Black Butte Porter - Deschutes Brewery

THANAT0PSIS

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Deschutes Black Butte Porter

Appearance: The porter upon which seemingly all other porters are judged pours like it deserves the status: four fingers of rocky, khaki head explode out of the glass and over the top from even the most delicate pour. The retention is out of this world, as is the lacing. The carbonation is barely visible inside the dark brown, nearly black liquid. One of the best looking porters this reviewer’s eyes have beheld.

Aroma: Chocolate, cherries, charred wood, coffee and all manner of dark roasted malts come through in spades. Dark fruits, mostly in the form of raisins, come through as well. A bit of a milk stout aroma is here, as well, making one think that lactose may be used in the brewing process. There is lots of great complexity here, and it all comes through spectacularly. It is difficult to find any true fault to this aroma, as it is utterly fantastic.

Taste: Unfortunately, the taste does not quite live up to the brilliance of the aroma. There is a lot more dried, dark fruit up front, which is followed by roasty malts varying between chocolate and coffee, along with a hint of hops that do not quite cut the sweetness of the overall brew. The problem is that the flavors are simply too weak and thin. Still, what is there is great-tasting.

Mouthfeel: Naturally, the thinness in the tastes persist here in the mouthfeel. It is slightly watery, though the carbonation is minimal, which is odd. The alcohol does provide a nice warming sensation, however. Nothing great here, just slightly above average.

Overall: While this is not a bad beer by any means (in fact, it is actually quite a good beer), I imagine the annual release of Black Butte is a much better version of this simply from being a bigger beer. All I have to say on that front is, “ISO”. 16.5/20

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 02:45:47 | More by THANAT0PSIS

nova009

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A- pours a deep, dark brown with a slight red tint on the edges, an off white head of about a finger appears and very slowly dissipates, spotty to little lace

S- roasted malt, ground coffee beans, a little bit of chocolate, slight amount of vanilla and oak mixed in as well

T- roasted malt hits you immediately, a little smokey as well, bitter coffee, cocoa nibs, a well blended creamy vanilla flavor mixes in nicely

M- medium body, smooth and creamy, carbonation balances well, the flavors are nice across the palate

O- very solid porter, this is my first beer from Deschutes and I can only hope the rest I get to try are just as solid, I would go back for this one again

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 01:47:54 | More by nova009

matjack85

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A friend of mine who works for one of the distributors of Deschutes beers gave me one of these to try. 12oz brown bottle with a best before date of 06/13/13 on the front llabel. Their website says this is the flagship beer for this brewery.

The beer poured a dark brown color with a 3-finger tan head with good retention and decent lacing.

The beer smelled phenomenal. Huge and wonderful roasted malt aroma with caramel, raisins, and chocolate.

Big roasted malt flavor hits first, but it's balanced nicely with a touch of mild bitter hops and a noticeable bitter coffee flavor. Dark chocolate, dark fruits, and a touch of alcphol round out the rest of the flavors. Good stuff.

The mouthfeel's a little thin - somewhere between light and medium bodied with lively carbonation.

This is a very good porter. One that I'd be proud to serve to any serious beer drinker.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 07:08:49 | More by matjack85

C20Percent

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very , very dark brown -- almost black -- with a BIG bubbly head of foam on top. Body looks clean. There's some bubble action along the sides of the glass. If the light hits the glass right I can see some amber in there. Preliminary lacing looks good. Really good looking brew, actually.

S: Coffee, toastiness, roastiness -- maybe some cocoa and expresso notes. Tiny bit of leather and tobacco. Lots going on, but mostly the first three mentioned.

T: Mostly getting that coffee and toasted / roasted grains / malts. Not getting the flavor of the hops the beer professes on the bottle. But, there is a little chocolate in the finish. Gotta look for it, though. This is good, not great -- probably liked by some more than others. I'm a tough grader when it comes to Porters / Stouts. The more I drink the more I'm only getting the chocolate. Just above average to me.

M: Super smooth and creamy. Medium body. Good carbonation. Buttery feel. Little bit of chewiness that brings out the grain and malt. The smoothness of the beer pushes this to a 4.

