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Deschutes Black Butte XXI

Deschutes Black Butte XXI - Imperial/Strong Porter

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 Percentile 
99
overall
Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter

Bend, Oregon USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Regional Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
3944/5.03.98/5.0Special11%92.9Snifter
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Commercial Description:
XX - 20th Anniversary, released 2008
XXI - 21st Anniversary, released 2009

This masterpiece is a tribute to Black Butte Porter, the revolutionary Deschutes Brewery beer that has excited beer enthusiasts since 1988. This special Reserve Series release is a colossal version of Black Butte Porter. Our brewers enhanced Black Butte XXI by adding some Theo’s Chocolate cocoa nibs from Seattle, dry-hopping it with 100 pounds of Bellatazza’s locally roasted coffee, and then aging a portion of it in Stranahan’s Colorado whiskey barrels. These regional partners provided quality artisan ingredients that give this commemorative beer a truly handcrafted complexity.
Released as Black Butte XX in 2008 to celebrate our 20th Anniversary.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 Maria (6056), Thisted, Denmark
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/103/515/20
Feb 9, 2009  
Courtesy of After4ever, thanks Tom! It is pitch black with a huge, light brown and creamy head. The aroma has sweetness and notes of licorice, coffee, wood and vanilla. The flavour has sweetness and light notes of bourbon is the first expression. It also has notes of licorice, wood, coffee, chocolate and the bitter, dry finish has some peppery alcohol.


lakersfan16 (53), Anchorage, Alaska, USA
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/105/518/20
Feb 7, 2009  
22 oz. bottle. Pours a dark black with a creamy tan head. Aroma of chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, and roasted malts. Flavor is very rich. Regular Black Butte is one of my favorite porters anywhere, and this version is absolutely incredible. This is probably the best bourbon barrel aged beer that I’ve had.


 Dickinsonbeer (3434), Hoboken, New Jersey, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Feb 7, 2009  
Bomber shared by Yobdoog - Thanks! Pours a nice deep oily black with a lasting thin tan-orange head. Aorma is tons of deep toasted and charred mals, along with a good amount of bourbon and chocolate malt- lots of coffee packed in as well. Chocoalte flavro upfront with more charr and roast in the middle- bourbon vanilla, coffee and a dry nuttiness in the end- some tar and licorice notes as is warmed up a bit. Pretty smooth overall and a very complex interested Impy stout. I liked it.


 Lumpy (1802), Carrollton, Texas, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/103/516/20
Jan 31, 2009  
Bottle. Body-looks like cola-dark with a lot of CO2 clinging to the sides, cookie dough thin okay head. Nose-slight coffee, chocolate syrup. Taste-medium bitter chocolate, baker’s chocolate, medium alcohol, dry finish, the bourbon and coffee play off of each other very well. The chocolate is very dry and powdery. Solid, albeit over the top, porter.


 SDalkoholic (1186), Chula Vista, California, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/517/20
Jan 26, 2009  
Bottle from Windy City. Pours with a deep color of brown and opaque black density. Formation of head is an explosion of thick topping of creamy foam. So rich and robust is the aroma because of all the scents of sweet dark chocolate and roast coffee. The flavor is initially sweet with a shock of tartness but can be simply ignored with the flavors of roast black coffee, light 2% milk, the chunks of chocolate, and the slightest reminder of bourbon. So glad i was finally able to come across a bottle since its not as common as the ordinary black butte.


 ketchepillar (475), Viña del Mar, Chile
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/516/20
Jan 21, 2009  
Thanks BOLTZ!!! Nose has a lot of melony fruit, which I’m not a big fan of. The cocoa nibs are subtle and delicious-not so much sweet, but not bitter either, it’s kinda of earthy and woody. Goes well with the bourbon aging, which is pretty subtle and could probably be left out. Not much coffee in the aroma. Flavor: lots of rich chocolate and coffee in the finish. Starts melony/fruity and slightly hot, but gets better. Nice mouthfeel, carbonation is pretty good-slightly too needly. The main complaint I have with this beer is the melony fruit sweetness reminiscent of WWS. Nice dry bitter chocolate for a long finish.


 crowderm (275), Recklinghausen, Germany
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/104/517/20
Jan 21, 2009  
Dark black pour, creamy tan head. Aroma of dark chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, and a little cherry. Awesome flavor. Roasted malt, vanilla, chocolate, dark fruit and a perfect touch of bourbon. The best bourbon barrel aged beer I’ve ever had. Thick creamy palate. Awesome beer.


 hillfiiiiire (283), Madison, Wisconsin, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Jan 21, 2009  
This is a pretty intense brew. Dark body with a tan head. Tons of dark chocolate, oak, coffee all in the nose. There’s even more coffee in the flavor. It’s got a very light bourbon character that really adds to the beer. Finishes quite bitter, and the alcohol is well hidden. Well rounded and full body. This beer is pretty nice.



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