Black Butte XXV (25th Birthday Reserve)
Deschutes Brewery

Black Butte XXV (25th Birthday Reserve)Black Butte XXV (25th Birthday Reserve)
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From:
Deschutes Brewery
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Imperial Porter
ABV:
11.3%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.27 | pDev: 8.43%
Reviews:
136
Ratings:
1,022
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Apr 05, 2021
Added:
Jul 02, 2013
Wants:
  79
Gots:
  409
Malt Beverage brewed with dates, figs and cocoa nibs with 50% being aged in bourbon barrels and 12.5% with black currant added.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by cbutova:
Photo of cbutova
Reviewed by cbutova from Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bought as a part of a 5 year vertical from a great bottle shop in Colorado Springs back in August. Best after June 2014.

A- Appropriate super black pour to several pint glasses. Light tan head to a finger, creamy and decent retention. A big sheet at the top from a huge belt with spottiness below.

S- Somewhat musty and oxidized but the big BB porter exists below that. Big fruits with figs and currants certainly prominent. Fudge brownies, deep cocoa, chocolate chips and caramel sweets beyond the fruits.

T- Currants and figs contribute much more than I would have guessed. Deep dry fruits like raisin and softly tart cherry lead to the aged and somewhat oxidized base beer. Dirty cocoa nibs cascade or roast grains, truffles and caramelized sugars. The barrel is secondary with oak and slight vanilla.

MF- Medium bodied and perhaps a bit dried out, lacks the oily thickness of most 12%+ brews. Carbonation is medium high and the finish is roasty bitter.

Currants do me good and the ABV is invisible. Barrel is very light but it doesn't really matter. Roasty brownies with currants and figs.
Feb 08, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of Treyliff
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

4.54/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
22oz bottle poured into a snifter

A- pours black in color with a one-finger foamy khaki head that reduces to a ring floating on top

S- dark fruits are on display on the nose with the figs, dates and black currant really coming forward, I'm guessing accentuated after aging. Undertones of rich chocolate, caramel, toffee, molasses, brown sugar, tobacco and a hint of leather. Light undertones of bourbon barrel round it out

T- dark fruits lead the way on taste with fig and date adding a prune like flavor up front, followed by chocolate, molasses and a bit of pipe tobacco. The finish gives just a hint of oaky bourbon barrel, with the black currants enhancing the dark fruity notes which linger long after the finish

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a thick and creamy mouthfeel that continues into an almost chewy finish, very impressive for a porter

O- one of the best Black Butte variants, the dark fruits really enhance the base beer and the mouthfeel is velvety and creamy throughout
Apr 05, 2021
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

4.1/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bomber from Jeremy. Silky black pour, tiny beige ring. Aroma is a mixture of roast malts, chocolate and light sweetness, hint of booze. Taste brings the chocolate front and center, dark bitter chocolate, a bit dry, light booze. No sag in this 5 year old brew. Really damn good.
May 31, 2020
Photo of cavedave
Reviewed by cavedave from New York

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Pours darkest brown with a slow to leave finger of tan foam. Thick looking beer for sure.

Bourbon, dark caramel, vanilla, blackberry, light roasty notes, dark chocolate, and dates are all here in this wonderful aroma. It's a heavenly scent that begs for a sip to be taken.

Well blended version of the aroma, now the blackberry fragrance is revealed as currant, dark chocolate notes are a key player, with booze a wonderful spicy warmth that allows the flavors to mellow into the palate. End of sip is lightly sweet and fruity but picks up some herbal bitter and roasty notes that keep it just dry enough to please

Full bodied, very viscous, and coats the palate in clean flavors, low carb., and an epic finish make this baby superb.

Glad to say this has held up marvelously, no hint of oxidation, a blended beauty of a beer. Highly recommended.
Aug 18, 2019
Photo of MutuelsMark
Rated by MutuelsMark from Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Tried in 2019.
Jun 23, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by teamwiggum from Wisconsin

Jan 02, 2019
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a half finger dark khaki head with great retention and nice lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, dates, figs, cocoa, red berries and a little cardboardy oxidation. Flavor is dark toasted malt, cocoa, dates, red currants, licorice, light bourbon and oaky vanilla. Lingering lightly charred malt and currants in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess and nice mouth feel. Nice. This big porter has held up beautifully for five years, with a fine mellowing and integration of flavors. Sadly, I did not review this fresh, so I don't know how the currant component originally tasted, but it gives a surprisingly fresh berry flavor to the taste from start to finish. The bourbon, if strong originally has mellowed and perhaps melded with the berry flavors. The oxidation in the aroma is not evident in taste, and except for the great integration of flavors, this has little to show its age. This is one of my favorite beers at any time and glad to see it age so gracefully.
Oct 08, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by TylerJ from Iowa

Sep 02, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by redfox405 from Virginia

Aug 17, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

Jul 13, 2018
 
Rated: 4.28 by ckeegan04 from Texas

Jul 07, 2018
Photo of BillRoth
Reviewed by BillRoth from Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Just opened a cellared XXV... wow! The 5 years seems to to have rounded out the edges beautifully. Still huge and roasty; big barrel flavors but little bourbon or sweet vanilla up front... now more bitter vanilla bean and a touch more of wood, figs, port wine, black strap and licorice that seemed more hidden back in 2013. Smooth feel despite roast and ABV.
More old ale-ish than porter and a delicious complex sipper. Great with aged cheese.
Mar 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4.43 by Buck89 from Tennessee

Dec 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.47 by rarigney from Washington

Dec 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.27 by festizio from California

Nov 24, 2017
 
Rated: 4.24 by sbuck from New Mexico

Oct 28, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by N1Nkasi from Connecticut

May 03, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by bshefftz from California

Apr 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4.75 by Scepter from Texas

Jan 22, 2017
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.28/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
This might be the worst one of the anniversary series. Unless your name is Consecration, your currant addition probably sucks.

Has that familiar mixture of dark brown and black, beige head 1/3". Aroma is less bourbon than ever. Takes on more red wine barrel notes than other years.

Taste, shit, the bourbon and chocolate are woefully underrepresented in this version. The mouth feel continues to stress on the currant and red wine notes, to the detriment of the chocolate and bourbon. Too much dark fruit presence, contributes to a higher than normal ibu feel to it. Alcohol not as covered up as it used to be. A good beer? Sure. But look at the price, and look at prior years, this is more expensive and less good.
Jan 04, 2017
Black Butte XXV (25th Birthday Reserve) from Deschutes Brewery
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 1022 ratings