Deschutes Black Butte XXI
XX - 20th Anniversary, released 2008
XXI - 21st Anniversary, released 2009
This masterpiece is a tribute to Black Butte Porter, the revolutionary Deschutes Brewery beer that has excited beer enthusiasts since 1988. This special Reserve Series release is a colossal version of Black Butte Porter. Our brewers enhanced Black Butte XXI 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. These regional partners provided quality artisan ingredients that give this commemorative beer a truly handcrafted complexity.
Released as Black Butte XX in 2008 to celebrate our 20th Anniversary.
XXI - 21st Anniversary, released 2009
This masterpiece is a tribute to Black Butte Porter, the revolutionary Deschutes Brewery beer that has excited beer enthusiasts since 1988. This special Reserve Series release is a colossal version of Black Butte Porter. Our brewers enhanced Black Butte XXI 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. These regional partners provided quality artisan ingredients that give this commemorative beer a truly handcrafted complexity.
Released as Black Butte XX in 2008 to celebrate our 20th Anniversary.
4
594 reviews
Bend, United States
Community reviews
February 9, 2014: Appears to be black but is really very dark brown with a deep ruby under light. Topped with a light brown head and aromas of wood and chocolate. Lots of dark chocolate and licorice come through in the taste. This is still pretty hot after all these years and the alcohol gives it a peppery quality that accentuates the licorice flavor. Because of that, it seems a little bit unbalanced. Lots of toasted and charred wood notes and dark roasted coffee that is balanced by a rich molasses sweetness along with cream and vanilla. This a real sipper to be enjoyed slowly preferably relaxing in front of a fireplace.
May 9th, 2022: Well, here we are, 8 years later. My original review still describes this very well, so this one has held up well with age. Seems to have a bit of an estery note in the aroma I didn't note before. The only real difference I note is that the heat seems to have died down considerably while the peppery character (black pepper and a bit of green vegetable pepper) is still there somewhat. A bit of prune now too. The end result is that this is much more balanced than it was previously and it hardly seems possible that this is still 11% ABV. Rating this now, I would bump this up at least 3 or 4 more points. I've got 1 bottle left; looking forward to what that's like in a few more years (if I can wait that long).
Rated on 3-05-2010 at Fort Wayne, IN Gathering. Bottle courtesy of patrick767. This beer pours a small tan head with a lengthy retention, opaque brown body, and a fair amount of lacing. The Aroma is malty, chocolate, coffee, some hops, alcohol, and vanilla. The Taste is malty, coffee, chocolate, bourbon, and hops. The Palate is lightly tingly and this beer is medium bodied. Overall, this is a sipping beer, a very nice Winter time beer, very tasty, and worth trying. A beer I highly recommend and a beer I would drink again.
Black Butte XX: 8, 4, 8, 4, 16 = 4.0
22 ounce bottle poured into a mini-snifter. Poured a dark brown with a beige head of foam. The aroma has notes of chocolate and star anise, dark cherry. Tastes of some wet wood, barrel, and raspberry. Big bodied with a lower carbonation.
Black Butte XXI: 8, 4, 7, 4, 16 = 3.9
22 ounce bottle poured into a mini-snifter. Pours a near black with a khaki head of foam. The aroma has sweet notes of raisin, dark malt, and some barrel. Tastes of dark sweet notes, especially dark fruits. Low carbonation. Big Body.
$13 for a bomber @ huck’s in Spokane, WA
Poured to a NB Globe
A: Black ale wherein light barely shows thru. Light brown single finger head dissipates to a sheet of foam which is consistent throughout the coarse of the beer.
S: Beautiful nose. Chocolate, coffee, bread, cinnamon, burnt caramel. Figs, dates, candied plums. Excellent and superb.
T: Nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon all intensify the the aromas presented in the nose. Very, very well blended and tasty. Hints of vanilla shine in the background from the barrels.
M: Beautifully silky ale rolls over the tongue and barely stings the bristles of the tongue. So good.
D: This beer is really great, and as it ages, I find myself reviewing it higher and higher. Probably in the realm of my top ten beers.
Serving type: bottle
01-25-2011
Bottle: thanks, Jeff! Black center with very deep, brown edges; dark khaki head foams up really nice & settles down slowly. Aroma is heavy cocoa nibs, burnt brown sugar, molasses, light nuts, a touch of wood, & a little bit of coffee char in the finish. Taste is very similar with notes of milky sweet chocolate, brown sugar, coffee beans, & a slight woody aspect backing everything up. Only a touch of bitterness, mostly milky & sweet throughout. Probably the best Black Butte anniversary I’ve had.
Poured from a bottle. Midnight black color with a 1 finger bronze-tan head. Moderate lacing. Aroma of coffee & black licorice. Mild carbonation, smooth medium body. Creamy chocolate, coffee, hint of kahlua flavor. Like a carbonated Black Russian. Awesome beer!
