Black Butte XXI - Deschutes Brewery

Reaper16

Alabama

4.33/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz. bomber served into a tulip glass

Pours a, well, a black color. It's black. Pretty black, yeah. Not much head here -- a wisp of tan -- but at 11% ABV I didn't expect much. Decent lacing on the glass, considering.

I'm surprised that only 20% of the blend is barrel-aged, because this totally smells like a barrel-aged stout. Smooth chocolate everywhere, with plenty of that vanilla barrel character. There's a decent amount of roast here (as any good porter should have). Quite solid.

The first and most dominant flavor is the cocoa. It's pretty tasty, definitely on the darker side of the chocolate spectrum, and spiked with some kind of chili pepper from the taste of it. It's a delicious flavor, with the pepper sensation perfectly balanced. It plays very well with the smokiness of the roasted malts. Rounding everything out are the barrel characteristics, which again are more significant than I would have expected. Smooth vanilla and that slightly-thinned-out flavor that comes with age. This is a kick-ass beer, and it is thanks to those Dominican cocoa nibs.

Like I said, this is a bit thinned-out because of the age on it, but it's nothing distracting. The carbonation level has mellowed, of course, but that's not altogether a bad thing when it creates such smoothness.

Overall, this is a very solid Imperial Porter. Probably one of the very best I've had. The drinkability must be mentioned here too; this beer does not at all taste like it's 11% ABV. I'm glad that I have another bottle of the XXI.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 05:01:08 | More by Reaper16

PlinyBeMiney

California

5/5  rDev +13.6%

05-12-2013 21:38:56 | More by PlinyBeMiney

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

$11.96 for a bomber.

A: near opaque, some deep copper hues but very dark with tan head that dissipated quickly
S: roasted malt, chocolate, bourbon, medium nose, bourbon just the right amount
T: deep rich, nice bourbon finish with good roasted/chocolate malt up front, well-balanced bitter hop finish, not as rich as I expected but very good, not overpowering with bourbon
M: well-balanced, not too cloying, some heat in finish

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 03:39:02 | More by wisrarebeer

Humulus85

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

05-10-2013 03:14:46 | More by Humulus85

dirtylou

Washington

4/5  rDev -9.1%

05-07-2013 03:30:47 | More by dirtylou

jmccraney

Washington

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

05-04-2013 04:11:27 | More by jmccraney

strongaf

Washington

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

04-25-2013 06:18:27 | More by strongaf

Adamostella

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

04-24-2013 20:34:18 | More by Adamostella

Kelp

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

04-15-2013 06:07:53 | More by Kelp

Impfan

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

04-07-2013 19:41:18 | More by Impfan

meatyard

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -9.1%

04-01-2013 13:15:57 | More by meatyard

artoolemomo

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

04-01-2013 01:50:41 | More by artoolemomo

pmarlowe

California

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

03-28-2013 05:36:21 | More by pmarlowe

Sparky44

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

03-23-2013 21:09:21 | More by Sparky44

DiscLizard

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

03-19-2013 01:03:12 | More by DiscLizard

RedneckBeerz

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

03-18-2013 04:17:22 | More by RedneckBeerz

BGsWo22

New York

4/5  rDev -9.1%

03-09-2013 20:20:36 | More by BGsWo22

lighthabit

Oregon

4.51/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

notes to me -

getting over a cold, so that really skews the review, but it showed up at venitis on court street in salem, ore.

the staff at venitis was pleasant, but could not tell me which release this was.

smell seems solid, but hard to tell with stuffy nose.

appearance was dark, thick, almost oily. no head, but i don't think the person pouring had an idea i would expect that.

taste, minus the stuffy nose, was spot on black butte, but more of everything.

mouth feel was wonderfully smooth, carbonation was weak, but i think that suits the style better.

11% makes itself known very quickly, yet alcohol is masterfully hidden in chocolate, fruit, sweet coffee flavors. not one to have many of at lunch . . . one is fine :)

will review again if it's still available after i'm all cleared up.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2013 21:27:35 | More by lighthabit

jpaulsen

California

4.75/5  rDev +8%

03-02-2013 23:39:55 | More by jpaulsen

johunnic

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +8%

02-24-2013 01:05:33 | More by johunnic

drummermattie02

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

02-17-2013 15:45:08 | More by drummermattie02

jegross2

Illinois

4.21/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Reviewing a vertical of Black Butte XX, Black Butte XXI, Black Butte XXIII and Black Butte XXIV from the Deschutes Brewery from Bend, Oregon to commemorate my 400th written review (per BeerAdvocate)! A major thanks and shout out to Edgar Chavez for making this vertical tasting possible. Each vintage of the Barrel Aged Black Butte release is a different formulation.

