Deschutes Black Butte XXI

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

Thanks BOLTZ!!! Nose has a lot of melony fruit, which I’m not a big fan of. The cocoa nibs are subtle and delicious-not so much sweet, but not bitter either, it’s kinda of earthy and woody. Goes well with the bourbon aging, which is pretty subtle and could probably be left out. Not much coffee in the aroma. Flavor: lots of rich chocolate and coffee in the finish. Starts melony/fruity and slightly hot, but gets better. Nice mouthfeel, carbonation is pretty good-slightly too needly. The main complaint I have with this beer is the melony fruit sweetness reminiscent of WWS. Nice dry bitter chocolate for a long finish.

Totally opaque black with a thin, fine, dark tan head. Lots of chocolate in the nose--both sweet candy-like and bitter roasted. Totally dark malt along with a lactic characteristic found with this high percentage of chocolate malt. Some earthy and spicy hops as well but it mostly enveloped by the heady dark grains while some dark dried and berry fruit aromas linger. Flavor is first sweet then intensely bitter from both roasted malt then hops. Bitter dark chocolate syrup, bitter coffee, smokey burnt grain, and bitter caramel are present along with a slap of woody oxidation and bourbon barrel flavors which lead into the warm alcohol finish. Body is huge and obstreperous--though normally a bad thing, in this case it works since the beer in general is itself quite in your face and agressive. The alcohol is huge, but not in the flavor, only in the complex mouthfeel--which works for it, and the aging rounds things out nicely which lends this beer an aire of gravitas. Very intense; very special.

Bottle from Nugget in Vacaville?!? Kudos to Nugget for keeping a great beer selection, although I’ve never seen this one at any other Nugget market (Davis/Woodland Nugget?). Anyway, this one had the strong taste of coffee, almost like the Speedway stout except it didn’t hit that level on the flavor or palate. Still, what a great example of an aged IP. I might become a polygamist and marry a bourbon barrel.

Shared at DDG release party. Dark dark dark in glass. Stains glass brown. Nose is roast malt, caramel, coffee. Taste is same. More cocoa in mouth too. Definitely taste the alcohol sweetness.

22 oz bottle. This is so freakin’ tasty. Aroma of sweet roasted malts, coffee, and hint of chocolate. Flavor is similiar, but much more complex. There is a mild touch of oakiness underlining the flavor, which is just perfect, not overbearing. I was surprised to see that it has an ABV of 11%, it is undetectable. Creamy mouthfeel, with a clean sweet finish. A must try!

22 oz. bottle, courtesy of golubj. Dark black pour with a thin, light brown head. Aroma of licorice and roasted malt. Very complex flavor. Initial chocolate hint gives way to roasted notes. Finish is slighty boozy and bitter. Tasty treat.

22 oz wax dipped bottle of the 2009 release. Pours a very dark brown almost black with a small tan head. Aroma of coffee, dark roasted malt, wood and bourbon. Taste is sweet chocolate malt with some roasted malt bitterness, the flavors of the bourbon barrels come through strong in the end. Full body with a mild carbonation and a thick velvety mouth feel. This is a really nice Imp Porter, the alcohol is very well hidden and the coffee and bourbon barrel flavors really come out without being overpowering. Very nice.

XXI at the brewery on 6/26/09. Pours solid black with tan head. Nice mocha aroma. Incredibly smooth full-bodied beer with sweetness up front balanced with an incredible bitter coffee finish. A little fizzy, but otherwise great mouthfeel. Incredibly complex beer that gave some incredible caramel, oak and overpowering (in a good way) coffee aromas. Can’t wait to let my bottles age.