Deschutes Black Butte XXI

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Bend, Oregon USA

22 oz bottle courtesy of I do not remember. XX edition, cellared. Pours a pitch black opaque pour, black as the night, with a moderate brown lively head that settled to a decent layer, laces pretty well. Aromas evident from the pour, preaching bitter chocolate bourbon booze, roasted malts, caramel, vanilla, wet wood, chocolate chip cookies, good coffee flavors that take a more settled, rather than harsh coffee appeal. Whiskey isn’t dominant but is defintely there. Initial is a silky smooth full beer, roasted dark malts, barley, bitter chocolate and coffee meld, with a good bitterness on the back of the palate and lighter underlying sweetness. Chocolate and coffee dominant, as whiskey and barrel notes come in underneath, smooth and full vanilla, wet wood, alcohol. Warming, this beer coats the palate pretty well, leaving chocolate and coffee in the aftertaste, along with a sort of chocolate chip cookie appeal, although not overly sweet in any way. Perhaps the whiskey did it’s thing, as this gets a little smokey/ashy in the roast, a bit of char, however not really thinned out at all by the barrels. Kissed, so to speak. Very enjoyable, full, flavorful, a nice sipper. Cheers!

Poured obsidian black with almost no head, tasted of delicious chocolate with coffee after tones, and almost no alcohol. The bourbon aging smoothed it out quite a bit, an outstanding beer!

Poured a dark brown, almost black with a small tan head. Nose was chocolate, vanilla, and strong coffee with a hint of bourbon. Taste was roasted coffee, chocoalte, oak, vanilla, and a bit of a burnt, smoky taste. The coffee lingers on the palette in a thick, foamy fashion. Great beer Deschutes!

XX Bottle from ditmier, also have the XXI in my cellar. Pours pretty near black with a tan head that disappears. Nose is chocolate, vanilla, Count Chocula, barrel notes and soft coffee. On taste it is pretty badass. A bit fizzy, somewhat fruity, but thick. Burly with big burnt notes, roasted coffee and supporting chocolate. As mcuh as Gonzo is an Imperial Porter, this one is more imperialer. Awesome beer.

On tap during PorterPalooza at Collins Pub. Very strong coffee and malt finish.

Wonderful porter aroma with a blend of coffee and bourbon in the aroma. Flavor is absolutely heavenly. Wonderful bourbon wood tones which intertwine with the coffee. Nice warming on the palllate with bourbon aftertaste. Very good BA

Thanks to the Tampa Crew for this one. Pours dark brown with a tan head. Nose is roast, dark chocolate, bitterness, bourbon/ whiskey, heat, coffee, and love. Flavor is similar with dark chocolate, cocoa, earth, and some coffee. Portery with chocolate, mellow bourbon, lots of goodness. For a beer that has a "do not open before date," I expected it to be hotter.

Bottle shared at Moosetoberfest. Poured a deep dark blackish/brown with an average sized foamy beige head. Aroma of chocolate, freeze dried coffee, very roasty, burnt toast, dark fruit and nutts. Flavor is dark and roasty with notes of syrup, bitter sweet dark bakers chocolate, tat, nicotiine and soy sauce. Medium to full bodied with that is syrupy and average carbonation. This one was really well done.