Thanks to the Bier Stein, last week I had the opportunity to try 4 years of Deschutes' Black Butte Anniversary beers, all on tap. Here are my thoughts:
23 (2011): Made with chocolate nibs, orange zest, and Pasilla Negra chilies, this imperial porter features the chocolate most strongly, with just a hint of citrus and a bit of pepper heat, somewhat amplified by the alcohol spiciness of the beer. Smooth and rich.
24 (2012): This one features chocolate nibs, figs, and dates. It's got a great dark fruit/chocolate blend going on and a heavy, creamy mouthfeel. The chocolate is further forward in the flavor profile, and the alcohol heat less pronounced.
25 (2013): Like the 24, this features dates, figs, and chocolate, but also black currants. It feels much lighter in the mouth, and has a lighter flavor profile overall. There's more of a roast/smoke combination than any of the other beers - the malt definitely comes through much more strongly.
26 (2014): Bourbon-aged, with molasses and cranberries, this version is quite a departure from the past years - it's got a dark, earthy, caramel-heavy flavor. The cranberries add quite a bit of acidity. I'm hoping this one will mellow with age, as it's not tasting very good at the moment.
As always, it's instructive to try several versions of the same base beer at once. 23 and 24 were the best by far - though I remember 24 tasting very good when it was first released, so that's not terribly surprising. Mostly, I just wish I'd cellared a couple bottles of 24 back when it was available for sale.
Those among you who might have bottles of these beers, my advice is to drink 23 and 24 now, but hold onto 25 and 26 for another year or two.
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