Black Butte XXXVI
Deschutes Brewery

Appearance: Black glass doesn't hold a head or let light through.

Aroma: There's a slight sharp metallic note, with some cut grass, malt, and some earthy hop notes.

Taste: The metallic note took a bit to fade out for me, but once it did it showed some orange peel, chocolate, and a slightly damp hop note that's almost vegetal.

Mouthfeel: Low to no carbonation, medium heavy body, slightly oily texture, bit of a chew, clean finish.

Overall: Drinks super easy for the abv, while there are a few rough edges that might age out, a very enjoyable seasonal treat.

Sampling a cellar temp 12 oz bottle poured into my snifter. Beer received as part of a trade. LAbel is date stamped as packaged on 06/05/2024.
Beer pours a coffee black color with some khaki colored dense creamy head that fades slowly to a sturdy surface covering. This remains through the sampling.
Aroma is some roasted malt and a bit of sweet milk chocolate and maybe a little citrus hop note. Peanut butter is absent , but may have faded since this was fresh.
First sip reveals a medium to thicker body with very fine and gentle carbonation. Texture is pretty smooth and this beer drinks easy.
Flavor is similar to the nose with some milk chocolate and roasted malt, a little bit of sweet candy and here some citrusy hops again on the finish. Never any hint of ABV on this beer. This beer is easy to drink, but no peanut butter that I thought may be present. Not really as deep of a beer as I had hoped, but it certainly isnt a bad beer. glad to have tried it and enjoyed it enough, but was a little disappointed.

 

 

Pours a very dark brown with little to no head on top. Smell is of roasted malts with creamer added. No chocolate or peanut butter found in the taste all you get is a coffee with hints of barrel.

Drinking in a small Teku glass.
Pours an almost-black with a thin tan head.
Smells of chocolate and cherries.
Nice mouth feel.
Tastes of chocolate, cherries, and maybe some vanilla.

 

12oz bottled on 6-5-24, opened on 11-16-24.
1+ finger frothy chocolate milk colored head, early lacing as it recedes slowly. Black/dark brown body.
Wood and fudge brownie batter.
Swirl of roasted malt, dark/red fruit (faint raspberry?), and chocolate (bittersweet) flavors in the first sip.
Not finding peanut butter in the aroma or the flavor...smells good, tastes good regardless.
Medium body with a slick mouthfeel. Long and roasty finish with a bit of sweetness.
Very Good.

 

 

 

Pours an effervescent chestnut/mahogany with one finer of mocha colored head. Average-ish head retention & lacing

S: Peanut butter candy, vanilla

T: Chocolate, a little booze bite, peanut butter up front. Mostly milk chocolate, dryness/roastyness, peanut hulls ( bitter ) & peanut butter as this beer warms up along with some raw barrel. Finishes with a little char, Baker's Chocolate, a little bit of peanut butter, vanilla & Bourbon

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation. warming. Carbonation smooths out a little once the beer is warmed up

Drinks pretty easy, a solid offering, wish there was more barrel influence. This got way better as it warmed up

 

 

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque in the glass with a two finger dark khaki head with great retention and nice lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, peanut butter, bourbon, chocolate and vanilla; slight boozyness. Flavor is dark toasted malt with moderate char, bourbon, bakers chocolate, peanut butter, plum (from the bourbon) and mild vanilla; some oak and malt char in the finish. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess. The annual barreled Black Butte has always been one of my favorite beers, but it has been hard to find in NW Washington for the last few years; this one I was lucky enough to find in Portland (thanks Belmont Station). It's nice to return to it again. As in the past, the malt depth and flavor is excellent with nice smokey char and just the right amount of bourbon. The adjuncts are deftly handled and balanced with a nice combo of chocolate, peanut butter and vanilla. The body is lighter than many other barreled dark ales I've had recently, but those were mostly stouts; but the malt flavors are still rich although porter-like. Looks great too. This is one of the Northwest classics. Hope they send some up our way again.

 

Draft at Public House in Bend. Poured an opaque, jet-black color with a small, light brown head of foam. It left sticky rings of lace on the glass. It smelled of peanut butter, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon and oak. Sweet peanut butter, chocolate, bourbon taste with vanilla and oak.