O: There's a lot to like here. Wish I enjoyed the taste a little better. The flavor just doesn't live up to the complexity of the smell. Bottom line. I would suggest people try this beer, though.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 21:16:11 | More by C20Percent

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

650ml bomber poured into tulip 31/12/12 Happy New Years

A nearly black with a deep cola edge, massive three finger light mocha head has great retention ending up as an island and leaves a single partial ring followed by random patches

S fruity but its a little dried, raisins and prunes, coco powder and coffee with a little roasted nuts and char, perhaps some faint leafy hops and even less licorice, smells like a porter should smell

T the roast isn't burnt but I get some faint smoke, maybe just a little cola and the taste didn't quite live up to the smell but still leaves a tasty beer

M a little thin and nearing the point of foam but doesn't quite get there, aftertaste of coco and hops works well

O goes down quickly and doesn't leave you stumbling, well rounded and something I'll be drinking again

this has been one of those elusive brews that I've never managed to try, I've missed it on tap several times by a glass or two and should've known it would come to me if I waited long enough.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 05:57:17 | More by wordemupg

TWStandley

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into my Hill farmstead oversized wine glass.

Appeared a perfect black color with a 1 finger tan head that left a bit of lacing on my glass.

Smelled of dark chocolate, coffee, raisins, and a touch of black licorice.

Taste is fairly sweet. Definetely some chocolate and coffee flavors backed by a dark fruit taste.

Mouthfeel is where this beer dominates. Even at a cold temp, this beer was very creamy and smooth. Like liquid velvet.

Overall a solid porter that I wish was readily available by me.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 20:44:10 | More by TWStandley

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beer is black with a a good-sized beige head. Fades at a steady pace.

Smell contains lightly roasted malt, caramel, chocolate. Quite nice.

Taste is like the nose. Caramel, chocolate, roasted malt. A bit earthy, and a touch of black liquorice. Moderately sweet.

Medium bodied, moderately carbonated. Very smooth.

Overall, a really nice porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 20:20:43 | More by jrenihan

BucannonXC5

California

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Type: 12-oz. bottle
Glass: Manzanita pint glass
From: BevMo in La Mesa (San Diego, Calif.)
Price: $1.39
Misc.: Best by April 29, 2013

Poured a black color with four fingers of frothy, bubbly khaki tan head that lasted for quite some time. Good deal of uneven, foamy lacing on the sides. Nice retention all the way down.

Smelled toffee, caramel, chocolate and coffee. Some roastiness as well. Very nice on the nose.

Tasted roasted toffee, caramel, coffee and dark chocolate. Also some smoky woodfire in there as well. Wow.

Medium. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Long, roasty finish.

Wow! I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to try this but it was just a fantastic porter. I will definitely be having more of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 04:35:31 | More by BucannonXC5

sevenarts

New York

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Really dark and black, opaque. Moderate tan head with some retention and good strong lacing.

S: Dark fruits, roasted malts, chocolate, sugar, some smokey/burnt aromas. Great!

T/M: Like the aroma. Up front is sugary and fruity sweetness, quickly chased by some dark roasty malts and chocolate, and a burnt, bitter aftertaste that makes a great balance to the initial rich sweetness.

O: A fantastic, rich, tasty porter, pretty close to the top of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 23:13:46 | More by sevenarts

arfenhouse

California

4.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Almost completely black with one finger of light brown foam. Good retention and lacing.

S: Big coffee smell. Has some sort of fruitiness like cherry licorice. Bakers chocolate. I wish i could have this smell in my nose all day.

T: Comes in sweet with a dominating chocolate taste. Malt comes in bitter and finishes sweet. Hop character is minimal with a hint of spiciness which leads to an overall sweet brew.

M: Light carbonation makes it very drinkable. Wasn't creamy as the label suggests.

O: Very good if you are looking for a sweet beer. This will probably make it on my list of year-rounds. Great for the price.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 08:43:25 | More by arfenhouse

garuda

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Nearly black with some chestnut/mahogany highlights, tan head that retains and laces well.

S - Dark chocolate, smooth creamy roast, tobacco, smokey, nice and robust

T - Follows the nose with rich dark chocolate and roasted malts, with a cigar/tobacco finish and pine hops.

