4.6 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
On tap @ Deschutes Portland. Pours deep opaque black with thin creamy head. Nose is dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and charred oak. Thick, lusterous mouthfeel. This has clearly been aging for a while - the bourbon notes that can be a bit harsh if you drink this young have mellowed and meld into the chocolate flavor now. Spicy finish that accenuates the cocoa. I have a couple bottles of this stashed away, it’s going to be hard to drink them now after seeing how much this beer improves with some age.
4.3 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
On tap at Uber, pour is black with a small tan head. Smell is roasty, with a lot of chocolate and a bit of booze. Taste is creamy chocolate, fig, raisin, and a bit of coffee. Maybe it’s the age or maybe it was just a better batch, but this blows XXIII out of the water.
4.4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
Bottle of XXI pours deep brown with little head. Aromas of dark roasted coffee and whiskey. Tastes are chocolate, roasted coffee, and whiskey. Very complex and continues to evolve. Overall an excellent porter.
4.3 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Black Butte XX, originally reviewed: 9/2/09. I’ve been waiting for this one for awhile. I cellared it for a few months more.
Poured into my snifter. Pours a deep viscous black with no head at all. Just a thin tan ring around the edge. No sticky lacing present. This smells wonderful. Big vanilla notes mixed with gingerbread, bourbon, slight cocoa beans, and roasted coffee. This is very fragrant.
The mouth on this is very creamy and smooth. This is like silk. It just coats the mouth. Dang. This is what I want my big porters to feel like. The alcohol has definitely worn off a bit, but I’m still feelin’ it. Huge chocolate presence right off, but it fades to a boozy vanilla sweetness. This is freaking excellent. Roasty, chocolatey goodness. This is probably the best porter I’ve ever had.
Black Butte XXI, originally reviewed: 11/11/11. Received this bottle in a trade back in ’09. Cellared since. Bottle split with a friend, and served in a snifter.
Pours black and heavy, with a good half-inch tan head on top. Pleasantly surprised with the look of this one. Time has not hurt the carbonation at all. The nose is rich and fulfilling. Big notes of vanilla, oak, chocolate, light booze. The nose is not roasted at all; no char-like notes. Sweet and rich.
I took a few sips right after the pour out of the fridge, then let it sit for awhile to "warm up" and develop. The mouth is heavy and borderline chewy. This one is meant to be sipped. Big sweet dark chocolate flavors balance with a mild vanilla sweetness on the backend. A wallop of coffee on the finish. I know only 20% of this was aged in the oak barrels, but the whiskey has mellowed out for sure, as it is hardly detectable in the flavor anymore. Still, this beer is amazing. I’d be hard-pressed to find a better Porter out there. Deschutes has done it again. This is one killer beer.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle. Interesting slightly muted aroma of coffee and liquorice. Some spices. Taste is surprisingly smooth and deep. Behind a veil of subtle acoholic whisky aromas is a deceptingly smooth caramel body. Very balanced.
4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle: Thanks to Jeff. Best after: 10/17/10:
Small to medium (light) brown head, changes slowly in a half thick half thin (light) brown lacing. The beer is almost completely black colored with a light and small brown shine on top of the edge.
Smell from bottle is light liquorice with exotic fruits and foresty wet leaves.
Smell from the glass is lots of earth, roasted malts, wood, hair(spray), syrup/molasses, light soya and roasted sticky ketjap leaves.
Taste is not complex, but still deep and and loaded with earthy hops, roasted malts, hint of alcohol, coffee, dark bitter chocolate, hint of spices, hint of oak, (dried) dark fruits, light hint of soya, earth and chocolate malts and a slight hint of yeast.
Light syrup earthy bitter roasty aftertaste.
Low carbo, soft light tingly/spicy warm mouthfeel, full body and a creamy light oily sticky texture.
What a taste, what a beer!
3.5 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle shared by wombata. Thanks! Great coffee aromas, with some chiles, too. Very thick and black. Boiled coffee flavors -- maybe the coffee was in the boiling wort too long, smooth chocolate, and some spices, including pepper. A touch thin in the final. Medium-full body. Very tasty. Overall, very well integrated.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottle shared by Wombata. Nose is vanilla, bourbon, chocolate, wood, coffee, chili peppers. Handling of the coffee seems a bit rough. Harsh grounds are coming out. Very sweetl, fruity, with coffee that is less harsh than the nose, tangy orange and chocolate, coconuts. Very sweet. Better than the XXIII that I had last week. Age has helped it a little.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
650 ml bottle. Best after 17.10.2010.
Pours a black colour with a beigeish head. Aroma of strong roasted malts, ash, pepper and strong mocha coffee. Flavour of strong roasted malts, dark chocolate, vanilla, coffee and bitter hops. Bourbon shows itself after a while, but does not dominate. Full bodied, thick mouthfeel and a long, warming, roasty, bitter coffee finish. Needs more bourbon as this should be smoother. Now bitter coffee ruins the finish.
4.1 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
65 cl bottle. Best after 17.10.2010.
Pours pitch black color with small off-white head. Aroma of coffee, chocolate, vailla, caramel, roasted malts and wooden notes. Surprisingly there are still some hoppy aromas also. Flavor of coffee, roasted dark malts, ash dry chocolate, vanilla, some tar and hints of bourbon. Very complex, yet smooth brew with nice coffee and vanilla flavors. Excellent.
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