Deschutes Black Butte Porter

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: Porter
Bend, Oregon USA

Serve in English pint, Stem glass

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Dark brown color with a small, fairly dense 1 finger off white head with good retention. Smells of really nice chocolaty malts with a touch of coffee.Slight chocolate and malt flavoring with a good mild aftertaste.

The porter that gives u alot of flavor mostly chocolate , caramel and roasty finish of coffee . I would like to clone something like this great beer

My hometown brew. Chocolatey, coffee, good mouthfeel. I don’t have much to add, except to say that this will forever be the standard for porters (though Founders porter is damn good as well).

Pours dark brown with hints of reddish mahogany and a fluffy tan head. Smells of chocolate and roast, with a faint hint of hops and a touch of coffee. Taste is chocolaty with coffee notes, not very bitter while still having a roast bite. Medium-bodied with a smooth, creamy texture and decent mouth-carbonation, Deschutes Black Butte Porter finishes with a touch of roast dryness.

UPDATED: MAR 24, 2012 On tap at rhino. Long time favorite, new here so finally reviewing. Pours dark brown with nice cocoa tan head. Aroma is sublime - roasted malts, chocolate, roasted coffee; just invites you to drink it. Flavors of coffee pertinent, but my goodness it’s complex. So smooth, this is a must have for anyone who ventures West. Deschutes provides us with one of the best American porters out there. --- Mike, Missoula MT

Very dark brown, almost black, in color, with very little foam, tan foam. Smell is of chocolate with some coffee and smoky scents as well. Taste is chocolatey up front with a slightly sweet malty aftertaste. Very slight smoky taste. Mouthfeel is creamy.

Pour was a dark brown with a nice tan head that was about 1/2 inch thick Taste was dry with a nice malty finish, spicy for a porter, really good. Highly drinkable.

Porter is a style that brewers tend not to mess with. That’s not to say if you’ve had one you’ve had them all, just that the style is solid - so why tamper with it? That seems to be the approach of Deschutes Black Butte Porter. It plays it very safe with a tasty, well-balanced, and smooth palate.

I received a 12oz bottle in a trade with a friend in San Diego (thanks, Ryan!). I poured it into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Extremely dark blood red/maroon to black complexion. Noticeable ruby red around the edges. Forms a large, dark khaki, tightly compacted foamy head which retains and laces quite well.

Smell: Classic porter aroma of dairy aisle milkiness, plus some dark fruit like cherry or prune. Hints of chocolate candy.

Taste: Deschutes Black Butte Porter begins like most porters do with a mild, lightly sweet taste of milk chocolate at the beginning. It transitions to something more fruity, authentic, and rich through the middle of the palate, like a Dr. Pepper crossed with a Trappist quad. Prune and dark cherry, plus that classic "cough syrup" component many porters tend to have are the main attraction for sure.

The finish is quite nice, with a toasty/roasty malt taste plus some dark chocolate sweetness. There’s a light coffee-like bitterness and dryness as well, but it’s barely noticeable until the beer reaches a warmer temperature. Tasty and satisfying all around, but nothing amazing or particularly unique.

Drinkability: What was really interesting and impressive about this beer was the drinking experience. While porters tend to be thinner and lighter than stouts, Deschutes Black Butte Porter was noticeably finely carbonated and had a thin, wet mouthfeel. It’s not quite a creamy or velvety texture, but it does go down smooth. The 5.2% ABV is right where it should be - big enough to give it genuine energy, but small enough to keep it under wraps.

Wonderful little beer. Reached for it on the menu at a little restaurant, and was pleasantly surprised.

Like the name infers, this boy pours black as night, and smells of roasted oats. Malty but still has enough bitterness to balance well. Enough carbonation (average) to be called a porter. I think this beer has a light body, actually, and is very easy to drink. Highly recommended.