Boulevard Bully! Porter

(Boulevard Sampler Pack 6/6)

We've finally reached the end.  Are you tired of Boulevard yet?  I hope not, they may excellent beer, and I have more reviews to come in the near future.  As with the others, this review comes via the notebook, and the sampler was obtained at Marketplace Liquors in Minot, ND.  I reviewed this final beer of the pack on March 1, 2012.

Brewed By: Boulevard Brewing Company
Style: Porter
ABV: 5.4%

What the brewer says...

"The intense flavors of dark-roasted malt in Boulevard’s rendition of the classic English porter are perfectly balanced by a generous and complex hop character. Bully! Porter’s robust nature makes it the ideal companion to a variety of foods, from seafood to chocolate."

What I say...

Bully! Porter pours out dark brown with a reddish hue when held up to the light.  Creamy caramel colored head that leaves traces as you empty your glass.

Nice aroma of roasted malts and caramel.  This is a very appealing beer, both visually and aromatically.

The initial taste is quite bitter, with piles of roasted malt and some coffee on the finish.  Quite a bit stronger and sharper than I expected.  The coffee flavor lingers on the tongue.

Aroma: 8/10
Appearance:5x/5
Taste: 7/10
Palate: 3/5

Overall: 15/20

While I enjoyed this beer, I felt it didn't quite live up to the wonderful presentation.  The bitterness on the end was a bit overwhelming, and, in my eyes, a bit too pronounced for the style.  It was very good, but fell just short of great in my opinion.  Bully! Porter is very much worth a try if you can get your hands on it, but came in behind Single Wide and Nutcracker in the sampler pack reviews.

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Boulevard Nutcracker Ale

(Boulevard Sampler Pack 5/6)

Almost done with the sampler pack, I swear!  Originally tasted on February 27th, 2012, this review also comes by way of the notebook.

Boulevard Nutcracker Ale
(English Strong Ale)

Brewed By: Boulevard Brewing Company
Style: English Strong Ale
ABV: 5.9%

What the brewer says...

"Nutcracker Ale is Boulevard’s holiday gift for real beer lovers. This hearty, warming brew is a classic winter ale, deep amber in color, with hints of molasses balanced by the “spiciness” of freshly harvested Chinook hops."

What I say...

"Nutcracker Ale".  Christmas colours.  What's that mean to you?  To me, I assumed it would be winter ale - brown, some spicy warmth, something like that.  Probably nothing too exciting.  I've only had a few so-called "winter ales", so my experience is limited, but that's what I expected.

That's not at all what I got.

Nutcracker Ale is not a winter ale, it's an English Strong Ale. Because I try to avoid reading rating sites before reviewing something for myself, I was unaware of this fact.

It pours out golden brown with a thick, creamy head that seemingly goes forever.  A fairly slow pour resulted in so much foam that I had to wait for it to settle out a bit before I could put the last bit of the bottle into the glass.

The aroma is mild, not much on the nose here at all.  Faint hints of citrus hops.  I think.  Really, I had a hard time picking out anything at all.

But on the tongue... wow, hops!  No doubt about it here.  There's some light malt, and a strong pine needle hops bitterness that lasts long after swallowing.  Finish is nicely carbonated and leaves me wanting another.

Aroma: 4/10
Appearance: 5/5
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 5/5

Overall: 17/20

I'm very rarely truly surprised when I taste a new beer.  Usually I have a least some idea what I'm tasting and what I can expect.  Not so with Nutcracker, and it was a fantastic surprise in every way.  This is a great beer - if you're down Minot way next winter, put it on your Christmas list.

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Boulevard Amber Ale

(Boulevard Sampler Pack 4/6)

Review from THE NOTEBOOK, originally tasted February 25th, 2012.

Boulevard Amber Ale (Amber Ale)

Brewed By: Boulevard Brewing Company
Style: Amber Ale
ABV: 5.1%

What the brewer says...

"Boulevard Amber Ale is an exceptionally well-balanced beer, complex yet thirst-quenching. American pale malt provides a firm foundation. English specialty malts impart a nutty sweetness, perfectly complemented by noble German hops. The deep coppery color holds the light, reflecting a ruddy glow, and the finish is clean, round, and delicious."

What I say...

I'm a fairly big amber ale fan.  When I was still cutting my teeth on beer, brews such as Rickards Red and Keith's Amber Ale served as a gateway between fizzy yellow BMC's and delicious craft beer.  For that reason, amber ales are a style I often go to when I'm looking for something easy to drink at the end of a long day, and I was anxious to give Boulevard's take on the style a try.

Boulevard Amber Ale poured out nice and red, with nice fluffy white foam after a vigorous pour.  The head faded away quickly, and left no traces on the glass.  The aroma was fairly faint - some malts on the nose, and a hint of something fruity that reminded me of apples.

Carbonation was middle of the road and it came with a nice copper malt taste which lingered on my tongue for a few seconds after.  Slight taste of hops and apple on the end.

Appearance: 4/5
Aroma: 4/10
Taste: 6/10
Palate: 4/5

Overall: 14/20

I quite enjoyed this.  The aroma was faint, and the taste wasn't overly complex, but it was a nice take on an easy drinking style.  This would make a great beer for anyone who's a fan of red beers or is looking for something to enjoy on a quiet night.

