Deschutes Black Butte XXII

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

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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Based on what I’ve read, I think this is the right place for the keg at Stone on 8/12/10. Red/brown with red highlights when held to the light. Nose is smoky chocolate. Taste is rather flat and lightly sweet. Spiciness. Empty finish. Not great.

Sampled at Rare Beer Tasting II in Denver on September 17, 2010. Dark-dark-dark, cloudy brown almost black color… yeah, pretty much black, with a light brown head. Aroma is almost undetectable if that makes any sense, for such a roasted-malt beer. Almost smells like seafood. That’s kinda weird. Maybe I’m smelling the crab cakes on the snack tables. Flavor is lightly bitter - actually light on the palate and very easy. A weird character, actually, and very different from the regular Black Butte Porter. A little more bitter and drier.

sample @ the Denver Rare Beer Tasting II on 9/17/10. light black pour with a slim tan head. lots of whiskey on the nose with cocoa. medium body with more chocolate notes and big roasted malts. sweet malt chocolate whiskey finish. great beer!

Draught. Black with tan head. Aroma is coconut, cocoa powder and chocolate, whiskey, orange citrus fruits. Flavor follows but adds a milky creamy texture, booze packed with orange character shining through. I really like this stuff.

On Tap at the Bend BrewPub in a sniffer. Black, of course, with a huge pillowy light tan head. Light roast aroma with notes of milk chocolate and some dark fruits. Figs, raisins and purple grapes. Flavors is more muted and subtle than I expected. Soft roasted chocolaty and less bitter than I expected as well. More light a milkshake than I think anything I have had before. A little of that sharp woody papery nip at the end but delicious none the less. If anything, I would ask for a little more boldness.

draft. creamy coconut milk and orange oil nose, almost sickly sweet approach, mildly lactic, chewy and sweet throughout. the condensed milk flavor and matched sweetness actually works well with the orange flavoring, presenting this version of double black butte as a dessert beer - it lacks the overly harsh astringency and strange cocoa/lactic quality that XX and XXI bottle have (confirmed by a recent opening). full body. interesting and tasty but something I wouldn’t want to drink 22 ounces of.

Growler thanks to Arbitrator I believe. Looks nasty in the growler, but not bad at all in the glass. Near pitch black in color with a small tannish head that has average retention. The smell is very interesting. Roasted malt, chocolate, anise, and orange peel. Flavor is good as usual for the Black Butte series. Dark chocolate, coffee, hops, slightly tart orange peel (which I initially suspected was infection), and chili peppers, but not much chili heat. Smooth on the mouthfeel with medium-full body and soft carbonation. Solid stuff overall. Beat expectations. Still not sold on the claim that this wasn’t infected, but I’ll admit it’s possible. This is great and flavorful for a porter, but at 11% ABV I put it more in the Imperial Porter/Stout category.

Draught at the brewery. Black with a light tan head of lasting, creamy foam. The aroma is a complex mix of dark chocolate, chili pepper, oranges and a touch of bourbon barrel. The flavor has both sweeter and dark chocolate, chocolate oranges and a spicy finish that seems to be a combination of bourbon, alcohol, and pepper. Sweet up front, but has plenty of drying influence in the finish. Not as heavy as I expected, with an almost zesty palate. The orange and pepper really add a nice element this year. Still young at this point, and it’s a shame that there won’t be any bottles to let mature for awhile because I think this is and will be better than last years version.

I had this as part of a sampler at Deschutes in Portland, OR. Aroma and taste are alcoholic with a very strong whiskey being the central element. Milky backing, would get me in trouble if drinking a whole bomber. Cocoa and chocolate just a little bit in there. Pretty good stuff.