Beer Review: Black Butte XX, XXII, XXIII and XXIV Vertical (2013)

Reviewing a vertical of Black Butte XX, Black Butte XXI, Black Butte XXIII and Black Butte XXIV from the Deschutes Brewery from Bend, Oregon to commemorate my 400th written review (per BeerAdvocate)! A major thanks and shout out to Edgar Chavez for making this vertical tasting possible. Each vintage of the Barrel Aged Black Butte release is a different formulation.

Black Butte XX is Deschutes' Black Butte porter brewed with chocolate beans and coffee added with 20% aged in bourbon barrel.

Black Butte XXI is similar recipe and strength to Black Butte XX, "enhanced by adding some Theo's Chocolate cocoa nibs from Seattle, dry-hopping it with 100 pounds of Bellatazza's locally roasted coffee, and then aging a portion of it in Stranahan's Colorado whiskey barrels."

Black Butte XXIII is Deschutes' Black Butte porter brewed with cocoa nibs, orange and natural flavors added, with 25% aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Black Butte XXIV is Deschutes' Black Butte porter brewed with dark chocolate nibs, Daglet dates and Mission figs, and partially aged in Bourbon Barrels.

You may notice that Black Butte XXII is missing from the vertical. The reason for this is that there were quality control issues with the batch. Only a very limited number of Black Butte XXII bottles are known to be floating around out there, and those who have had it from the bottle confirm that this is one of the few rare instances in beer where the container, unopened, is more valuable than its actual contents (which are "infected"). Additionally, the Black Butte XXIII is a re-brew of the same formula used for the Black Butte XXII.

Black Butte XIV Score: 90
Black Butte XXIII Score: 88
Black Butte XXI Score: 93
Black Butte XX Score: 90

2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 vintage bottles served side-by-side and enjoyed on 02/10/13 with a few friends.

Appearance
The appearance is strikingly similar on all vintages -- this brew is similar to a dark molasses in appearance/color. The XXIII pour is a little lighter, faintly orange-ish in color in comparison to the other three. Each vintage pours a thin layer of light mocha head that settles to a ring around the glass on all of them. Average lacing and retention using the worst glassware possible. 4/5

Smell

• XIV: Fig, hops, chocolate and a little soy. More dark fruit forward than the other vintages, which is unsurprising. There is a little bit of a "red wine"-ish scent to this vintage. The XIV's nose kind of reminds me of the 2011 Darkness a little bit. There was something also vaguely "herbal" about the XIV nose. There's definitely a little maple present too. 4/5
• XIII: Orange, cocoa, and, when cold, a faint pepper aroma. A little Darkness 2011-like soy sauce too. I get a little figgy dark fruit, but much less than the XIV. 3.75/5
• XXI: Chocolate, faded coffee and a little roast. There's a touch of faded hops and some fig/prune (about the same amount detected in the XXIII nose) too. There is also a bit of smokey malt or peatiness that initially grows as the beer starts warming up, and then fades as the beer approaches room temperature. 4.25/5
• XX: Fruity oxidation and chocolate. I get a faint smokey malt character in the nose that is similar to, but in lesser quantum than, the XXI vintage. 4/5

Taste

• XIV: Dark fruit, less chocolate than the nose and a touch of soy too. There is a touch of spice on the back of the tongue and a little heat from alcohol. Additionally, there is a bit of port-like sweetness that reminds me a little of the Haymarket Acrimonious. 3.75/5
• XIII: Chocolate and orange, faint hops and a little smooth dark fruit. Faint prickle of rye-like kick on the palate after the swallow. No alcohol heat. A touch of fruitiness towards the finish. 3.75/5
• XXI: Smooth, slightly roasty coffee backbone with an overlay of chocolate and just a touch of positive (fruity) oxidation. Delicious! A little more acidic than the other vintages, but I think it works. There's definitely some straight up oak flavor too (which I totally dig). 4.25/5
• XX: Fruity oxidation and chocolate. This vintage has the least amount of dark fruit presence. It is also the least complex vintage. Nonetheless, it drinks pleasantly. 4/5

Mouthfeel
Each of the vintages' mouthfeels are a little heavier than medium bodied, but far from full bodied (and not quite medium-full bodied either). Low carbonation as well. Each of the vintages has a real nice, drinkable balance (none is too sweet or acidic (well the XXI has a little acidity, but in a good way) or whatever). Oily slick feel on the tongue. Only the freshest vintage (XIV) has a little "alcohol heat" to it. 4/5

Overall: I feel like verticals are often "reserved" for rarer and bigger beers like Dark Lord and Bourbon County (Brand) Stout, or even barleywines dating back to the 90's (i.e., Bigfoot), but this was a really fun vertical to do. Nothing was really can't miss here, but nothing had "fallen off," and nothing here was undrinkable by any stretch of the imagination. My favorite vintage in the end was the XXI, but each vintage struck me in a unique way at different points in the vertical as it warmed up. Cold, the XX and XXIII were my favorite.

Cost: $12.99 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle that can cost as much as $19.99.