Deschutes Black Butte XXI

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

Pours a two finger chocolate head. Body is pitch black in color. Head retention and lacing are above average but the head didnt last long. Aroma is of chocolate ice cream, similar to Southern Tier Choklat. Very faint alcohol and coffee. A little soy sauce too. Hops are very faint also First taste is of burnt malt and some bitter hops. There is also sweet chocolate and coffee. For 11% abv, the alcohol is definitely present in this beer. Mouth feel has a syrup like consistency. Carbonation livens it up nicely. Wish the head was still present to add to the body, only thing missing from creating a great mouth feel Overall it was good. Wasnt too hard to finish a bomber, even though its a strong beer. Think I opened this bottle too early as the best by date indicates. Beer was a bit hot still and I didnt get a lot of coffee flavor in there. Would buy one again if I could find it in another six months but I doubt it would be available anywhere.

Pours from big bottle inky black with a medium-sized brown head. Aroma is charcoal, soot, dark roast grains and burnt caramel. Flavor comes in with lots of smoke and ash mixed with heavy chocolate and coffee notes followed with something like cherry and vanilla as it warms. All in all the flavor is mostly smokey and jumbled making the more subtle flavors harder to distinguish. The palate starts sweet with thick malt and a big alcohol warmth. Overall, one I’d want to buy again and drink in a few years hoping the smokier tone would mellow and the other flavors could shine through.

Dark, murky, and even a little smokey. Rich, clings to the tongue. Very slight butteriness in the finish.

bottle, black opaque pour with strong tan foam, aromas of chocolate and dark fruits, flavors of whiskey, bitter chocolate, fruity with long finish

From the Bottle at the Denver Rare Beer Tasting, Wynkoop Brewery 25/09/2009 Big coffee roast aroma. Small white head. Black strong in alcohol and a little rich on the palate with a hint of dryness and bitterness in a crisp coffee roast finish.

Wow! Crazy aroma hits like a hammer. Black brew with a large, thick very dark brown cap with very good retention and maaasive lacing. The aroma is just excellent. Huge waves of chocolate and a colossal amount of malts almost put me into a coma. The roast here reminds me of a german bock, more chocolate, soy sauce, vanilla, powdered choc, coffee, ample sweetness, lots of nut early on, especially right after pulling the wax covered cap off. The taste is huge. How many times can I use the word huge in one review? Probably a huge amount of times. Chocolate, good bitterness that almost seems to hide the 11% but doesn’t quite allowing it to peer at me from around the corner. Light soy sauce, vanilla, coffee. Ouch... the alcohol from this night is finally catching up to me - an alcohol that seems more at place in a 26. Smooth, so smooth. Full bodied, light carbonation, huge heavy breath - a large roast fume that just won’t leave. Molasses and licorice spice is found on the finish when I forget about the other stuff. Just got hit by another chocolate bomb. Excellent f’n beer!

Intense smoky chocolate and coffee coming from the bottle, this aroma is off the charts good. Just got a wif of pool water. Brew looks deep dark blackish brown, a cap was produced on the pour but it gone very quickly. Aroma has turned almost salty. Taste is thick and epically full, chocolate, smoke, coffee, salty, all good!!!!!!! Awesome there is like 10 new York Rangers on the ice beating the crap out of one Canuck!!! Hockey violence rules!!!! So very good beer! Thanks Jeff you old man you.

XXI edition. Deeeeeeeeeep black pour, thin brown head. Amazing combination of coffee, malt, whiskey. I need to buy a few cases.