Deschutes Brewery Black Butte XXIX

**Aroma:** “Classic Northwest hops citrus nose with notes of sweet orange juice, low resin, and multidimensional. Light malt sweetness with notes of honey (like Bit-o-Honey candy), but not overpowering. Fruity yeast esters hint at apple, strawberry, and pear. Ester aromas are strong—the fermentation character is almost stronger than the hops aroma.” **Flavor:** “Medium body for an APA, medium to high carb. Honey character and citrus tartness return in the aftertaste. Reasonable bitterness but could use a bit more hops flavor. Malt is sweet but flat. Alcohol evident. Balance is a bit on the malt sweet side, but the lack of bitter is made up in hops flavor.” **Overall:** “Predominant orange creamsicle character is interesting. It's a more malt-focused pale ale that wanders a bit into winter warmer territory— it borders on ‘English’ in terms of yeast character. There’s enough malt complexity and richness here to back up a bolder showcase of hops.”

__Aroma:__ “Super chocolate presence—sweet, bitter, and dark—on the nose, with some evident roast malt, but it’s very faint. The malt is roasty, but has a slight buttery pie crust character and sits in the back. This beer smells like a chocolate bar.” __Flavor:__ “The initial flavor comes across as a very fine dark chocolate, with some level of nuttiness from pecans. Some creamy sweetness cuts through the dark chocolate and roast, lending some complexity. It’s very rich with the cocoa and deep-roasted coffee notes, and the creaminess lifts the flavor. There are also some notes of plums and cherries. The toasted malts carry through the finish, providing medium-full body and lasting sweetness.” __Overall:__ “The chocolate really dominates, and it’s somewhat difficult to pick out other nuanced flavor profiles. It makes for incredibly smooth drinking—it’s rich, sweet, and decadent. The body does a good job of holding up the chocolate, and it’s one of the better examples I’ve had in a stout.”

__Aroma:__ “Spiced fudge for days. Lots of dark chocolate, cinnamon. Underlying toasty and roasty malt. There’s a deep sweetness of dark maple, and the barrel brings all the character of vanilla along for the ride.” __Flavor:__ “Rich chocolate malts, cinnamon, and vanilla finish. There’s some booze and barrel to balance, but there’s a lot of sweetness. Sweet chocolate, almost chocolate syrup–like, with candied almonds and cinnamon. Caramel malt sweetness comes through, with bourbon and even a hint of coconut. Very low carbonation is just a notch or two above still.” __Overall:__ “This is a big-beer lovers dream—fudge chocolate brownie batter that your kid accidentally spilled some cinnamon in. Incredibly sweet, almost syrupy, yet not as cloying as expected and works surprisingly well with the adjuncts and barrel character. Subtle spice character works great with the bourbon.”