Deschutes Black Butte XXI

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

Bottle courtesy of BückDich. Dark brown pour that goes red through the light. Smell is very interesting. Has a large bit of coffee grind with a solid amount of meaty smoke. Spiced with black pepper. Taste is coffee for sure but has a peppery smoke taste. Very good.

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.

22oz bottle acquired from Southbay. Pours an oily black with a quickly diminishing head of dark tan cream. Aroma is a well-blended mix of coffee, bourbon and chocolate. A very fine aroma for a fresh beer. Flavors are just as well blended, but there is a fresh hop and roasty bitterness. There is no hint of the massive alcohol on this smooth surface.

Black in color with a medium sized tan head. Aroma is of vanilla and lots of roasted malts. Taste is of dark chocolate, cocoa powder, coffee, and bourbon.

22 oz bottle. Dark brown with a smooth tan head. Nose is chocolate cake, coffee and molasses. Yum. Medium body with a sharp tang. Tastes like a dark chocolate egg cream with a bitter, coffee bean bite. Alcohol grows with the finish but i didn’t pick up the bourbon. Needs some softening.

22oz bottle, XXI. I really hope that this one smooths out with a little age. Super dark brown with a beige head. The aroma has a green vegetal coffee note with some sticky caramelized sugars and some darker roasted grain. There is is some light wood and chocolate as well, but the coffee seems to be dominating that aroma in a less than stellar fashion. Bitter coffee, alcohol, and sticky-sweet malt in the flavor. Reasonably well balanced between the three, but a bit messy. The body is sticky, yet not a rich as I was hoping for how big this is. It seems like I am picking out a lot of fault in this, but it is still a pleasant drink, though nothing amazing. I’m definitely letting my other bottle age at least a year to hopefully clear up that vegetal coffee and alcohol.

Bottle courtesy Belgianbeergal. Thick oily black pour with a dark tan head.. Chocolate malt, vanilla, oak and hints of bourbon make up the aroma. Chocolate malt, vanilla, coffee, bourbon taste that is big and chewy, easy to savor. Very complex and makes you want to sit and sip to get all of the flavor and how they blend together. An awesome beer.

Pours almost black w/ a tall frothy head that slowly recedes leaving a clasic lace behind as a testiment of its sturdy foundation. Strong aromas of espresso roast and dark chocolate. Full nectar w/ creamy residual effers. Moderately sweet w/ a dense malt backbone intermingled w/ a heavy roast component add extreme depth to this epic brew. Molasses, leather, chocolate charcoal, grilled chilli powder, black cherry, sweet coffee. The finish is long w/ subtle aspirin bittering and big charcoal essence. This brew is rich, generous, and warming w/ alcohol well hidden. No detectable Bourbon though. You don’t drink this beer, you chew on it. Very strong flavored. A dragon of a beer.