Bottle shared at Levi’s. Brown-black body. Patchy, beige head. Rich bourbon coffee chocolate aroma. Very thick and sweet. Big luscious vanilla, cocoa tones. Super sugary, rich. Quite nice, but also quite heavy and cloying.
Bottle shared at Bruce’s 30th Birthday Bash - CBC Clerkenwell, London. Thanks to the big bad birthday boy. Pours black-brown with a fine, tan cream head. Dark malt nose, lots of charred bread, good roast, some dark chocolate. Medium sweet flavor with further dark chocolate, toasty sugars, dirt, raisins. Full bodied with fine carbonation. Warming finish with lots more dark chocolate still, bitter charred wood, roasted malts. Great stuff. Good balance.
Pours black in the glass. Nice mocha aroma with some Khaluha notes as well. Tastes like a dark chocolate Chunky bar. Nuts, dark cocoa and dried fruit. Overall, a gem! Thanks barzigkin for sharing...
Bottle @ Bruce’s birthday tasting. Cheers to Bruce for all the beer! The pour’s deep brown with a discreet off-white head. The aroma’s stewed prune, chocolate cake, earthy berry, bramble. The taste is light chili, general spices, earthy roasted chocolate, some tar and wood. Smooth stuff, soft carbonation. Overall, this was definitely the junior of the XXIII. Still, very solid.
Bottle at Bruce’s B’day. Opaque black, creamy foam tan head. Nose is earthy, dirty, Marmite, roasted malt. Interesting! Taste is very malty, earthy, Marmite, chocolate. Nose is unusual but taste is nicely balanced.
Bottle at Bruce’s 30th celebrations, 08/02/13, big thanks to the birthday boy for sharing this one !
Mid black with a thin tan head that clears to the edge.
Nose is dark roast malt, chocolate, molasses.
Taste comprises dark roast malts, dark fruits, peppery, chocolate.
Full bodied, moderate carbonation, dry in the finish.
Great stuff.
Bottle thanks to Bruce at his 30th Birthday Bash. It pours near black with a small light tan head. The nose is roasted malt, liquorice, coffee, Dandelion & Burdock, light vanilla, plum and sweet date. The taste is roasted malt, earth, coffee, plum, charcoal, wood, alcohol warmth and molasses with a dry, earthy finish. Medium-full body and average carbonation. Decent.
Bruce’s birthday tasting st the craft. Sweet malt caramel boozy nose. Sweet toasty flavour . Molasses. . Sweet finish. Lingering.coffee finish.
The scent is of smokey roasted malts, a hint of vanilla, bourbon, and coffee. The flavor is rich of coffee. The chocolate and vanilla aren’t potent but they are noticeable. The malts are mild and have a nice roasted character. There is a charred wood and a subtle bourbon flavor too. The finish leaves a malts, coffee, and a slight bitterness. Overall this was a very nice brew.
Bottle (XX version) - Pours a near black with light at the edges with a bubbly yet quickly diminishing head. Smell is rich dark fruits, chocolate and not much of a noticeable hint of the barrel-aging. Taste is licorice, mild old coffee, chocolate, oak, dark fruits and mild oxidation. I thought the flavors where all very nicely incorporated with one another and even the oxidation was not offensive in the least. Very nice.
On tap, poured into a pint glass. Pitch black with a small tan head. Smells of chocolate, roast, vanilla, bourbon. Taste is very balanced chocolate, mild coffee, vanilla, bourbon. Great full mouthfeel. I thought XXI was better than XXIV, although both are very good.
Black, thin tan head. Deep malt, burnt sugar, bread crusts, toast, licorice, dried dark fruit, leather, tobacco, caraway, some light burnt, tar-like notes that adds to ready complex profile, full-bodied and warming, delicious sipper.
Bomber rec’d in trade from ?? Aroma is the only thing I didn’t give max rating to.. Slight bourbon aroma. As it warmed more aroma of roasted coffee and cocoa. Beautiful black our with brown slight layer (not foam) on top. Palate was perfect - thick and creamy smooth. Taste was great. They balanced all of the moving parts perfectly. Bourbon/alcohol barely present but has slight affect and brings light wood and maybe vanilla to the party. Cocoa and chocolate are big here - again perfectly balanced. Slight balance of bitter comes from coffee not hops. This is tied as my favorite ever. Must find more
Pours thin and black with a small tan head. Nose is a bit metallic, this may be heading south. Once past the metal you do get some chocolate and wood with molasses mixed in. Taste is sweet with still a good amount of bitter to close it out. Mouthfeel is still crisp and coating. Body is light with a big finish. I feel like I should have had this last year, probably would have been perfect.
Sampled at GABF. Bottled as Black Butte XX. Nose is woody, spruce, burnt sugar, caramel, vanilla. Flavor of spruce, cedar, caramel, coconut, smoke, molasses. Super smooth, woody finish. Aged really well. 100% drinkable.
