Deschutes Black Butte XXIII
Black Butte XXIII: Porter brewed with cocoa nibs, orange and natural flavors added, with 25% aged in Bourbon Barrels [sic].
Best After: 6/15/2012
Best After: 6/15/2012
3.9
271 reviews
Bend, United States
Community reviews
Bottle from my cellar. Brown pour, pretty thin. No head. Rally nice nose: bourbon, malt and oak. Quite tasty. Bourbon is not overpowering. Good bitter chocolate finish.
This poured a murky brown with a beige head. Aroma was of barrel, caramel, light roast, and oxidation. Flavor was similar, roast, cardboard and some dark fruit.
"scored a couple notches lower than previous releases. this was great as well, but a bit sweeter than previous versions. in a small sample it wouldn’t be noticeable, but have a pint or bottle to yourself, and it becomes ever so slightly cloying. the usual suspects are there, cocoa, coffee, bourbon (though more subtle), with added orange peel and pepper. the pepper is barely noticeable, but is there a little in the finish (not in the aroma at all) and while the orange peel is nice, it takes away from other subtle nuances of the beer, hence the lower score. still a great beer, and one i’ll age as well."
22 oz. bottle via group trade. Pours black with a medium sized frothy tan head. The aroma is roasted malts with dark chocolate, oak, bourbon, cocoa nibs, vanilla, some mild orange character and light coffee. One word to describe the flavor is BIG. This has decadent chocolate, creamy vanilla, roasted malt, mellow bourbon and oak, orange, some dark fruit, cocoa, and flashes of the 11% as it warms. For all of that, the balance is surprising. Full creamy body. Solid.
(bottle) hazy black-brown colour with a frothy light-beige head. aroma of brown sugar and fudge, with some sherry-like oxidation, a hint of alcohol, cornflakes, caramel and cherries. flavour is more brown sugar, yeast and oxidation, with notes of cocoa powder, earth, some light soy sauce and alcohol in the light roasted-bitter finish. heavy-bodied with soft carbonation.
How: Bottle.
Where: RBESG 14 not so grand tasting.
Appearance: Dark brown, almost black, colour with a tan head.
Aroma: Fruit, a bit smoked, caramel, raisin, citrus.
Body: Full body, medium carbonation.
Flavour: Sweet fruit, plum, raisin, roasted malt.
Had next to 25. Pour is pretty much the same, dark with light brown head. Actually more head on this one. Nose has some barrel presence unlike 25, notes of bourbon, chocolate, and lots of citrus in back. Taste has some citrus all over, strong wood and bourbon towards the finish, moderate malt balance, not sweet or sugary, hints of malt richness. Huge body, velvety, well carbonated. Far superior.
Bottle - Vintage 2010 - Malted milk, roast malts and raisin. Jet black,brown with a nice beige head. Cocoa, malted milk chocolate and some light barrel notes. Very nice.
Bottle at RBESG; dark brown pour with thin off white head, chocolate aroma, taste has bourbon, hint of citrus chocolate, decent BA.
22 oz. bottle with black wax top thanks to BOLTZ7555, thanks for the chance Jason! Finally getting around to this as my cellar is thinning out. The label reads best AFTER 06/15/2012. The aroma show a lot. Milk chocolate malt on top of dark fruit, day old, cold coffee and a hint of citrus zest trying to peak through, interesting.
Flavor is rich and bold. Roasted malts, day old coffee with cream, light fruit hints with a very subtle bourbon toward the back end of the sip. Light sugar through out. I’m glad the bourbon is still in the flavor cause I can’t really tell from the nose it was here. Carbonation is on the low side but mouthfeel still is full and creamy. Some lingering sweet bourbon and roast notes after the sip. Nice brew but if your holding bottles I would say drink or trade right now.
Draft at XL Public House. Nose is coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and a little roast. Black with a huge, heavy lacing, cinnamon head. Flavor is chocolate, light sweetness, and a little oaky vanilla.
Had this at a tap takeover, brewer was in the house and brought it as a specialty keg. Pours a dark black like oil, with tan head. Spice, cocoa, and whiskey on the nose; follows onto the palate. Funny, but there are subtle differences between the Black Buttes when having them side-by-side at a tap takeover.
[Tap] Black in color with a small amount of brown head. Nice lacing on glass. Heavy roasted nose also includes vanilla, bitter chocolate and peppercorns. Burnt caramel, charred wood, alcohol, cinnamon, anise and a very bitter chocolate aftertaste. Thick and syrupy mouthfeel. Lingering bourbon and alcohol long into the finish. Tasting notes from 2012.
