Black Butte XXI
Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon, United States 🇺🇸
Porter - Imperial Series Out of Production|
Score
7.94
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What does years of hardcore experimentation look like? Witness this imperial version of our Black Butte Porter. Three types of chocolate malt. Three varieties of northwest hops. Cocoa nibs from the Dominican Republic. Locally roasted Ethiopian coffee. Painstakingly aged in bourbon barrels. Joyous abandon in a bottle. After 21 years we recognize the safe path, we just refuse to take it.
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7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
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.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Jan 2012
at 05:36
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Imported from my RateBeer account as Deschutes Black Butte XXI (by Deschutes Brewery):
Aroma: 7/10, Appearance: 4/5, Taste: 8/10, Palate: 4/5, Overall: 17/20, MyTotalScore: 4/5
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.
Aroma: 7/10, Appearance: 4/5, Taste: 8/10, Palate: 4/5, Overall: 17/20, MyTotalScore: 4/5
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.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jan 2012
at 09:06
8.1/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
Vintage XX. Pours one black beauty in a glass, motor oil thick and the color of Donald Rumsfeld’s heart, with a brown, chunky head that solidifies on the side of the pint. Smells like chocolate liquor, brown and black and sweet and fruity and boozy. Chocolate and rum raisin hit your palate first, followed by an oaky, vanilla-dusted middle, then exploding into a coffee-fueled booze-rampage finish. Delicious, yes, but hot as hell, months after its release. Give this bastard some time; it’s tasty now, but will be classic soon. (5/29/09)
Tried
on 24 May 2011
at 18:33
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
7/31/2009 Pours a dark brown/black with a smallish tan head that dissipates quickly but leaves some nice lace on the glass. Aromas of milk chocolate, bitter chocolate, coffee, and a bit of alcohol. This tastes a lot better than it smells, and it doesn’t smell half bad. The taste is a luscious thick chocolatey affair with coffee over tones. A touch of heat in the middle, a vanilla bourbon then a lingering roast and bourbon finish. A touch on the sweet side, but certainly enjoyable. Thick viscous body and feel, light carbonation. I really enjoyed this one. I was underwhelmed with the aroma, but loved the taste and texture. I’ll revisit this in a year or so and compare notes. Great stuff!
Tried
on 20 May 2011
at 20:15
8.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
XXI bomber, bought end of 2009 in California. Almost black colored, with a rocky beige head. Lots of aroma’s: sweet chocolate, roast, coffee/mocha, some ash, a little fruit (raisins) and hints of bourbon & vanilla. Flavor is rather sweet (but that fits this beer well) and roasted. Alcohol is quite well hidden. Velvetty, quite thick mouthfeel. Finishes with chocolate, roast, ash and finally some bitter. Delicious.
Tried
on 05 Mar 2011
at 12:49
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
23rd April 2009
Opaque brown tinged black beer. Rich and soft palate. Lovely mix of dark malt, just hints of chocolate and coffee. A little vanilla bourbon - all very finely balanced together - nothing dominates. A touch of licorice at the end. Nice!
Opaque brown tinged black beer. Rich and soft palate. Lovely mix of dark malt, just hints of chocolate and coffee. A little vanilla bourbon - all very finely balanced together - nothing dominates. A touch of licorice at the end. Nice!
Tried
on 30 Jan 2011
at 05:54
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
The bottle looks very simple, but good. The beer in the glass deep black, huge head, a bit oily. Starts quite strong, modest alcoholic, heavy-malty. Drier and drier. Finish woody-scratchy, a bit too dry I think. So not too drinkable. A good one, but not mindblowing!
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Sep 2010
at 11:29
8.3/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle thanks to Fata2683: Poured a deep black with a tan to light brown froathy head. Aroma is a mix of bourbon/whiskey, bakers dark chocolate, and roasted coffee. Taste is a delightful mix of roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. The finish has just enough whiskey barrel and hops to spike the taste buds for the next gulp.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Aug 2010
at 12:47
8.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
Bottle thanks to daknole. Pours jet black with off-white head, which dissipates completely over time. Nose is chocolate, coffee beans, bourbon splashed oaks. Taste is very smooth and thick black licorice, chocolate beans, coffee, light non-burning bourbon, oak, vanilla bean and roasted malts. World class porter.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Jun 2010
at 22:39
8.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
Bottle at home ... as XX rated 19-06-10 ... deep black thin lacing ... soft meaty toffee ... little chocolate ... nose... rich soft toffee malts ... little vanilla ... loads of chocolate ... silky low carbonated mouthfeel ... light whiskey linger but not overpowering .... its just wonderfully chocolate
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Jun 2010
at 10:08