The Swill: Black Butte Porter
The Still: Deschutes Brewery
Bend, Oregon
http://www.deschutesbrewery.com
The Drill: American porter, 12oz bottle, 5.2% ABV
The Spill: One of Deschutes' first three creations, the Black Butte Porter is a rare find in that a brewing company would choose a dark beer to name as their flagship brew. Not that there's anything wrong with that as far as this drinker is concerned. However, they also acknowledge that they made it to be smooth drinking as well as robust, and truly, only one characteristic can win out. In this case, the smooth wins out. At 30 IBU, there's no bitterness to back up the smokiness that's all too fleeting, nor is there any real thickness to the mouthfeel to encapsulate the flavors and hold them a little longer on the tongue. Porter's aren't brewed to be stouts, but many are made stouter and more enjoyable than this one.
Says Bill: If there wasn't so much more that was available on the darker end of the spectrum than this beer, I suppose I would be satisfied with it. However, it does the job when there's nothing else around to compete with it. It's a wise reach for someone who's just learning that there's more out there in the way of dark stuff than just Guinness, but for my experienced dark palate, it just doesn't quite cut it.
Refill?: It's decent, no ifs, ands, or...ahem, buttes...about it: 2.5 taps out of 5.