M - Medium body, low carbonation, super smooth going down.

O - Really nice depth of flavor packed into this easy drinking, low-abv brew. I only wish I got this year round back home.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 04:18:58 | More by garuda

bambam2517

Arizona

3.65/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Great stocker for the fridge, I like to have this one on hand because it goes well with red meat and its a high quality easy drinker. A full mark above Fat Tire but just as versatile, good intro beer for noobie craft drinkers. Its creamy, malty and it goes down easy. Doesnt weigh you down. I'd have it rated higher but I don't get any of the chocolate finish claimed on the bottle, its a mild malt and hoppy character. It's pleasant but not surprising. Still a great beer!

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 07:30:55 | More by bambam2517

NiceTaps

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle with a freshness date of 3/10/13, poured into a room temp pint glass.

A- Dark, opaque brown color with a touch of ruby red when the light hits just right. A big fluffy tan head to start, it hangs on for a bit then tapers to a film leaving a lot of lacing.

S- Roasted malty sweetness, dark chocolate and hoppy bitterness.

T-The bite is first, then the flavor of the roasted malts and the chocolate.

M- creamy smooth, balanced, lasting flavors. The carbonation is clearly evident to me and it enhances the sip. Not heavy.

O- I'd like to rate the taste a bit higher, not quite to 4.5, so I'll stick with the numbers and get back to the beer!

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 23:57:47 | More by NiceTaps

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a very dark brown almost black pour with 2 fingers of tan head, some nice lacing left behind.
smells of maple syrup, honey, chocolate, oak, toasted grains.
an overall smoky taste that blends perfectly with the sweetness of the malt profile.tasting some chocolate, vanilla, definitely a wood like character. a very tasty porter.
lighter side of medium body, medium carbonation.

a great porter for the most part. i do feel that something this great tasting should have a fuller body though, regardless this is a beer of excellent quality and i'm very glad i finally got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 01:38:37 | More by facundoCNB

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this beer in Las Vegas. My review is from notes.

The bar served this bottle with a graduated glass. The coloring was black with brown at the edges. I didn't coax much foam from the pour, which you would expect from a quality porter. The little bit of foam presence stayed on for quite a while.

The coffee flavor is very clean. At the end of each drink I get some nice chocolate notes. I was surprised by the lack of bitterness from the coffee.

This is a very good example of a porter. The flavor is minimal, but very clean in the aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 01:06:00 | More by ummswimmin

tlazaroff

Virginia

4.68/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The aroma of Black Butte is full of lots and lots of sweet vanilla bean followed by a light chocolate.

Deepest brown you can get without being black, it has a nice medium-light tan head that just sticks to the glass. Nice ruby highlights when held to light.

Wonderful vanilla, just like the aroma, on the palate. Little bits of cocoa help bring that vanilla up to the forefront. Zero roast or coffee on the palate which was unexpected. Light smooth carbonation and a medium-light body make this a smooth beer. It almost feels more boozy than it's moderate 5.2%, but that doesn't make it unenjoyable at all.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 00:23:39 | More by tlazaroff

pasdachuri

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Freshness date clearly displayed on this 12 oz bottle

Looks like I just poured a can of Coke in this Pint glass, both in color and head

Black licorice followed by a little extra black licorice and dark fruit

Taste follows the nose with mostly sweet malt upfront with some cocoa undertones. Not as strong as the scent but certainly a good tasting beer

Smooth but surprisingly thin mouthfeel but still a good selection overall

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 21:34:17 | More by pasdachuri

PickleTits

4.68/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Seriously if you like porters Descutes Black Butte Porter is like a party in your mouth and everybody's comin'!!!!

If the Zombie Apocalypse was starting outside my window the last thing I'd do (after loading my .45 of course) would be to get to the fridge and drink up the last few bottles of my Black Butte before the zombies came crashing in to eat my face.

Go buy some now!

