Beer of the Weekend #8: Black Butte Porter

The beer this weekend is Black Butte Porter brewed by the Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Oregon.


I don’t feel like expounding much on my beer tonight so I’ll get straight to the meat (or tofu, in my case). I could make a ton of “butte” references and jokes but I’m not in the mood.

Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.

Appearance: Deep, opaque black. But, amazingly, light was able to sneak through. A creamy head dissipated quickly.

Smell: Chocolate malts and roasted coffee.

Taste: Malty with a tiny bit of hop bitterness in the beginning. The chocolate comes through but isn’t overpowering. The description tag at BevMo! said it was a little sweet, and it does leave a sweet taste on the palette. The coffee is also subdued in the taste but present and enjoyable. It’s like a hybrid of Stockyard Stout and Pipeline Porter.

Drinkability: It’s drinkable but not spectacular. Good flavor and well balanced, and would go well with barbeque.

Fun facts about Black Butte Porter:

-Alcohol content: 5.2 percent

-Serving temperature: 45-50°F (it’s not recommend to put two bottles in the freezer and forget about them for two hours, as I accidentally did — again).

-Calories: 192 per bottle.

-The Deschutes Brewery is named after the Deschutes River (pronounced Deh-Shootz; “Rivière des Chutes” is French for “River of Falls”). Interestingly, tonight I pulled out my copy of Raymond Carver’s “Fires,” a collection of his essays, poetry, and fiction, and I discovered a poem called “Deschutes River.” It was very Carver.

-Small breweries love to plaster their labels and carrying cases with beautiful descriptions of their local landscapes and the brews they make. Deschutes Brewery is no different. Found on the case is this flattering verbiage:

Towering high above Central Oregon, jutting into clear blue skies, Black Butte can be seen for miles. From its base flows the legendary Metolius River — with its source hidden deep beneath ancient lava flows.

Dark and distinctive like Black Butte itself, Black Butte Porter uses chocolate and crystal malts, crafting a rich, approachable porter.

No corny frogs here. But it makes me wonder: 1) Why haven’t I gone to Oregon yet?, and 2) Is there such a thing as an unapproachable porter?


The Quiet Man’s grade: Good. Smooth. Dark. B-

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