Deschutes Black Butte XXI

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

Courtesy growler. An extremely dark, mahogany brown body is capped with a tight head of frothy, cream colored foam. Spotty lacing marks the glass. The aroma shows bitter, dark chocolate, espresso, mocha, and cream as the primary elements. Earthy hops lend further bitterness to the coffee notes, while a subtle kiss of bourbon permeates the entire brew. Flavors follow suit, showing big time roasty coffee and dark chocolate notes, as well as caramel sweetness. Creamy vanilla and subtle bourbon lend smoothness and depth, respectively. The palate is medium-full, silky, and sweet. This is another great brew from Deschutes. Reminds me alot of Tyranena’s Devil Over A Barrel.

22oz bottle, 2008 vintage. thanks to kan for this! pours dark brown with tan head. espresso and chocolate aroma. same for the flavor but quite a bit of vanilla coming in as well. velvety body, 11% really? alcohol is well hidden. nice beer but devil over a barrel knocks this beer all over the place.

Black pour with a large tan head, the flavors that hit you are vanilla, bourbon, oak and some chocolate. The body is a lot thinner than I expected and is on the creamy side.

Bottle courtesy of golubj at our thanksgiving exchange. Dark brown or black in color with only a thin whisp of head. Aroma of cold pressed coffee, wood, bourbon, oats and earth. Aroma reminded me of BORIS from Alpone. Palate was a little thin, but it lingered softly in the after taste. Flavor was pretty solid. Ever present coffee, but it was not too overpowering. Also, alcohol, wood, dark fruit, oat. Nothing to set it apart within the style. With some more warmth there was a nice vanilla emergence.

<b>10/30/2008</b>: Black Butte XX is a dark, opaque semi-chocoalte color with a foamy, tan head and nice lacing. Smooth belgian chocolate, hint of roast/coffee, and light vanilla a combine to form a really nice aroma. The flavor has chocolate and cocoa, hints of coffee, vanilla, and then a nice wham of bourbon. There is also a lingering flavor of coffee and cream. This beer is medium-full, really smooth, and coats the palate well. The bourbon really opens up more when it warms. This is a very nicely crafted barrel-aged beer. It is definitely a big improvement over the regular Black Butte Porter!

<i>1 pint 6 fluid ounce black waxed-sealed bottle (11% Alc. by Vol.) shared by alexsdad06 at the weekly Party Source gathering. Thanks again Brad! Rating #220 for this beer...</i>

Bottled at Stockholm Beer Festival 2008. Black color. Coffeish, chocolatey and bready aroma. Sweet flavor with coffee, chocolate, oak, berries and licorice. Rich chewy taste.

Bottle. Thanks to Thaddeus for this gem. Black as oil with a foamy brown head (even during small pours). An extremely rich and inviting aroma with coffee, chocolate and a touch of oak. Silky and smooth on the palate. Sweet but well balanced with bitter chocolate and hops. A real treat.

22 ounce bottle purchased at the Covell Nugget in Davis, CA. Aroma is quite roasted and burnt. Some metallic notes are also coupled with some booziness and some wood. Slight grapefruit presence. Not a huge fan of the aroma, though. Virtually opaque black body with a light brown-orange head. Leaves some very attractive lacing. Starts off with a bit of sweet chocolate malt flavoring. This is followed by a rapid roastiness that is a bit astringent and lightly ashy. Some coffee notes also make a brief appearance, which contributes some bitterness. Finish has a lingering ethanol bitter bite. The beer is quite warming and slightly ethanolic. A good beer, but at this price, I would enjoy a 6er of Deschutes’ Obsidian or regular Black Butte Porter more.