Deschutes Black Butte XXI

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

Bottle courtesy of Bottle Trek. Pours a pitch black body with creamy, rich brown head. Aroma is initially dark malts, then coffee, bourbon, and cocoa. Complex flavor - I get dark roasted malts, cocoa, rich roasted coffee, and bourbon with hints of oak, vanilla, and caramel. Smooth, thick mouthfeel, yet not as heavy as some imperial stouts. Rich, slightly bitter, coffee finish. The coffee and bourbon flavors come out more as the beer warms.

bottle. dark coffee pour with thin frothy tan head. smoke, with roasted coffee beans, dark fruit and sour malts in aroma. mollasses, sugar, strong vanilla and chocolate. quality coffee flavor. hint of bourbon. big. I look forward to having this again after its aged.

XX - Dark, deep brown with a big brown head. Huge burnt, sweet malt backbone with a spicy earthy component. Heavy roasted coffee bean intertwined with burnt caramel and slight bits of silky chocolate - lots of it - and hints of vanilla. A bit of musty wood and a touch of smoke. Lots going on in here and its all really well done. XXI- Seems to have a richer chocolate and bourbon component as well as a pronounced alcohol nose.

Pint - Eastside Tavern - Olympia, WA
Aroma – Huge Dark malt aroma with lots of molasses and light spices lingering. Almost peppery.
Appearance – Dark Black in color, thick brown head and clear if you can see through black. .
Flavor – This beer had flavor and then some. I get the tobacco flavor butt he spices are peppery and once this beer is warm this beer explodes with flavor. Huge dark malts and the alcohol comes through also. I also got the chocolate, coffee and dark roasty malts. What’s left the kitchen sink.
Palate – Nice Mouthfeel, great texture with a very nice dry finish.
Overall – This beer should age very nicely. I will hold a few bottles for some time. This beer had some many flavors as it warmed up this beer got a life of it’s own. More and different flavors each time. Should not be a cold served beer just luke warm for all the great flavors. This was a great 20th Anniversary beer. Way to go Deschutes.

(Bottle 75 cl) Pours black and opaque with a creamy light brown head. Distinctly burned ashy aroma. Quite full-bodied with sweet burned malts and a malt astringent finish. Big yes but also somewhat unrefined. 260708

Black with medium beige head. Sweet with very hard roasted malt and coffee notes. Sweet flavor with hard roasted malt, coffee and a bitter finish. Somewhat over done.

22 oz. bottle - pours jet black with thin cream colored head around the edges; huge aromas of coffee, molasses, dark chocolate, but mainly big time coffee; just a killer nose; texture is slightly sticky and syrupy; drinks very smooth with no notice of alcohol; dry, roasty, creamy and chocolaty; a big beer all over, but very drinkable at the same time; flavor falls just short of the decadence 2007, but very, very nice; everything seems to be in equilibrium in terms of flavor, texture, aroma; bourbon smooths out the flavors and creates a rich, ozzy brew; my type of brew indeed

On tap at O’brien’s. Pours with a dark brown to black body topped by a thin head with little lacing. It’s bitter with roasted coffee notes, bitter sweet chocolate notes, a lihgt ash note, and a touch of sweet maltiness as well as a late arriving hoppiness. Full bodied and highly carbonated.