Deschutes' 29th Birthday Reserve is an interesting one: A porter brewed with cocoa, Saigon cinnamon and cayenne, with 50% aged in Bourbon and rum barrels. It's always a rich and robust limited-release selection, with strong profiles and bold flavors that suggest some cellaring may be required for optimal enjoyment, and this one follows in the same vein. It pours an almost black color, with a frothy tan-colored head that shows good retention. The woody, spicy notes from the Bourbon and rum aging are upfront on the nose, but grounded by a core of lush, mouth-filling flavors of caramel malt, roasted nuts, caramel, prune, fig and fresh vanilla ice cream. Hints of tilled earth, cocoa powder and soaked oak lend depth and complexity to the overall experience, as well as a slight astringency that carries through to the close. The mouthfeel is dense and broad, but lifted on the finish thanks to a spicy hit of cayenne and lingering warmth.
Deschutes' 29th Birthday Reserve is an interesting one: A porter brewed with cocoa, Saigon cinnamon and cayenne, with 50% aged in Bourbon and rum barrels. It's always a rich and robust limited-release selection, with strong profiles and bold flavors that suggest some cellaring may be required for optimal enjoyment, and this one follows in the same vein. It pours an almost black color, with a frothy tan-colored head that shows good retention. The woody, spicy notes from the Bourbon and rum aging are upfront on the nose, but grounded by a core of lush, mouth-filling flavors of caramel malt, roasted nuts, caramel, prune, fig and fresh vanilla ice cream. Hints of tilled earth, cocoa powder and soaked oak lend depth and complexity to the overall experience, as well as a slight astringency that carries through to the close. The mouthfeel is dense and broad, but lifted on the finish thanks to a spicy hit of cayenne and lingering warmth.
Deschutes' 29th Birthday Reserve is an interesting one: A porter brewed with cocoa, Saigon cinnamon and cayenne, with 50% aged in Bourbon and rum barrels. It's always a rich and robust limited-release selection, with strong profiles and bold flavors that suggest some cellaring may be required for optimal enjoyment, and this one follows in the same vein. It pours an almost black color, with a frothy tan-colored head that shows good retention. The woody, spicy notes from the Bourbon and rum aging are upfront on the nose, but grounded by a core of lush, mouth-filling flavors of caramel malt, roasted nuts, caramel, prune, fig and fresh vanilla ice cream. Hints of tilled earth, cocoa powder and soaked oak lend depth and complexity to the overall experience, as well as a slight astringency that carries through to the close. The mouthfeel is dense and broad, but lifted on the finish thanks to a spicy hit of cayenne and lingering warmth.