Deschutes Black Butte Porter – Oregon's Original Craft Dark Ale

Updated → February 2026

Deschutes Black Butte Porter is an American porter brewed in Bend, Oregon, with a silky mouthfeel and layered chocolate, coffee, and roasty flavors. At 5.5% ABV, this 6-pack of cans is available now at Bel Pre Beer & Wine in Silver Spring, MD for $18.99.

Introduction

Some beers define a brewery. For Deschutes Brewery, that beer is Deschutes Black Butte Porter. First brewed in 1988 when Deschutes opened its doors in Bend, Oregon, Black Butte Porter was the very first recipe the brewery ever produced. Nearly four decades later, it remains the best-selling craft porter in the United States and a benchmark for the American porter style.

Named after the volcanic cinder cone that rises from the Cascade Range just west of Bend, this porter pours a deep mahogany-black with a tan head and delivers a study in balance: chocolate and coffee notes layered over a creamy, medium-bodied frame with just enough roasted grain character to keep things interesting. Whether you are a seasoned craft beer enthusiast or exploring darker styles for the first time, this is one of the most approachable porters on the market. Pick up a 6-pack of cans right now at Bel Pre Beer & Wine in Silver Spring.

The American Porter Market

While IPAs and hazy ales dominate tap lists, porters have quietly maintained a loyal following among drinkers who value malt-forward depth over hop-driven intensity. The style traces its origins to eighteenth-century London, where it emerged as a working-class ale blending brown, pale, and stale malts. American craft brewers adopted and reimagined the style in the 1980s, introducing cleaner fermentation profiles and bolder specialty malt character.

Deschutes Black Butte Porter arrived right at the start of that reinvention. In an era when dark beer was either mass-produced stout or import-only territory, Black Butte proved that a domestic craft brewery could make something both dark and drinkable. Its success helped normalize dark ales for a generation of American drinkers.

Today the porter category faces competition from pastry stouts, imperial porters, and barrel-aged variants that push sweetness and alcohol to extremes. Against that backdrop, Deschutes Black Butte Porter stands out precisely because it does not try to be extreme. At 5.5% ABV, it is a beer you can enjoy more than one of in a sitting, and its restrained roast character makes it versatile at the table.

Style and Flavor Profile

Black Butte Porter is an American porter, a style defined by the Beer Judge Certification Program as a substantial, malty dark beer with complex dark malt character. American porters generally fall between 4.8% and 6.5% ABV, with moderate hop bitterness balancing the roast. Black Butte sits right in the middle at 5.5%, keeping it in everyday drinking territory.

The aroma opens with chocolate and dark roasted grain, followed by subtle dried fruit and light nuttiness. On the palate, the mouthfeel is creamy, smooth, and medium-bodied with gentle carbonation that lifts the malt flavors. The flavor unfolds in layers: bittersweet chocolate reminiscent of high-quality cocoa powder, followed by a cold-brew coffee wave, with lightly toasted bread and faint caramel sweetness underneath.

The finish is clean and moderately dry with just enough roasted bitterness to invite the next sip. Hops serve strictly as a supporting player, keeping sweetness in check without asserting themselves. This balance is what makes Black Butte Porter so distinctive. Many porters lean too far into either sweetness or astringency, but Deschutes has calibrated this recipe over decades to hit the sweet spot.

How Black Butte Porter Is Made

The grain bill features several specialty malts that contribute the beer's signature color and complexity. Chocolate malt provides the dominant cocoa and roast character, crystal malts add body and caramel sweetness, and a small addition of black patent malt deepens the color without introducing harsh bitterness. The base is domestic pale malt, providing a clean canvas for the specialty grains.

Hop additions are minimal and purposeful. Traditional American and continental varieties contribute about 30 IBUs, enough to offset malt sweetness but well below the point where hop flavor would compete with roast character. Fermentation uses a clean American ale yeast at moderate temperatures, producing a neutral profile that lets the malt shine.

Bend, Oregon's naturally soft, low-mineral water is ideal for brewing dark styles where you want smooth, rounded flavors rather than sharp mineral edges. This natural starting point gives Deschutes an advantage for a style that rewards subtlety and finesse.

Food Pairings

The chocolate and coffee dimensions of Black Butte Porter make it a natural companion for a wide range of foods. Grilled meats are a classic pairing: the caramelized crust on a charcoal-grilled burger or slow-smoked brisket harmonizes with the malty sweetness, while the roast character echoes smoky flavors from the grill. Barbecue ribs with molasses-based sauce work exceptionally well, as the porter's bitterness cuts through the richness.

For lighter fare, sharp cheddar or aged gouda amplify the caramel and toffee notes in the porter. A cheese board with aged cheddar, salted dark chocolate, roasted almonds, and dried figs is practically tailor-made for this beer.

