Deschutes Black Butte XXI

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

Thanks to jonpol for the recommendation. Poured a luxurious black from the bottle with a brown head of foam. Balanced notes of cocoa and coffee as well as a bit of smoke that carries into the flavor. Thick bodied and malty. Mild lacing and notes of alcohol. One bottle yields intoxication.

XX Bottle sample at The Denver Rare Beer Tasting event during GABF week on 9/25/09. Amazing beer! pours a dark brown / black with very little head... (I suppose this would be different if pouring more)... near perfect mouthfeel... big body with lots of dark fruit, roasted malts, dark cherry, a touch of vanilla and coffee... finishes with big chocolate, nut, coffee and huge roasted malts... with a hint of spice, bourbon and licorice... truly outstanding.

On tap at Citybeer. Pour was black with a thin tan head. Aroma was very nice, with coffee, chocolate, oak. Taste was also of bitter chocolate, coffee, sweet bitter notes, oak, and vanilla. Mouth was excellent, very smooth. Finish was bitter and nice. This is a great rich beer. *** Bottle. About the same, though a little less smooth than tap. Still a great beer.

Bottle. Way better than the Abyss as it got released. Pours almost balck with a brown head. Great aromas of coffee and chocolate and a bit of wood and leather. Flavors are dominated by coffee and chocolate malts, the finish has a bit of alcohol burn and a pretty strong bitterness. The palate and mouthfeel is outstanding, silky smooth. Easily the best beer Deschutes has produced that I have tasted.

bottle shared by growler: pours a black with a thin tan line of ahead. araoma is full of coffee adn bitter chocolate some very dark malts also. falvour is strong coffee adn plenty of chocolate( bitter ). plenty of chcoclate adn plenty of coffee malt is there but very underlying full of rost in the finish.

22oz. bomber, pours dark brown with a foamy three finger tan head that lingers, good retention and lacing. Aroma is milk chocolate, light oak, espresso, cocoa and light vanilla. Flavor has more cocoa, espresso, oak and milk chocolate, along with a slightly bitter finish. Nicely done, mellows out well as it warms, and imagine it will round out further with some age.

Side by side of 08 and 09. Pours pitch black with tan head. Aroma was pretty much the same for both with a touch of oxidation showing through with the 08. Cocoa, chocolate, coffee, and some vanilla. Viscous mouthfeel. Flavor follows the nose exactly. Both brews were excellent. The 08 had some darker chocolate and slight oxidation showing through. While the 09 had a little more alcohol (albeit oh so slight coming through) with a touch more bourbon. Both brews were fantastic.

Really cool label but it says this was aged in bourbon barrels. I thought I read on their website they used Stranahan’s whiskey barrels, whatever, let Kentuckians quibble over that. Black with red edges. Not nearly as viscous looking as the Abyss. It smells like an amped up black butte, roasted coffee but with an alcohol tinge that could be from the whiskey barrel but is more likely just the high abv of the brew. The alcohol kinda dominates the flavor for me at first, tingling the mouth. For the life of me I can’t taste coffee, chocolate, or whiskey. Then it warms sufficiently and the coffee begins an assault. It is easy enough to drink and it might become more interesting in a couple months, who knows? Oddly, I think the regular black butte is a better porter than the XX and it actually packs more flavor if not more punch. 01/01/08 smells like coffee and whoppers. Tastes smooth but the coffee is a little much for me. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 07-12-2008 03:42:53