Deschutes Black Butte XXI

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

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.

Pours an oily brown with thin whispy swirls on top. Roasty, nutty nose with a slight tart touch, with added hints of dried fruits and chocolate. Smooth yet sufficiently hoppy mouthfeel, with waves of chocolate, nuts, dried fruits, vanilla, bourbon, chocolate mousse, Super smooth oily flavorful concoction here...quite impressed. The alcohol is pleasantly warming.. .this shit is off the hook relaxing, need to drink one with a cigar next time.

second bottle was different than first...huge dry coffee flavors, hoppy, ans extremely boozy...decreases on flavor and palate.

Bottle, shared by someone at the Shenandoah Beer Throwdown, thanks someone! Pours black with a medium tan head. Aroma is chocolate, vanilla, coffee. Flavor is similar, with cream, and lots of chocolate. Barrel aging gives a slight bourbon flavor, but it is subdued, and there is a very smooth finish with warming alcohol.

X tap at Brewpub: Black,small brown head.Huge roasty,cotton candy nose.Huge bodied carmel,heavy roast,licorice, chocolate taste.Medium alcohol heat .Complex and well blended. Aug 06/08: Just had this in a bottle and it doesn’t even taste like the same beer I had at brewpub. Very unrefined with harsh alcohol heat, not particularly pleasant. Would rate 4-5 points lower on overall

(Bottle, Stockholm Beer Festival, 20 Sep 2008) Black colour with brief, beige head. Malty, roasted nose with notes of chocolate, coffee and liquorice. Malty, roasted taste with dark chocolate, cocoa, black coffee and dark rye bread. Full body, smooth mouthfeel. Fairly bitter with balanced sweetness. Stunning balance with alcohol very well hidden. Lovely beer!

Pours jet black with a half inch head of tan. The thinnish head fell to a partial skim-coat within two minutes, leaving behing a few dots of lacework. Aromatics are laced with dark chocolate, espresso, vanilla, oak char, and light bourbon. Roasty, deep, and complex. The bourbon is subdued, but adds some great complexity and the vanilla is wonderfull. Thickish bodied and extremely creamy. Almost like a nitro-pour. Highly balanced on the pallet. Rich, bitter chocolate, dark roast coffee, oaky tannins, and vanilla-steeped bourbon. Slightly acrid and heavily roasty. Finishes with a hint of warming bourbon on the throat, some sweet caramel, and lingering chocolate, vanilla, and espresso. Wowza, great beer. Very mature and smooth for a fresh bottle. The bourbon is a bit subdued, as is the case with The Abyss. It plays a supporting role as opposed to stealing the show.

XX - Dark, deep brown with a big brown head. Huge burnt, sweet malt backbone with a spicy earthy component. Heavy roasted coffee bean intertwined with burnt caramel and slight bits of silky chocolate - lots of it - and hints of vanilla. A bit of musty wood and a touch of smoke. Lots going on in here and its all really well done. XXI- Seems to have a richer chocolate and bourbon component as well as a pronounced alcohol nose.

On tap @ San Diego Brewing Company. Wow, what a great surprise this was. I haven’t had a beer that made me say "wow" in a while. Deep, rich dark color. Flavor is smooth, velvety porter goodness. Incredibly smooth. Barrel aging was there, but rather light. Would have liked to taste the bourbon a little more, but thats just me. Still, a stellar brew.