Black Butte XXI

Black Butte XXI

Deschutes Brewery
Imperial Porter
11.0% ABV
22 oz., best after 10/17/10 poured into a big snifter on 12/30/2010. Described as a, "Porter brewed with chocolate beans and coffee added with 20% aged in bourbon barrels." and, "Imperial version of Black Butte." Aged on cocoa nibs from Dominican Republic and Ethiopian coffee; uses 3 types of chocolate malt and three varieties of  NorthWest hops.

Appearance 4.5/5

Clear and dark brown with a creamy dark tan head that dissipates fast in a wide mouthed glass, but stays longer in a nonic pint. Likewise for lacing, average in a snifter, kickass in a nonic.

Aroma 4.5/5

Creamy and sweet smelling from English/Scottish style malts. Caramel-toffee is very prominent, then chocolate, and some oak-bourbon. The latter gets dominating at warmer temperature. Rich and complex. And good.

Taste 4.5/5

Flavorfully bittersweet, a quintessential porter with the added complexity of barrel aging. It has everything: chocolate, coffee, dark caramel, roast, slight sweetness, and more. The acidity of coffee is quite noticeable but the flavor, not so much. Chocolate notes are strong, and the roast is powerful as well in the aftertaste, preceded by a medium-sweet finish.

Mouthfeel 3/5

Mouthfeel is a big big letdown. Thin and disappointing, this beer doesn't seem any stronger than Black Butte and that is a fault in my opinion. The carbonation is alright, and the finish is commensurate with the alcohol and richness, but honestly, my homebrewed robust porter has a better mouthfeel.

Drinkability 3.5/5

Drinkability is good in the sense that you can slam it, but that's never a good quality for a high ABV beer. Come on girl, make your ABV felt!