Deschutes Black Butte XXIII

I ordered a bottle of Deschutes Black Butte XXIII from Northwest Liquid Gold. Upon opening the bottle, I enjoyed the encouraging words under the car that read “bravely done.” The beer pours a dark black color with a frothy tan head that barely recedes and lingers for a while. The aroma consists of dark chocolate, sweet bourbon, cherry, orange, toasted malts, vanilla, and caramel. The taste is smooth and biting with a sharp bourbon pinch right on the front end of the experience. After the bourbon subsides a little, chocolate, caramel, toasted malts, and vanilla peek through and sweeten the tongue. The finish brings out some orange and pepper before the bourbon returns and warms the throat. The alcohol content is 10.8% ABV. A word that describes this beer is “wow.” The smoothness of the beer, despite its alcohol content and bourbon accents, is impeccable and even brings a slight citrus accent to sweeten thing up. My response to their “bravely done” comment is “nicely done.”