Deschutes Black Butte XXI

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

This is a pretty intense brew. Dark body with a tan head. Tons of dark chocolate, oak, coffee all in the nose. There’s even more coffee in the flavor. It’s got a very light bourbon character that really adds to the beer. Finishes quite bitter, and the alcohol is well hidden. Well rounded and full body. This beer is pretty nice.

On tap at City Beers. Black, chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, creamy, dark fruits, bourbon barrel, vanilla, molasses, with a slight hop finish.

22 oz wax capped Bomber ($10 Bev Mo). Aroma of cherries, bitter almond and bourbon. Tastes of vanilla, caramel, sweet cherry and bourbon. Quite boozy with a nice bitter finish. This one should age well and will put hair on our chest. That’s why I keep it away from the wife.

This is a real good beer. Beautiful mahogany pour with a latte, thick head. Smoky aroma: maltiness, coffee and even some fruit. Cocoa, alcohol and hops. A great melaqnge of flavor comes together to form one of the best beers I have had from Oregon.

I first heard of the Deschutes Brewery when I was living out in Oregon so I was very pleased to be able to partake of one of their mystical brews.
She poured any almost black oily color and viscosity into my glass. A great start and already she is living up to her name. Her nose is sweet, malty, with hints of alcohol. Backing up her rich nose is a thick body with a sweet array of dark fruits, roasted almonds, and an alcohol warmth to spread the Black Butte love throughout my senses. A full bodied strong-ale, Black Butte reminds me of why I enjoy this style of beer so much, and wish others would follow suit. As I delve further into her luscious warm body, hints of coffee and chocolate tingle the senses and mingle with the dark fruits and sweet malts. A well balanced finish, even more so as she warms a bit.
A fabulous start and finish, Black Butte was beautiful. I don’t know if I could do more than one at a time, but Black Butte XX is definitely one strong ale from Deschutes I will revisit as often as possible.

Sweet chocolate and bittersweet aftertaste. The bourbon barrel flavor is apparent in the aftertaste. Sweet malty flavor with strong coffee and chocolate flavor. A slight earthy vegetable taste that is hard to identify. Balanced but very complex. Almost a new flavor with every sip. Very nice!!

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.

One of my favorite brews of all time. I need to work on my beer snobery in terms of the cool words you all use, but this beer is amazing.