Type: Draft
Glass: 10-oz. glass
From: Post Street Ale House in Spokane, Wash.
Price: $6
Purchased: March 18, 2014
Consumed: March 18, 2014
Misc.: The board on the wall said it was the XIII, but I’m pretty sure that was wrong. I even took a photo of it.
Poured a dark brown color with one finger of khaki tan head when I got it. Sporadic uneven lacing along the sides. Above average retention on the top.
Smelled caramel, toffee, Rolos, butterscotch, dry-hopped, bourbon, chocolate and faint vanilla.
Tasted caramel, toffee, light bourbon, chocolate, cherry, dry-hopped and slight butterscotch. So good.
Medium body. Oily-to-creamy texture. Average carbonation. Long, warming finish.
This beer was just so good. I only wish I would have gone back to try some more another night.
Brown bottle, best after 6/51/12, purchased at Belmont Station on January 16 2014, savoured on February 16 2014; eye: black, opaque, tiny sheet of beige head, light lacing; nose: chocolate, bourbon, light alcohol, roasted barley, light burnt barley, light molasses; mouth: chocolate, bourbon, light alcohol, roasted barley, light burnt barley, light molasses, light soy sauce, light hot pepper, rich, finale in chocolate with presence of hot pepper, full body, below-average carbonation, slightly bitter, silky and lightly hot texture, a tad thin; overall: very good
FRANÇAIS
Bouteille brune, meilleure après 6/15/12, achetée chez Belmont Station le 16 janvier 2014, savourée le 16 février 2014; œil : noire, opaque, petite couverture de mousse beige, légère dentelle; nez : chocolat, bourbon, léger alcool, orge torréfiée, léger orge brûlée, léger mélasse; bouche : chocolat, bourbon, léger alcool, orge torréfiée, léger orge brûlée, léger mélasse, léger sauce soya, léger piment, riche, finale en chocolat avec présence de piment, corsée, carbonatation sous la moyenne, très légèrement amère, texture soyeuse et légèrement piquante, un peu mince; en résumé : bien bon
Pours black in the glass. Aroma of cocoa, and dried fruits. Flavor of coffee and more dried fruits with a hint of dried wood. Overall a solid brew. Thanks to BarZigKin for sharing.
22 ounce bottle poured into a mini-snifter. Pours a dark brown with a light beige head of foam. The aroma has notes of dark fruits, fig, raisin, and dark chocolate. Tastes of dark fruits predominantly. Big body with a lower to medium carbonation.
On tap at Belmont Station in Portland. Black pour with off-white head. Aroma of roasted malts and dark chocolate. Moderately sweet with noted balancing bitterness. Medium mouthfeel. Rich and smooth and very nice.
Bomber at The Hay Merchant, Houston. Aroma was that of cocoa, bourbon, vanilla, roasted malts, some dark fruits. Appearance is silky black with a minimal tan khaki head, although it wasn?t poured hard at all. Taste is cocoa, coffee, roasted malts, vanilla, and bourbon. The bourbon was not strong, which is quite alright with me, and is probably d/t it being 2+ years old. Very creamy mouthfeel, mild carbonation, just fantastic. Overall this is a great imperial porter. I was sad to see it go.
Pour is jet black with a small tan head. Aroma is a bit smoky with notes of chocolate, licorice, and spice. Flavor is similar to the aroma but a bit sweeter with a hint of citrus, vanilla, and molasses.
Well, I’m no Seville or Pasilla expert, but I know what Chilis and Oranges taste like, so hopefully that qualifies me to taste this....
A: Pours a dark, nearly black ale with a single finger of latte head which falls over a couple minutes to a thick sheet of the same. Rings of lacing. Clarity cannot be assessed.
S: Chocolate and roasted malts make the introduction. Quickly followed up by some coffee notes, chili sharpness and some alcohol burn. Getting only the slightest hint of orange citric nose here - it’s sweet in nature. The bourbon barrels are second fiddle here, but evident and actually meld with the chili’s well. Really complex, primary issue is in the prominence of the alcohol, and the subtlety of the orange, but nonetheless really nice.
T: Toasty, bitter and alcoholic. The alcohol is a bit a fuego at this point. The orange is more evident, but I think is what tastes bitter at this point as well. The beer has plenty of cocoa here, and it is dry and borders on a coffee-esque profile. The chili is nearly gone at this point for me - some of the vegetal flavors remain, but no heat (except from the ETOH). Bourbon is sweet and adds a hint of vanilla flavor. I don’t believe the flavor is where it could be - I do believe this will get better with time in the bottle.
