If anyone were to ask me what my favorite beer styles are, I always respond
IPA, Porters and Stouts. Like the hometown hero,
Summit's Great Northern Porter,
Deschutes' Black Butte Porter is another one of my favorites. In honor of the brewery's twentieth anniversary in 2008, they brewed an imperial version of this beer adding cocoa nibs, coffee beans and aging a portion in bourbon barrels. And they more than doubled the ABV. They called it
Black Butte XX. They did it again in 2009 and called it, well,
Black Butte XXI. I had the XXI and the result was amazing. I purchased this beer at the
Eden Prairie Muni next to Kowalskis back in May. The intent was to take it along to our annual Men's retreat in early June. But then I noticed something I had never seen on a bottle of beer before. Not a "Best By" date but a "Best After" date. BEST AFTER: 10/17/10 it read. Okay so I would need to do a little aging first. Well I couldn't wait any longer. Last night we had dinner with some friends so I broke it out. Wow this impressed from the start. The aroma was a amazing; full, dark and rich. The flavor followed the aroma up in the most perfect way. I hate it when yo
u get a nice nose and the flavor is completely different or just crap in general. The aroma of this beer suggested that what was to come was going to be special. And it was. It's hard to describe the flavors in this one, but I can say it was less coffee than most c
offee beers, less chocolate than most chocolate beers and less bourbon than most barrel aged beers. But together they were all recognizable, existing harmoniously together creating a Gothic mix of java/cocoa with dried fruits and rich tobacco. Mouthfeel was big but not syrupy. The 11% was not boozy and barely distinguishable. If you like big porters and you can find it, pick one up. Better yet, pick up two and drink one now and save one for the inevitable holiday season. You'll be glad you did. For me it was Christmas in July!
IPA, Porters and Stouts. Like the hometown hero, Summit's Great Northern Porter, Deschutes' Black Butte Porter is another one of my favorites. In honor of the brewery's twentieth anniversary in 2008, they brewed an imperial version of this beer adding cocoa nibs, coffee beans and aging a portion in bourbon barrels. And they more than doubled the ABV. They called it Black Butte XX. They did it again in 2009 and called it, well, 
Black Butte XXI. I had the XXI and the result was amazing. I purchased this beer at the Eden Prairie Muni next to Kowalskis back in May. The intent was to take it along to our annual Men's retreat in early June. But then I noticed something I had never seen on a bottle of beer before. Not a "Best By" date but a "Best After" date. BEST AFTER: 10/17/10 it read. Okay so I would need to do a little aging first. Well I couldn't wait any longer. Last night we had dinner with some friends so I broke it out. Wow this impressed from the start. The aroma was a amazing; full, dark and rich. The flavor followed the aroma up in the most perfect way. I hate it when yo
u get a nice nose and the flavor is completely different or just crap in general. The aroma of this beer suggested that what was to come was going to be special. And it was. It's hard to describe the flavors in this one, but I can say it was less coffee than most c
offee beers, less chocolate than most chocolate beers and less bourbon than most barrel aged beers. But together they were all recognizable, existing harmoniously together creating a Gothic mix of java/cocoa with dried fruits and rich tobacco. Mouthfeel was big but not syrupy. The 11% was not boozy and barely distinguishable. If you like big porters and you can find it, pick one up. Better yet, pick up two and drink one now and save one for the inevitable holiday season. You'll be glad you did. For me it was Christmas in July!
