Black Butte

The beer

The 87 depends on a fair comparison. This still drinks as porter. Against the full-strength Black Butte, the loss is oil and a finish that thins a notch early, not the roast. Against the watery nonalcoholic darks that collapse into thin roast tea, the middle has a malt cushion and soft carbonation. That trade is the whole review.

Mouthfeel is the evidence. Soft carbonation over a malt cushion, denser than most nonalcoholic darks, still short of the oily weight the alcoholic sibling carries. Medium body is enough. Bitterness stays modest, so the beer does not pretend to be a stout. Sweetness never takes the center. Roast does. The coffee stays fresh rather than burnt, which is why a second pour feels reasonable. Chocolate hangs for a beat and then the body drops away.

You taste the abbreviation at the end, not in the middle. Cold, from the can or a pint glass, the shape holds while the malt is still in the sip. When it goes, it goes clean. A lighter porter, not a flavored dark soda, and not a copy of the alcoholic can. The score is for how small that gap is. You are not being asked to pretend the alcohol is still in the glass. You are being asked to notice that the porter shape survived. It did.