M: A bit thin for the profile and adjuncts. The beer is medium in body, and rolls over the tongue quickly with low to prickly carbonation. The finish is watering, but I wish it was more viscous so as to allow me to ’chew’ on the resonance.
O: The beer has a ton of potential, I’m uncertain the oranges were necessary, and the chili choice may have been too passive for the bold flavors of the beer itself. However, the bourbon is well played here, and the beer is of high quality. I believe the "best after" date on this bottle is something to heed seriously. Although I’m an advocate for releasing beer when it’s ready to be had, I can also respect a beer that says: best after, indicating to me a review will be merited a year from now to see how well they predicted the progress. In the meantime, this is a great beer, with room for growth; if it grows much further, this will develop a profile reminiscent of Hunahpu’s (albeit different, the nose is similar, but a little less intense).
Serving type: bottle
07-09-2011
Bottle at Fermentoren - I brought. Clear dark red/brown - offehite head. Nice malty. Sweet notes. Coconut. Fruity. Light orange. Nice mellow bourbon. Lovely smooth. Red berrie notes. Ok wooden.
Sweet and chocolaty (semi sweet dark chocolate, that is), black with tiny beige head on tap at Payette’s Black Friday event. Lingering sweetness somewhat masks the the roast grain backbone of this beauty, slick and smooth with a slight afterglow. Perfect for a chilly evening.
Bottle, thanks to _angst_! Opaque black liquid with small tan head. Aroma of chocolate, grain, bread, vanilla, wood, bourbon and coffee. Taste is light sweet and light bitter with notes of coffee, chocolate, bread, wood and bourbon. Medium to full bodied with medium carbonation. Nice.
Bottle courtesy of rlgk. Pours dark blackish brown with a frothy and slightly bubbly dark mocha head that quickly dissipates without leaving much trace on the glass. Smell is sweet and fruity with roasted malts, bitter chocolate, orange zest, vanilla fudge, peppery wood, coffee, biscuits, alcohol and moist soil. Taste is tiny sweet, tiny bitter, tiny sour and tiny fruity with roasted malts, dark roast coffee, orange zest, bitter chocolate, vanilla fudge, toffee, bourbon , biscuits and caramel. Mouthfeel is round, tiny roasted astringent, tiny creamy and medium to full bodied. Finish is bitter and fruity with roasted malts, orange zest, bitter chocolate, vanilla fudge, biscuits and hints of bourbon.
Bottle at "Darkness comes to town", 131116. Pitch black beer with a small brownish head. Roasted ash aroma, chilli, soot, fruity, caramel, raisins, floral, citrus, licorice. Malty roasted flavor, nutty, caramel, nutcreme, caramel, spicy notes, raisins, toffee, floral notes. Roasted chocolate finish with cocoa and raisins.
Very nice flavorful porter. Palate is lively a day taste is lots of chocolate with orange and cocoa powder scent.
Vertical bottle share. Aroma is bourbon and dark fruit. Appearance is a dark brown with little tan head. Taste is dark with bourbon. Overall, a good aged beer. Glad i was able to try it.
Really good. It comes close to walking into stout territory. Roasted malt and bourbon aroma. Color was black with a thin tan head. Medium to heavy weight with good carbonation. The flavors have blended well over time. Roasted cocoa with a hint of coffee and moderate bourbon finish. The right amount I might add. Somewhat of a dryer finish than expected. I didn’t detect the orange they added though. Overall a welcoming porter and I was sad when it was gone.
In short: A big sweet corpulent black beer with refreshing refreshing fruity flavors. Surprisingly drinkable.
How: Bottle 22oz, consumed when over one year of age.
The look: Black body topped by a small tan head.
In long: Nose is big dark malts mixed with light color fruits and a little something similar to used cigarette filter. Somewhat original and inviting aroma. Taste has vanilla beans, sponge cake, chocolate pudding, flour, blood oranges, other refreshing fruits, light notes of bourbon. The sweetness level is through the roof, this is a very sweet beer, even sweeter than most other beers of similar gravity. However despite the enormous sweetness there was also a lot of refreshing fruity flavors which greatly diminished the cloying sensation. The finish has a a refined flour (almost chalky) sensation that leaved a coated tongue. No alcohol presence whasoever. Extremely full body with plenty of carbonation, a very sumptuous mouthfeel. Strangely easy to drink despite the high sweetness, I liked this one a lot more than I thought I would. Sometimes I love a very sweet beer beer, sometimes I hate a very sweet beer, I’m probably the most mentally deranged person I’ve ever argued with.