Deschutes Black Butte Porter

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: Porter
Bend, Oregon USA

To me it seemed somehow thin for a dark beer, but not necessarily in a bad way—a little lighter, hoppy with a tad of coffee-esqueness or maybe even tea. Refreshing, crisp but somehow seeming like a young beer, a new recipe. Fresh, hip, tasty but not yet proven by the test of time. A light froth head clings precariously to the glass sides, itself like an interesting youth—someone or thing with potential but not yet a realized potential. Does drinking it help realize its potential? Allow it to mature and come into its own? I can only try.

12oz bottle thanks to Dave. Pours a very dark, dark velvet red with plenty of off white foam. Aroma is toffee. Taste is fairly smooth with plenty of burnt flavours - coffee and bittersweet chocolate. Very easy drinking when cold, as it warms it looses carbonation quickly and becomes more complex, with the hops emerging more, but still well balanced with the malt. Nice Porter.

Aroma of toasted malt and coffee grounds - but no chocolate. Dark brown color with no head. Starts with a full mouthfeel, roasted malt and coffee. A sour note underlies the rest, and I still don’t get chocolate. The carbonation makes things a bit confusing. Really fizzy aspect, but that seems to render this more rapidly drinkable. Happy feet in the mouth. Finishes with a level of bitterness that is reasonable. One can almost imagine some malty sweetness, but it’s roast, coffee, and enough hop to round it out. It changes a bit as it warms. Really worth drinking.

Bottle. Very dark, almost black color. Dark roasted malt aroma, some coffee as well. Taste is of chocolate and coffee, quick dry slightly bitter finish with some carbonation and a hint of alcohol.

12 oz bottle (Best by 01/25/2007 1015K) from kenb. Thanks Ken! -- Color is dark brown with a hint of ruby. It has a thick, foamy mocha-colored head with decent retention and minimal lacing. There is some roasted malt in the aroma and flavor. This is a very mild, nearly non-existent level of bitterness as well as a hint of yeasty fruitiness. A bit of nuttiness and alcohol comes out in the finish. Deschutes Black Butte Porter has a medium body, but feels a bit thin on the palate at times. Good, but kind of disappointing...

Pours a dark brown, almost black, with a dense two finger head that fades slowly to a thick cap, leaving behind a solid layer of lace. Smell; lots of rich dark roasted malts, with a nice dark fruity presence. There’s a bit of coffee, with a little bit of hops in there as well. Taste; roasted malts come out just as strongly in the flavor. The dark fruits and a nice touch of sweetness, with plums and prunes. The is chocolate and coffee, with a touch of hop bitterness thrown n there. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a nice smooth carbonation. A very good porter that I’m glad I picked up while in Spokane, WA.

12 oz bottle. Pours a deep ruby with a nice tan head. Aroma and flavor of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee. Dry finish with a slight lingering bitterness on the back of the tongue. Very drinkable porter.

Fantastic beer on tap and out of the bottle! I enjoyed the mixture of malts, and my palate can’t quite pick out all the different malts. There is also an enjoyable lingering smokey taste, no doubt from the chocolate.