Deschutes Black Butte Porter

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: Porter
Bend, Oregon USA

Crystal malts dominate the aroma. Considerable malt sweetness, but the burnt/roasted character makes it work well. The chocolate malts come through more in the flavor, but still not as much as the crystal malts. Do I detect a little bit of smokiness in there as well?

Bottle. Smoky coffee aroma with a dark brown-black color. The Black Butte Porter is very drinkable and although it is not so complex, is still enjoyable with the roasted malt flavor and fairly clean finish. Another noticeable quality is the absence of hops or bitterness.

This is definitely not the most "extreme" porter I’ve had in recent memory, but I really liked it. It has enough roasty character to satisfy most beer lovers, tastes to me like a porter "should" (meaning I think it fits with the style), and is extremely drinkable for the style. I picked this bottle up as a single at Liquor Mart in Boulder, and I’m left (on a football Saturday) wishing I had several more of these. Appearance is not very viscous, with decent head formation that is somewhere between the industrial looking head you’d find on a BMC beer and the head of tiny bubbles you’d expect from a beer with secondary fermentation (appropriate, I’d say for a craft beer not secondarily fermented). Aroma is not overpowering, but is roasty. Flavor is quite good. Decently roasty, lots of dry-roasted coffee flavor, with just a touch of sourness as it warmed a bit. Mouthfeel was smooth with a hint of chalky mouthfeel. Quite good and definitely recommended.

Malt aroma with rich caramel flavors, not over the top on the roastedness. Very passable. As noted below, a good session beer.

A personal favorite of mine. Pours a thick black with a light brown head. Aromas of caramel with hints of roasted malts and some chocolate. Has a very strong caramel flavor with a slightly bitter finish. A very good balance of tastes. I wish it was easier to get in Connecticut!

12 oz bottle. .. Malty aroma: Roast w carmelly notes, some toasty bread. No hops. .. Black with tan head - some ruby hints when held up to the light. .. Malty flavors dominate with roasty, fruity, sweetness, slight bitter finish. .. Med body, Med Carb. .. Very nice Porter - pretty much what you’d like in a porter - roasty and smooth. Nicely done.

One of my floverites. It’s almost black, too. Smells like a chocolate malt, makes my mouth water. Bitter coffe and nutty chocolate taste. Too thin. Flavor lingers but no off flavors in the finish.,

Pours a deep dark brown, mostly clear with a woody amber highlight on the edges. Smal head to a thin film and moderate to high carbonation. Aroma is toasty malts, cookie dough, crackers, light caramel, light chocolate and some nuts with hints of roast. Moslty nutty and toasty malt flavor with more cookies, stale crackers, burnt paper, try toast, more light caramel, hints of chocolate with a light bitterness. Ok mouthfeel but the carbonation hurts it a bit. A bit better than average for a porter.