Deschutes Black Butte XXI

Formerly brewed at Deschutes Brewery
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Bend, Oregon USA

Serve in Snifter

Bottle @ RBBWG thanks to Klaas. Black coloured beer with a medium brown head; Alcoholic coffee hinted aroma with a full palate. Finish is malty roasted coffee and toffee roasted with an alcoholic ending. Very good.

A: Deep brown-black body. Nice moderate khaki head. Decent retention and spotty lacing. S: Chocolate, coffee, bourbon, vanilla, oak, roasted and toasted malts. T: Nice roasted coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, bourbon, booze, oak and vanilla. Nice interplay between the sweet malts and the bitterness of the chocolate and coffee. M: Not quite there yet. Moderate bodied with light carbonation. Perhaps some thickening up still need to occur as the booze mellows a tad. Slick and silky. O: Very nice amped up porter. Still got a bottle waiting for the best after date. About six months more to go should help the mouthfeel and perhaps increase the subtle complexities of the flavor profile. Right now its more than enjoyable though.

14/I/2012 1Pt. 6Fl. Oz. bottle @ RBBWG 2012 - Best After: X/17/10 (2012-52) Thanks to Klaas for bringing the bottle!

Dark brown beer, small to no head. Aroma: sweet heavy caramel, mocha, fudge, raisins. MF: soft to no carbon, ful body. Taste: very chocolaty start, hop bitterness, dark chocolate, mocha, coffee, dark burnt caramel, alcohol. Aftertaste: bitter hops, some citrus, mocha, lots of coffee.

Sampled @ RBBWG Antwerpen. Courtesy of Klaas. Pitch black opaque color, no head, just a slightly off-white lacing. Smell lightly malty, lightly earthy, alcohol, caramel and coffee. Taste moderately bitter, coffee and chocolate. Medium to full body, medium carbonation.

66cl bottle @ RBBWG 2012, Antwerpen courtesy of Klaas. Brune foncée, col beige léger. Arôme reste dans le style américains, pas mal de malt grillé, caramel, le tout sur un bouquet chocolaté avec une vanille fraîche et agréable. En bouche, belle expérience, avec un palais épais en malt; cara/grillé/café/poudre de cacao et un côté boisé se mariant bien avec la vanille. Carbonation est correcte avec en retrait cette présence amer venant du houblon qui crée un belle balance durant toute la dégustation entre le profile malt et le houlblon.

22 ounce bottle at the Beerhive.
It seems the Beerhive has an unlimited supply of these. This is an amazing rich porter. It is loaded with notes of coffee, chocolate, black liquorice,bourbon, wood, and sweet malts. This beer should be shared with good friends and make a great experience for all.

Bomber thanks to mikesgroove. XXI Best after 10/17/10.
Appearance : Deep black with small foamy head. Short lived. Not much lacing.
Aroma : Coffee and wood. roasted malt. Hops. Light mineral notes. Mainly coffee and hops.
Palate : Carbonation is quite soft.
Taste : Light acidity coming from the coffee. Roasted malt. Finish has lots of coffee with lots of hops. Finish slightly acidic with lots of alcohol.
Overall : Interesting. A bit too much coffee for me. I guess the dry hop was more upfront when it was fresh. Maybe not enough residual sugar and malt. A bit disappointing. Maybe it’s too old already.

Bottle @ home. Tfs vaiz! Aroma is huge coffee, whiskey and roast. Flavour is huge roast, followed by a big roasty bitterness drenched in whiskey, some alcohol follows, then more roast, some chocolate and more coffeewhiskey. Nice stuff.