Bottle as the name XX. Pours a pitch black color with a tan head. Aroma is of coffee, bourbon, vanilla, lighter chocolate notes, dark fruits and roasted malts. The flavor is again of roasted malt, more faded coffee notes, vanilla, dark fruits, bourbon, oak, vanilla and lighter chocolate notes. The body is full with a creamy mouth feel. Overall a pretty good brew, but past its peak.
1/24/2010 - The ingredient list for the Deschutes Black Butte XXI reads like an all-star team. As a former resident of Seattle, all of these celebrity names - Theos, Bellatazza and Stranahan’s (from my birthplace) all ring familiar, and always with heaps of praise. Put them together under the capable hand of a master brewer and it’s no surprise that the Black Butte XXI is a superb beer. It produces much less foam than its dark compatriot the Abyss, giving off instead a thin ring of medium brown foam, smooth and supple. Blackness fills the glass, surface to surface, hiding the carbonation that’s almost certainly bubbling away. The aroma is viscerally sophisticated, sharp and satisfying. It smells like a coffee roaster, with plenty of the raw cocoa nibs thrown in for synchronous sweetness. Notably, it’s not too dry, too bitter, or too boozy - a perfect balance between hard to control flavors. I always imagined brewing balance like this was herding cats, or taming several bulls at once. I’m also struck by how much I prefer this to the abyss - it’s just sweet enough to appeal to my sweet tooth, with a palate that feels full, substantial and meaty. Going down the checklist, it has a great body, multiple dimensions of flavor, and a beautiful triforce of flavor elements. This might be my favorite beer from Deschutes. Ever. Happy birthday indeed.
Pour deep, almost black, brown, with a small tan and quickly vanishing head. Aroma has quite alot of coffee to it, slight bourbon, vanilla, slight ripe dark fruits, slight cocoa nibs, a slightly boozy feel to it and of course some chocolate and roasted malts. Taste is a little sweet, with some bitter and slightly roasted notes. Semi-full body, with a perfect amount of semi-flat carbonation. Thanks to Tom for sending med this
Bought in October 2009 in Tucson, AZ best after date of 10/17/10
Poured into a snifter
A-- Poured a dark brown and settled black with just a few hints of amber here and there. Small light brown head, stayed through drinking the beer.
S-- Big initial nose of roasted coffee and milk chocolate. Hints of vanilla as well. With more air nose became more of coffee and chocolate.
T-- Dirty, grity, and earthy coffee, chocolate, vanilla and touches of oak. Reminded me of old coffee. Thought KBS but without the bourbon notes that KBS has. Much more about rich coffee and chocolate.
M-- Gritty and earthy in front, more creamy in back. Bits of thinness in the mid and back of palate. Well hidden alcohol for the size of the beer. Once it opened up more did get notes of whiskey in the finish. Medium feel and low carbonation.
O-- Not bad but not great. Liked it more and more as I drank on. Well hidden alcohol. More about coffee and chocolate with this. No wow factor to this really, even with age. Seems to have mellowed out well but maybe too much.
Pours black with a tan head. Aroma has chocolate and coffee and there is bourbon and roast present as well. Flavor is full of chocolate, coffee, and vanilla with a some minor bourbon there as well. Great beer!
22 oz. bottle, pours pitch black with a medium tan head. Aroma of chocolate beans upfront, followed by coffee beans, then vanilla and some bourbon. Flavour is uber-decadent, with a perfect balance between chocolate and coffee beans, followed by some vanilla and moderate bourbon barrel presence. Perfect amount of sweetness. Age has done wonder to this decadent dessert in a bottle. Rich, complex and very well-balanced.
Split a bottle of this with my wife tonight.
A: Black Butte XXI is a very deep shade of brown. An inch of beige head sits atop the beer and gently recedes to a thin crema that leaves a temporary sheet of lacing on the glass.
S: Wow, there is a plethora of enticing scents to be noted, including roasted malt, coffee, cocoa, bourbon, oak, toffee, etc.
T: Fabulous! I have had this beer a few times now, and it has been truly delicious on every occasion. Extremely flavorful and well-balanced, this is a world class beer. The bourbon flavor is subtle, and sneaks a little bite into the palate near the finish. The chocolate bean aspect is quite tasty, and while very prominent, is certainly not overdone. More bourbon begins to arise as the beer warms...
M: The feel is thick and chewy with a slight touch of heat in the finish. Again, well done.
D: For an 11% imperial porter, this beer goes down quite easily. This is a pleasure to sip and savor. Highly recommended.
22oz bottle. Heavy black, no real head. Oily legs. Roasty cigar, mellowed alc. Rich, barrel whiskey. Nicely mellowed and balanced. Great roastiness. Really tasty.
On tap @ Deschutes Portland. Pours deep opaque black with thin creamy head. Nose is dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and charred oak. Thick, lusterous mouthfeel. This has clearly been aging for a while - the bourbon notes that can be a bit harsh if you drink this young have mellowed and meld into the chocolate flavor now. Spicy finish that accenuates the cocoa. I have a couple bottles of this stashed away, it’s going to be hard to drink them now after seeing how much this beer improves with some age.