Black Butte XXXIII
Deschutes Brewery

 

Another Colorado find, fool I thought it was new and it’s 3 years old. Oh well, it aged well.
Poured stout black with a light brown head which left sheets of lacing.
The taste is flat amazing- waves of chocolate and vanilla and maple syrup and somehow bourbon sneaks in. Oh yeah, the base porter is quite present here as well, but it’s really just the carrier for the adjuncts, which were skillfully used.
The feel is likely the most velvety viscous porter I’ve ever had. Coated the mouth so completely that the flavor remains for minutes after I finish it.
OA, I normally bought these every year but like so many others, I don’t see them in W. Michigan anymore. So glad I bought these, even though they are not exactly fresh.

 

 

12 ounce bottle, packaged on 06/17/21, thanks to Brutaltruth for this one! Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with not quite an inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both good. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like dark chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, maple and roasted malt. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some dark fruit, coffee, licorice and earthy flavors. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's a bit slick and creamy with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was a good enough brew, but wondered if I should have drank this one fresher. Worth a try!

 

Pours jet black with fine, tan head.

Smell is rich and roasted with notes of coffee, chocolate, maple syrup and some fruity hints.

Taste is roasted, sweet and rich with some booziness. Notes of oak, chocolate, coffee, maple syrup and licorice. A bit fruity with a solid bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium, smooth and well carbonated.

Overall, a very nice porter with lots of flavor. Would prefer a bit more body.

 

 

12oz bottled 6-17-21, opened 7-9-22.
1/2" tan head with OK retention - ends up sitting long as an almost full cap - on a dark brown body. Thin, wispy lacing. Dark chocolate and bourbon early in the aroma. Roasty malt and dark chocolate provide a nice bitterness, a fruitiness creeps in middle to late followed by boozy lingering heat. Wood stands out late in the glass. Medium body and smooth mouthfeel. Long and malty finish with a good dose of sweetness. Never got any maple or vanilla out of the aroma or flavor. Very Good.

Kind of harsh. I really don’t like porters much.

12 oz bottle, born on 2/1/21, poured into a snifter at 58 degrees F:
L - dark and oily with a head that disappeared quickly
S - maple syrup, faint chocolate
T - maple syrup, chocolate, bourbon gets stronger as you swallow
F - medium mouthfeel and carbonation
O - very good, great flavor, just a bit thin and a bit too much carbonation

 

 

 

 

 

Damn good imperial porter. Worthy. That’s all

Smooth, creamy texture. I enjoy that I get the charred oak flavor from the barrel aging, but not much of a Bourbon flavor at all, as I don't really like Bourbon and tend to shy away from BBA stuff. Vanilla and maple come through, and it's a genuine maple flavor, not just generic sweetness. Everything is well balanced. Rich, malty backbone. Leaves a warming feeling and a lingering finish.

This had about eight months of age on it when I popped it open.

Pours a dark brown to black color with a finger of tan head. Soft bourbon notes predominate in the nose. The flavor profile is sweet, possibly too sweet. Maple syrup and vanilla are way upfront. The mouthfeel is mildly sticky.