Black Butte XXI is similar recipe and strength to Black Butte XX, "enhanced by adding some Theo's Chocolate cocoa nibs from Seattle, dry-hopping it with 100 pounds of Bellatazza's locally roasted coffee, and then aging a portion of it in Stranahan's Colorado whiskey barrels."

Black Butte XXI Score: 93

2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 vintage bottles served side-by-side and enjoyed on 02/10/13 with a few friends.

Appearance: The appearance is strikingly similar on all vintages -- this brew is similar to a dark molasses in appearance/color. The XXIII pour is a little lighter, faintly orange-ish in color in comparison to the other three. Each vintage pours a thin layer of light mocha head that settles to a ring around the glass on all of them. Average lacing and retention using the worst glassware possible. 4/5

Smell: Chocolate, faded coffee and a little roast. There's a touch of faded hops and some fig/prune (about the same amount detected in the XXIII nose) too. There is also a bit of smokey malt or peatiness that initially grows as the beer starts warming up, and then fades as the beer approaches room temperature. 4.25/5

Taste: Smooth, slightly roasty coffee backbone with an overlay of chocolate and just a touch of positive (fruity) oxidation. Delicious! A little more acidic than the other vintages, but I think it works. There's definitely some straight up oak flavor too (which I totally dig). 4.25/5

Mouthfeel: Each of the vintages' mouthfeels are a little heavier than medium bodied, but far from full bodied (and not quite medium-full bodied either). Low carbonation as well. Each of the vintages has a real nice, drinkable balance (none is too sweet or acidic (well the XXI has a little acidity, but in a good way) or whatever). Oily slick feel on the tongue. Only the freshest vintage (XIV) has a little "alcohol heat" to it. 4/5

Overall: I feel like verticals are often "reserved" for rarer and bigger beers like Dark Lord and Bourbon County (Brand) Stout, or even barleywines dating back to the 90's (i.e., Bigfoot), but this was a really fun vertical to do. Nothing was really can't miss here, but nothing had "fallen off," and nothing here was undrinkable by any stretch of the imagination. My favorite vintage in the end was the XXI, but each vintage struck me in a unique way at different points in the vertical as it warmed up. Cold, the XX and XXIII were my favorite.

Cost: $12.99 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle that can cost as much as $19.99.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 05:57:51 | More by jegross2

VeggieNugget

California

5/5  rDev +13.6%

02-07-2013 22:42:31 | More by VeggieNugget

kaseydad

California

4.58/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Held onto this for 3+ years. No idea how I had the willpower.

Pours a black ale with a nice one finger foamy beige head. Still frothy after all these years. Nice. Crystal clear bottom of the bottle. Impressive.

Massive amounts of sweet chocolate in the aroma. Strong presence of coffee beans also. Smoky. Cocoa powder. Touch of apple. The bourbon is definitely there as well. Just a great smell that does not get tiresome.

The taste is a mix of light and dark chocolate with a smoky, bitter, lingering aftertaste. The wood from the bourbon barrel shines through. Black coffee is also present. Awesome.

Mouthfeel is very slick but full.

Overall this is a masterpiece. Who says you can't age a Porter? This would still be kicking after another year or so. Sadly this went to my belly but I loved the session. Amazing beer. The Deschutes crew knows how to brew beer and this is a great example of how good they are.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 21:16:02 | More by kaseydad

Pencible

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: This poured a nearly opaque nearly black with a little tan head.
S: It smelled like raisin and fig and oak with mocha and vanilla and alcohol.
T: It tasted like bitter dark chocolate, with some raisin and molasses and oak, and a bit of toasted coconut. It had a bittersweet aftertaste with a little heat.
M: It was very thick and chewy with some carbonation. Huge body.
D: I'm curious how this brew was fresh, but it's very nice now. The scent and taste were great, and the body was even better. It was still pretty hot, but it had a smooth finish otherwise, so it was fairly easy to drink. Lovely beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 04:17:31 | More by Pencible