find here in California because it is full of full of spicy hops. More like a hoppy Tripel, this is a beer I’d have to sit down with a little more to fully comprehend.
As I was trying to leave, it was suggested I try one more beer. I noticed the two hand pumps in the far corner. Avaiable on those hand pumps were one of the Gordon Biersch brewed Hopmonk beers and the Lagunitas IPA. I chose the IPA and I must say that this was quite a surprising experience. The head on the beer was intense, but the beer itself remained lightly carbonated., as if the bubbles were softer than normal. This beer had lots of fresh hops in the flavor and somehow seemed bigger with a thicker malt. Later in the evening I had a draft Lagunitas, and I spent the whole time wishing it had come from the cask. Do yourself a favor and try some cask conditioned beer.
A recap is in order. The Abyss was as advertised, a complex, barrel aged imperial stout that blew us all away. The 90 Minute IPA was a welcome surprise guest from the East Coast as was the Chouffe. In the end, it was an old friend in a different light that really caught my attention. Thanks for the hospitality Dean, we’ll have to do this again.
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