Dessert is where Black Butte Porter really shines. Chocolate brownies, tiramisu, bread pudding with caramel sauce, or chocolate lava cake all find a willing partner. The coffee notes tie into espresso-flavored desserts beautifully, and moderate carbonation cleanses the palate between bites.

How to Serve

Serving Black Butte Porter ice-cold will mute its best qualities. The ideal temperature is between 45 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit, so pull the cans from the fridge about ten to fifteen minutes before pouring. A tulip glass or English pint with a slight taper concentrates the aromas, though a standard pint glass works fine for casual drinking. Pour at a moderate angle to build a half-inch to one-inch head of tan foam.

At a gathering, offer Black Butte alongside a lighter beer like a pilsner or wheat ale. The contrast allows guests to appreciate the porter's depth while having a refreshing alternative. Porters also work well in a tasting flight with a dry stout or brown ale to illustrate the range within the dark beer family.

Beer Cocktails and Mixing

The classic porter cocktail is the Black and Tan: pour a pale ale or lager into a pint glass, then slowly float Black Butte Porter over the back of a spoon to create two distinct visual layers. For something richer, try a Porter Flip by combining four ounces of Black Butte with one ounce of bourbon, half an ounce of simple syrup, and one egg. Dry-shake, add ice, shake again, and strain into a coupe glass with grated nutmeg.

In the kitchen, Black Butte excels as a braising liquid for short ribs or pot roast, adding chocolate-like depth that caramelizes as it reduces. It also works as a substitute for coffee in chocolate cake recipes, contributing moisture and subtle malt sweetness.

Buying Guide

Deschutes Black Butte Porter is available at Bel Pre Beer & Wine in a 6-pack of 12-ounce cans for $18.99. At roughly $3.17 per can, it offers exceptional value for a nationally recognized, award-winning porter.

Check the packaging date on the bottom of the can. Porters are best consumed within four to six months of packaging for peak freshness. If you are buying for a group or stocking up, consider grabbing two or three 6-packs. Black Butte tends to convert skeptics who claim they do not like dark beer, so extra on hand is always wise.

Comparisons With Similar Porters

Anchor Porter tends to be slightly more bitter and less creamy than Black Butte, edging closer to stout territory. Founders Porter leans heavier on chocolate with a fuller body and more residual sweetness at 6.5% ABV, giving it more warmth but less sessionability. Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter offers a more assertively roasted profile with prominent coffee bitterness, but lacks the creamy smoothness that defines Black Butte.

Sierra Nevada Porter has a lighter body and more noticeable hop presence, making it a fine everyday beer but one that many drinkers find less cohesive than Black Butte. For those who want their porter balanced and approachable above all else, Black Butte remains the category leader.

Seasonal and Vintage Notes

Black Butte Porter is a year-round offering, but Deschutes also produces limited anniversary editions at imperial strength with ingredients like chocolate, vanilla, coffee beans, and chipotle peppers. These are highly collectible. The standard 6-pack, however, is not intended for cellaring: moderate alcohol and hop levels mean it does not benefit from aging. Enjoy it fresh.

Seasonally, Black Butte is particularly suited to fall and winter with its warming malt character. But do not overlook it in summer: a slightly chilled porter after an afternoon of grilling is surprisingly refreshing.

Occasions and Gifting

A 6-pack of Black Butte Porter makes a thoughtful gift for craft beer fans. Pair it with a pint glass, a bar of artisan dark chocolate, and a bag of whole-bean coffee for a themed gift that hits all the right notes. For holiday gatherings, it pairs beautifully with roasted turkey, glazed ham, and pecan pie.

Game day is another natural occasion. The easy-drinking 5.5% ABV means guests can enjoy several over a long afternoon, and the dark color creates a dramatic contrast next to the usual lineup of pale lagers.

Storage and Shelf Life

Store cans upright in a cool, dark place. The refrigerator is ideal, but any location below 60 degrees Fahrenheit works. Cans block 100% of light and seal tightly against oxygen, giving them a significant freshness advantage over bottles. Aim to drink your 6-pack within three to six months of purchase.

A can that has been sitting for several months is still safe to drink but may have lost aromatic complexity. The chocolate and coffee notes fade first, leaving a more generically malty beer that is still enjoyable but less interesting.

Local Availability at Bel Pre Beer & Wine

Check stock and pickup options below. If you see it listed, it's in stock at time of viewing. Deschutes Black Butte Porter is available now at Bel Pre Beer & Wine.

Where to Buy

Grab Deschutes Black Butte Porter now from our online shop. Visit belprefinewine.com for curbside pickup, delivery zones, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions