Deschutes Black Butte XXI

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

Sampled at Bockyhorsey’s Bocky Bash on 7-5-08. Pours a deep black with a ring of tan head that leaves a touch of lace. Aroma of chocolate, alcohol, coffee, and roasted caramel malt. Flavor incorporates all of the aromas as well as some dark fruit and nuttiness. Thick and creamy on the palate. A nice alcohol bite on the finish. Great beer.

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!

Bomber. Deep black color with a ring of tan head. Aroma is oak, bourbon, coffee, chocolate. Very pungent and inviting. Flavor is smooth with a balanced bitter.

This was just lovely to drink. Pours a heady and oily black liquid into the glass with an ever growing voluptuous dark brown head. Licorice and graham cracker in the nose with some roasty vanilla beans and hints of smooth milk chocolate. There is so much going on here to enjoy. Cold coffee, perfectly roasted fresh coffee bean taste, smooth not quite creamy but just enough carbonation to make the mouthfeel very pleasant. Hints of vanilla and chocolate dance with caramel and nougot.

Excellent brew. Had high hopes for this one and it did not disappoint. Lots of coffee, molasses, and tobacco on the nose. Flavor is similar, but mellows in the finish with some nice bourbon notes. Wasn’t as thick as I excpected, but still a badass brew.

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.

22oz bottle to the dome. Nail in my coffin for a slight hangover the next day. Pours semi-thick black with a very thin, tan head, specks of lace. Smells roasty and smokey and dark malty sweet. Tastes roasty and toasty, a bit smokey and ashy. XX could use a few months to lose the ashy flavor just like Abyss did. Semi-sweet chocolate and coffee through the middle to the finish. Full/thickish body, slightly subdued carbonation.
XXI. 22. Much better than XX by my memory. Pours dark brown, somewhat viscous with a thin tan head. Head is slightly fizzy looking but has a bit of retention and a few specks of lace. Smells sweet and dark roasty, sweet chocolate and roasted malts. Tastes of roasted malts as well, slightly sour but with lots of chocolate and vanilla sweetness as well. Full body, good carbonation. 748417 = 4

22 OZ bottle via Roth’s. XX. Pours black with a huge brown head that takes up 75% of the mug and takes for ever to dissipate. Nose is chocolate, roasted barley, coffee. Taste as it smells. Starts and ends with lots of bittersweet coacoa, and in between there is some plums, licorice, coffee and bourbon. The bourbon lingers for a long while into the aftertaste. I also get a bit of smokiness from this. THe hops are there and balance the sweetness and roastiness quite well. Definately a west coast version.