Deschutes Black Butte XXIII, Porter brewed with cocoa nibs, orange and natural flavors added, with 25% aged in bourbon barrels.
Inescapably ebon, under a rich, coffee and cream head, slowly sifting. Nice.
Rich chocolate notes in the nose first, along comes anise, then vanilla, oak and bourbon. Deeply complex malty aromatics.
In the mouth, it's all kinds of dark, malty complexity. Layers and layers of coffee, chocolate, licorice, and bourbon. Sweet vanilla and bourbon notes come into play next, they merge and melt in the mouth. Sensations rise, grow, develop, and keep on keeping on.
I have to admit that the oranges and the chiles are not showing up on my palate. Or, I'm not picking them out. The dark flavors overwhelm anything else, especially the Seville oranges. I'm not sure why they tossed that in there, it doesn't have a chance. Chiles are minor, too. But these quibbles take nothing away from what's actually in here, that's for sure.
Gets smoother and silkier as we go on, but the complexity never lessens. Beeyooteeful, mmm and mmm, and mmm. Happy 23, Deschutes.
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