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 04:57:15 | More by PickleTits

dfillius

Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass
A: Moderate pour yields 1.5 finger of slightly rocky tan head with great retention. Clear dark brown liquid.
S: Diverse, slightly sweet along with coffee, roast, char, peat, earthy. Perfect. Slight lactose?
T: Great marriage of roast and sweet to open. Full flavored and round. Lactose in the middle. Roast dominates the finish. Pleasantly bitter. Not much hop character at all, but there's some brightness in the finish. maybe that's hops?
M: A tad thin in the open with carbonation a bit large. Phlegmy in the finish. The mouthfeel is the worst part of this beer. But it is still pleasant and above average.
O: A very tasty, sessionable porter. I'd love to have another! Glad this one has stood the test of time. It's still as good as i remember it being 8 years ago! I will buy 6 more.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 17:54:08 | More by dfillius

Gregfalone

California

4.53/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This one is a real winner! Pours roughly from a twelve ounce
bottle into a nonic pint glass a very deep brown/black with traces of red around the edges.beige head that fades fairly quickly, with decent lacing.

Smells of chocolate, brown sugar, and faint coffee.

Taste is the same,starting with chocolate, but with a dark fruity/smoky taste in the middle, and a slightly bitter pleasant coffee taste finishing it out.

Mouthfeel is medium with medium to heavy carbonation for the style. Maybe slightly over carbonated, but that is easily cured with a rough pour and some warming time.

This overall is one of my favorite porters, and one of my favorite beers in general. Outstanding beer, widely available (I bought this six pack at stater bros), and very drinkable. Highly recommended.

Seriously- TRY THIS BEER!

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 06:30:59 | More by Gregfalone

UnkleFester

Kansas

4.23/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A: Pours a dark brown almost black with two fingers worth of an amazing mocha brown head that sticks around for a good amount of time and eventually dissipates leaving a nice lacing behind.

S: Roasted malt, coffee, and bitter chocolate.

T: like the nose Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate and a sweet note towards the finish.

M: A light to medium velvety smooth body with a moderate amount of carbonation.

O: An excellent Porter I highly recommend seeking this one out if you can get it.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 22:39:53 | More by UnkleFester

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Near jet black, one finger of tan/white head, some lace here as well. Nose is of roasted malt, chocolate, liquorice/anise herbal notes, coffee and a bit of hop as well. Taste is is roasty with a good deal of coffee flavour, chocolate and lightly smokey, liquorice, bitter hop mid palate, some more roast with some smoke and ash in the finish. Medium carbonation, medium body, good all around mouthfeel. A nice easy drinking roasted porter, worthy of repeat visits but still not as good as Founders when it comes to porter.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 17:55:48 | More by peensteen

Uncle_Jimmy

California

3.6/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a tulip

A- Thin tan head doesn't linger nearly an opaque dark brown color.

S- grainy with hints of a yeasty almost sourdoughness. Slight hints of coffee and Marshmellow in the nose.

T- Coffee , Gram cracker, molasses and dark chocolate. The hops aren't over shadowed.

M- slick definately let this one come up to temperature to avoid the carbonation sting.

O- A great drinking porter. Not too strong or bitter. Not overly complex. I would have another

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 14:50:25 | More by Uncle_Jimmy

BobZ

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Dark brown almost black, small ¼” light tan head that quickly recedes to a cap. Nice lacing.

Smell: Roasted malt is up front with hints of both chocolate and coffee.

Taste: Again follows the smell, nice roasted malt with light elements of coffee and chocolate. Rich flavor here for a lighter viscosity beer.

Mouthfeel: Well carbonated, clean, as light on the palate which is spot on for the style.

Overall: Really solid porter, a very flavorful beer with a lighter feel and ABV than a stout.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 19:38:42 | More by BobZ

greybeardloon

Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Best before February 25, 2013

A: Thick, well-retaining head and chunky lacing.

S: Sweet, chocolate, roasted malt, slight hops. Fairly prominent aroma.

T: Same description as the smell, with emphasis on the sweet. Some dark fruitiness. Just the faintest touch of char.

M: A bit thin and prickly.

O: A drinkable porter at a nice abv. Not as robust as, say, Smuttynose, but easily drunk. I'm not sure I prefer it to Sierra Nevada, though.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 03:02:12 | More by greybeardloon