Deschutes Black Butte XXIII

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

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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UPDATED: SEP 7, 2012 Initial rating: 7/10/11. Bomber poured into snifter. Bought at Super 1 in CDA, Idaho. Stamped "Best After 6/15/12." Listed on this bottle as 10.8% ABV. Pours impervious black with a medium beige head with good retention. Aroma is dominantly chocolate milk; also a little bready. The chilies lurk in the background. Taste is bittersweet and rich. Licorice is noticeable. There is a little heat coming from the chilies and alcohol, but it’s not too strong. I wish it was stronger, actually. The finish is long and bitter, meaty. Body is full and the carbonation is medium. Really good, but I think it will be a lot better after a year. XXI improved in a major way after cellaring, I remember; this one will be no different, I’m sure. 7/4/8/5/17=4.1

9/7/12 review. I’m rating this back to back with XXIV. Bomber, "Best after 6/15/12." Pours opaque black with a thin tan head. The different aroma components have really come to the fore: doughy bread, bourbon, oak, leather, chocolate milk, licorice, molasses--smells delicious. Taste is bittersweet and full of flavor; has a slightly sour finish. There’s a suggestion of chilies after the swallow. Carbonation is average with a slick mouthfeel. This has improved after 14 months, but not as dramatically as the XXI did. The biggest improvement here is in the aroma. Now for the XXIV. 9/3/8/5/18=4.3

bottle from bevmo,abv is actually 10.8%. nice lil switch up from the xxi. definitely still a nice brew, but not quite as good, but may well be in a year or so. the chile comes through just perfectly on this beer, awesomeness. the oranges are there but more subtle, more of an orange juice than orange zest type flavor. comes though more innthe aftertaste if anything. then you have the base imperial porter which is delicious as usual, have been enjoying the butte for 10 years now! im definitely going to be revisiting this one many times and wouldnt be surprised to see the scorte go up a few tenths if it ages as well as xxi. yummy!

Bottle, thanks to Caleb for cracking this one. Poured dark black, creamy tan head that filled the glass well. Aroma had a tinge of orange acidity, but not in a good way, rounded out by chocolate, roasted malt, cocoa powder, burnt sugars and some slight coffee grounds. Taste is very slightly orange, but the bourbon comes through though absent in the aroma, with slight notes of vanilla, leading into the chocolate, roast, and slightly warming, bitter, and dry finish. Not as good as in years past, but a good solid brew.

bottle. has the same inkiness, blackness, denseness and motor oil viscosity as previous black butte releases, though the black patent char is either toned down or tempered by other goings-on here. when it’s cold it tends to smell like bell peppers. warmer, it’s more mild chile powder phenol spiciness, and the orange melds into the chocolate malt, it’s very subtle but noticeably present, and oak plays a role as well but whatever bourbon character was intended for this beer i don’t get much, unless it’s simply masked by the heat in the finish. certainly delicious but annoyingly green, raw and hot.

Bomber from The Davis Beer Shoppe in Davis, CA. Pours really dark brown/black with a creamy/foamy 3 finger tan head. Aroma is sort of chocolate and grahm crackers. Med body. Flavor is bourbon/vanilla over a good load of chocolate and smooth burnt malt. Heat oddly affects the tongue, but nothing else. Seems to have citrus in a slightly sour way. It’s pretty bitter, but also sugary. Very nice drink. Bourbon is significant all the way.

Bottle, from Jeff, Shared with Armin. Thanks guys! Pitch black pour, with a cola head that has some interesting white highlights throughout. Aroma is of big chocolate candy bars, vanilla, brown sugar, slight oak and bourbon. Not really any orange here. Taste is much the same, though the orange manifests as a slight citrus on the back end. Slight licorice, smoke, coffee flavors as well. Creamy mouthfeel, but a slightly metallic finish. ABV hidden well. Overall, not a bad beer, but not mind blowing. I was expecting Godiva chocolate coated orange peel, and that isn’t what I got with this.

(750ml bottle from Papago). Pours near black with tan head. Aroma has cocoa, coffee and some light orange. Taste is sweet with some roasty bitterness. Bourbon is noticeable even at 25%. Full bodied with slick texture. Smooth finsih with some roast and sweet bourbon. Nice beer that I’d like to try aged.

Draught@brewpub (Portland, OR)
Black opaque color, small steady beige head. Roasted malts and chocolate in the nose. Full-bodied. Toasted malts, bourbon, vanilla, chocolate and cocoa. Aftertaste has some tickling chillies. I like that there is only 25% of barrel aged beer blended in. Well, you can also feel the strength of aBV in this beer. Good one.

Nose of chocolate with burbon background. Very Bitter chocolate, some orange creeping in with burbon following. A little alcohol burn in the finish. Very good! Great palate. Will buy more.

650 ml. bottle. Served at cool room temperature. Best after 6/15/11, so it is young. Pours a medium, short duration mocha head, with curtain lacing, over a dark brown (SRM 35) body....nose is light chocolate, cocoa, dried fruits including fig, cherry, raisin, hints of orange....taste is sweet malts to start, with dried cherry, raisin, fig, again hints of orange, toward the finish light soy tones (Marmite, umami) arrive with a bit of beef, finishing sweet....mouth feel thick and sticky, alcohol heat obvious,and a bit harsh, carbonation adds a pleasant tingle. The orange addition becomes more apparent as it breathes. This is a rich, sweet, heavy, complex beer, with the malt backbone dominating. Hops are present but done with a gentle hand. It will be interesting to experience its evolution. BJCP 8/3/15/4/7