Deep Wood 2025: Deth’s Tars | Revolution Brewing

In the beforetimes, there was barrel-aged stout season. It typically began with Goose Island’s Bourbon County release (before it was on Black Friday) and ended with Founders’ KBS release in March. While barrel-aged stout season is celebrated year-round now, some still observe the seasons like the old days. For those, barrel-aged stout season now begins with Revolution’s October Deep Wood release. That release is upon us and it is, as always, the Deth’s Tar releases.

Some new things make this release a bit more interesting than previous Deth’s Tar releases. Deth’s Tar and Café Deth come out as they always do but the other half of the lineup features some quirks. Vanilla Deth, while not a new release, comes out with the core Deth’s Tar beers as opposed to a later release. To make room for it, no fruited Deth’s Tar will be released this year. 

Their Twenty Ten 19.2 ounce variant can – Cocoa Vanilla Deth – represents a first in my mind. Discounting multiple types of fruit (like raspberries, blackberries, cherries, etc), this is the first time Revolution has put more than one adjunct in a Deth’s Tar beer for a packaged release. It would’ve been the first in the entire Deep Wood series if not for Life Jacket two years ago (which has mango, guava, passion fruit, and coconut). Exciting times!

Deth’s Tar – 14.8% ABV

Deth’s Tar (as will the rest of the beers here) pours a dark brown color but sits in the glass pitch black. The head quickly goes away once poured and some alcohol stain is present on the glass if you swirl it. Chocolate (or fudge) and bourbon hit your nose first and dominate the aroma. Some dark fruits, roast, and a wood/oaky note reveal themselves if you decide to dig deeper.

The taste mirrors the aromas. Chocolate dominates but it’s not a sweet chocolate. It’s also not a bitter baker’s chocolate either so it exists somewhere between those two extremes. The big surprise here comes from the caramel flavors provided by the bourbon. I could be convinced it was added. Some roast and dark fruits show up during the sip as well, but it’s all chocolate and caramel.

As is wont with Deth’s Tar (and the Deep Wood beers as a whole), no alcohol burn presents itself. Chocolate and caramel hang around after the sip and things never get too thick or overly sticky. There’s just enough of a bourbon note to let you know you’re drinking a big ‘un, but not so much that it prohibits drinking/finishing it. As I wrote in my notes for overall – no complaints, very enjoyable. Excellent beer.

Café Deth – 14.8% ABV

Café Deth pours, looks and behaves the same way Deth’s Tar did with one notable exception – the head hangs around for a long time. Typically the head on Deep Wood beers vanishes like soda, but this was lingered. The aroma is straight dark roast, which my aroma memory associates with Folger’s or Maxwell House. Some chocolate, fruit, and barrel character get in the mix, but the dark roast dominates the nose.

Somehow, even with the dark roast aroma, the coffee/roast in Café Deth is much less pronounced than previous years. It does exhibit more roast than Deth’s Tar, but the coffee doesn’t pop or jump out at you. Somehow a sweet note replaces the typical coffee roast note. Like sweeter than Deth’s Tar and possibly the sweetest of the releases this year. While there was some chocolate, oak and fruit hanging out in the background, the sweetness actually dominated the palate (even more so than the coffee roast). This year’s Café Deth definitely departs from what its usual self.

Vanilla Deth – 13.5% ABV

Last released in 2021, Vanilla Deth returns – and with a new label! Its third iteration, Vanilla Deth usually features a subtle note of vanilla as opposed to an aggressive vanilla bomb. Some people appreciate the subtlety; some want a bit more. Let’s see how this year’s shakes out.

Vanilla Deth pours, looks like, and behaves exactly like Deth’s Tar. No color change or anything like that. Aromatically I first noticed something of a plastic-y smell but that eventually lessened. Vanilla and chocolate remain at the forefront while some of the bourbon from the barrels joins in on the back end. The big aromas from Deth’s Tar – chocolate and bourbon – get tamped down a bit by the vanilla addition.

Let’s get this out of the way – Vanilla Deth is not a vanilla bomb. If you’re looking for over-the-top vanilla flavor, look elsewhere. In terms of Revolution vanilla beers – specifically Vanilla Deth – this year’s version easily has the most vanilla flavor of all. But what that vanilla tastes like seemed to change with every sip. At first it reminded me of a vanilla soda. Then like someone left a Nilla wafer in my beer. Whatever you taste the end result was a lovely melding of vanilla with the chocolate base of the Deth’s Tar. 

That vanilla rests on the tongue well after the sip, causing it to drink a little sweeter than it normally would (but not as sweet as Café Deth!). The balance between the vanilla and chocolate/base beer was so well done that I didn’t mind the slight kick in sweetness. A balanced and delicious beer.

Cocoa Vanilla Deth – 13.3% ABV

I’ve been wanting to try this one since the announcement. Never before has Revolution put two different adjuncts in a stout (I count fruit as one adjunct). If this works, that might open the door to something like a Deth by Mexican Cake? Let’s find out…

Vanilla Cocoa Deth pours like all the other Deth’s, but the head goes away slowly (although not as slow as Café Deth). Obviously vanilla and cocoa dominate on the nose. This is not a fudgy chocolate aroma; it smells more like a vanilla Nesquik. Some barrel comes through on the nose but everything else seems to get pushed to the back. But, as with Vanilla Deth, not over the top.

Vanilla Cocoa Deth tastes like it’s called – Vanilla Deth blended with Deth’s Tar with some cocoa added. The cocoa adds a lovely somewhat subtle chocolate flavor to everything. It reminds me of when you’re eating something (think neapolitan ice cream) and all of a sudden you get a little bit of the chocolate. The chocolate pops but isn’t overpowering. The vanilla balances the chocolate just right, complementing it and making for a smooth drinking experience. Some of the barrel or bourbon joins at the end but this is all about a deft application of adjuncts. It keeps things drinkable and enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

In a shocking twist, the best of the bunch is clearly Deth’s Tar, followed by Cocoa Vanilla Deth, Vanilla Deth, and Café Deth. It honestly usually goes the other way. So stock up on the Deth’s Tar this year!