Thanksgiving was a family affair, including people of three extended families, gathered in one home. The meal was a loosely-structured Thanksgiving potluck that covered all of the staple dishes.
TWT seems to be the only beer drinker, although others enjoyed their wine. Seeing the need for celebration, TWT ventured into the beer cellar. The beer chosen to accompany the meal was The Abyss from Deschutes Brewing. The bottle was a 2007 vintage, having sat untouched for five years, mellowing into its current ambrosial nectar.
Nearly five years ago, I wrote that "I cannot wait to have the other bottle after a few years of bottle conditioning!" Well, obviously I can. In fact, I almost forgot it was there.
It was an excellent accompaniment to the ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, rolls, and various vegetables.
The nose still retained its fig, charred log, and licorice aromas. The flavors had melded together, swirling one forward and then another—fig, plum, espresso beans, campfire smoke, wood bark, tobacco leaf. The thick dark liquid clung to the sides of a glass like a wine more than a beer. In the mouth it was equally thick and oily, coating the tongue and palate. Finally, the high alcohol content (11% abv) warmed the gullet in a subtle manner, sneaking up with its heat, while making its effect quickly apparent.
It is definitely a sipping beer, one not to be quaffed but to be savored and enjoyed. Letting it warm a bit in the glass and the hand made it sing even more.
