Black Butte XXIV | Deschutes Brewery
Brewed by:
Deschutes Brewery
Oregon, United States
deschutesbrewery.com
Style: American Porter
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 11.00%
Availability: Limited (brewed once)
Notes / Commercial Description:
Brewed with dark chocolate nibs, Daglet dates and Mission figs.
Added by John_M on 07-25-2012
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
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Ratings: 879 | Reviews: 200
4.25/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.56/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bomber into a snifter appears black in color witha khaki head that fades leaving stringy lace.
The aroma is sweet with chocolate, roast, raison, black licorice and mild oak.
The taste is a little oaky with hint of chocolate, raison, roasty earth, mild oxidation.
This is medium in body with light carbonation. Overall pretty tasty.
334 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bomber into a snifter appears black in color witha khaki head that fades leaving stringy lace.
The aroma is sweet with chocolate, roast, raison, black licorice and mild oak.
The taste is a little oaky with hint of chocolate, raison, roasty earth, mild oxidation.
This is medium in body with light carbonation. Overall pretty tasty.
334 characters
4.44/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.19/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
I guess they are selling several versions/years of these at once (maybe some sort of 'vertical' promotion?). At any rate, I've wanted to try one of these for a while, so I decided to start with the oldest. 22oz waxed bottle into a XL B&B snifter.
L: Nearly black with a large toffee-colored head. After a few minutes, the head subsides to leave a nice ring of foam around the glass.
S: Nose is chocolate and bourbon. Then come the dates and figs. Dark malts, and a hint of barrel character round it out.
T: The dark fruits make more of a showing here. I don't know how much actual fruit they used (it seems like a lot), but it works fairly well. Right after that is the chocolatey bourbon. Slight bitterness from the hops rounds it out.
M: Thick on the tongue. Good carbonation even after several years. I think age has mellowed it a bit as well.
O: I'm glad I picked this up. Might get one of the other versions (hopefully one not so date-y and figgy!).
965 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
I guess they are selling several versions/years of these at once (maybe some sort of 'vertical' promotion?). At any rate, I've wanted to try one of these for a while, so I decided to start with the oldest. 22oz waxed bottle into a XL B&B snifter.
L: Nearly black with a large toffee-colored head. After a few minutes, the head subsides to leave a nice ring of foam around the glass.
S: Nose is chocolate and bourbon. Then come the dates and figs. Dark malts, and a hint of barrel character round it out.
T: The dark fruits make more of a showing here. I don't know how much actual fruit they used (it seems like a lot), but it works fairly well. Right after that is the chocolatey bourbon. Slight bitterness from the hops rounds it out.
M: Thick on the tongue. Good carbonation even after several years. I think age has mellowed it a bit as well.
O: I'm glad I picked this up. Might get one of the other versions (hopefully one not so date-y and figgy!).
965 characters
4.19/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.34/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.77/5 rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Very bitter, loads of dark fruit flavors, which I enjoyed. No head retention and 0 barrel presence. Taste and nose followed in unison. I didn't try this beer fresh so I don't have the fresh comparison. Overall, it was a fun verticle
236 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Very bitter, loads of dark fruit flavors, which I enjoyed. No head retention and 0 barrel presence. Taste and nose followed in unison. I didn't try this beer fresh so I don't have the fresh comparison. Overall, it was a fun verticle
236 characters
4.57/5 rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.49/5 rDev -17.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Either I waited too long to drink this one, or this is the weakest of the B-day Reserve series.
95 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Either I waited too long to drink this one, or this is the weakest of the B-day Reserve series.
95 characters
4.25/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.93/5 rDev -7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.84/5 rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Brown and black, head didn't really come about in an impressive way, appearance points largely guided by the color, not so much anything else.
Dark fruit, roast, chocolate, bourbon very subdued.
Taste, good, but lacking the barrel quality of previous iterations. Too much licorice in the mouthfeel. Its like they blended this with a belgian dark strong ale. Screw the adjuncts, just make the usual BB barrel aged beer.
425 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Brown and black, head didn't really come about in an impressive way, appearance points largely guided by the color, not so much anything else.
Dark fruit, roast, chocolate, bourbon very subdued.
Taste, good, but lacking the barrel quality of previous iterations. Too much licorice in the mouthfeel. Its like they blended this with a belgian dark strong ale. Screw the adjuncts, just make the usual BB barrel aged beer.
425 characters
4.1/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pitch black and opaque without a trace of lighter color even when held to a light source. One finger beige head that vey slowly settles into a lasting cap/ring. Great retention, taking a while to settle and coating the glass with sheets of soapy lacing.
Slightly boozy aroma with prominent bourbon barrel character integrated into the notes of the base beer. Dry, earthy oak, vanilla bean, marshmallow and spicy bourbon but the barrel and booze don't interfere with the complex malt bill. Slightly smokey with lots of robust, roasted malt and subtle desert-like sweetness. Hints of coffee bean, oatmeal, toast and dark. chocolate followed by caramel and toffee sweetness. Also picking up some candi sugar, licorice and vinous dark fruit.
Slightly viscous full body with a strong boozy bourbon barrel presence up front with spicy spirit, heat and lots of dry, earthy oak. A touch of vanilla and toasted coconut but the spicy alcohol bite and charred wood overpower a bit. Underneath, there is prominent roasted dark malt countered by subtle chocolate sweetness. Also some vinous wine and dark fruit esters along with delicate spice and licorice. Bourbon soaked oak chips with some coffee bean, charcoal, charred toast, oatmeal and bittersweet dark chocolate. Also some sweet bakers chocolate and subtle hints of fudge/chocolate cake. Vinous dark fruit notes buried in there with some date, plum, fig and raisin. Pretty complex but the bourbon and heavy roast quickly begin to dominate the palate.
1,514 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pitch black and opaque without a trace of lighter color even when held to a light source. One finger beige head that vey slowly settles into a lasting cap/ring. Great retention, taking a while to settle and coating the glass with sheets of soapy lacing.
Slightly boozy aroma with prominent bourbon barrel character integrated into the notes of the base beer. Dry, earthy oak, vanilla bean, marshmallow and spicy bourbon but the barrel and booze don't interfere with the complex malt bill. Slightly smokey with lots of robust, roasted malt and subtle desert-like sweetness. Hints of coffee bean, oatmeal, toast and dark. chocolate followed by caramel and toffee sweetness. Also picking up some candi sugar, licorice and vinous dark fruit.
Slightly viscous full body with a strong boozy bourbon barrel presence up front with spicy spirit, heat and lots of dry, earthy oak. A touch of vanilla and toasted coconut but the spicy alcohol bite and charred wood overpower a bit. Underneath, there is prominent roasted dark malt countered by subtle chocolate sweetness. Also some vinous wine and dark fruit esters along with delicate spice and licorice. Bourbon soaked oak chips with some coffee bean, charcoal, charred toast, oatmeal and bittersweet dark chocolate. Also some sweet bakers chocolate and subtle hints of fudge/chocolate cake. Vinous dark fruit notes buried in there with some date, plum, fig and raisin. Pretty complex but the bourbon and heavy roast quickly begin to dominate the palate.
1,514 characters
4.25/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.85/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Black Butte XXIV from Deschutes Brewery
4.24
out of 5
based on 879 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4