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Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat Beer

(Boulevard Sampler Pack 3/6)

This is beer number 3 of 6 from the sampler pack I picked up in Minot, ND around New Year's - I originally tasted it on February 24th, 2012.

Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat Beer (Wheat Ale)

Brewed By: Boulevard Brewing Company
Style: Wheat Ale
ABV: 4.4%

What the brewer says...

"Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat Beer is a lively, refreshing ale with a naturally citrusy flavor and distinctive cloudy appearance. It is reminiscent of the wheat beers that were brewed at the turn of the century, before the advent of modern filtration. This easy-drinking American-style wheat beer has become our most popular offering, and the best-selling craft beer in the Midwest. 2008 GABF gold medal winner in Session Beer category."

What I say...

I always try to review beer fairly when it comes to style.  Sometimes, I will cut a beer some slack on taste or aroma, simply because I know that said style is supposed to taste a certain way, even if it's not necessarily the way I prefer my beer to be.  Most of the time though, I review things as I see them, based on how much (or little) I enjoyed it, and how likely (or unlikely) I am to seek it out again.

With that in mind: wheat beers are not my favorite style.

Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat pours out hazy and yellow, with little to no head.  What little head there is, is gone shortly thereafter.  No lace is left on the glass as you drink.

The aroma is faint and nearly undetectable, but if I search for it, I can detect faint hints of citrus and soap.

This beer is very smooth and quite bubbly - carbonation levels here are higher than average.  It's initially quite mellow tasting, though there are mild citrus notes on the finish.  There's basically no hop bitterness here at all.

Aroma: 4/10
Appearance: 2/5
Taste: 6/10
Palate: 4/5

Overall: 11/20

This beer is fine.  It's absolutely, positively OK.  There's nothing bad I can note about it, but there's simply nothing interesting here either.  If you like wheat beers, you might get a bit more out of this than I did, I think it's an above average wheat beer.  If I'd been drinking this on a hot summer day, I might have enjoyed it more than I did as well.  As is, I'd take another if it were given to me, but I'd never seek it out to purchase again.

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Boulevard Pale Ale

(Boulevard Sampler Pack 2/6)

Review from THE NOTEBOOK, originally tasted January 27th, 2012.

Boulevard Pale Ale (American Pale Ale)

Brewed By: Boulevard Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.4%

What the brewer says...

"Boulevard Pale Ale is a smooth, fruity, well-balanced beer with year-round appeal. A variety of caramel malts impart a rich flavor and amber color, while liberal use of whole hops adds zest and aroma. Pale Ale is the first beer we brewed, and continues to be a perennial favorite."

What I say...

Number two from the Boulevard Brewing sampler pack I picked up in Minot, I had high expectations for this one as well. "Pale Ale" can be a wildly varied style, ranging from the smooth and not-at-all-pale Bass, to the light and hoppy Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Having just tasted the excellent Single-Wide, I expected something on the hoppy side.

It poured out coppery-gold, with thin head that faded quickly.  The aroma was lacking - I had to swirl it around a bit and cover the top just to get a decent whiff.  Once I did get a hint of it, I found it to be maltier than I expected, no citrusy hops on the nose at all.

On the tongue it's very smooth, with hints of coppery malts.  There are some citrus hops on the tail end here, but nothing close to the Single-Wide.

Aroma: 4/10
Taste: 6/10
Appearance: 3/5
Palate: 3/5

Overall: 13/20

I expected more out of this one.  Maybe it was unfair, having tasted the Single-Wide first, but I just felt there was something lacking with this brew.  It was good, but not great, and in the end, it left me wishing I'd had another Single-Wide.

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Boulevard Single-Wide IPA

(Boulevard Sampler Pack 1/6)

Review from THE NOTEBOOK, originally tasted January 27th, 2012.

Boulevard Single-Wide IPA (IPA)

Brewed By: Boulevard Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
ABV: 5.7%

What the brewer says...

"Boulevard Single-Wide I.P.A. is our take on a style that originated in 18th century Great Britain. This American version—inspired by our Smokestack Series Double-Wide I.P.A.—boasts a heady combination of six varieties of hops, some of which were employed for dry-hopping."

What I say...

IPA's are one of my favorite styles, particularly those that are generously dry hopped, so I had high expectations for this one.

It poured a beautiful hazy gold with tons of head - as you can see from the picture, it nearly overflowed, and I had to leave a bit in the bottle before continuing to pour. Lots of aroma here; the sweet, citrusy hops are very pronounced.

Citrus hops are obvious on the first taste - this IPA certainly lives up to it's billing.  Carbonation is medium and you're left with a slightly oily feel in your mouth, along with the lingering bitterness of hops.  A nice lace is left on the glass all the way down as you drink.

Aroma: 9/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 9/10
Palate: 4/5

Overall: 18/20

Lots of hops here - any hop head should go out of their way to get their hands on this one. This is an excellent beer, and I would be a very happy beer geek if I could get it locally.

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St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout

I've decided to change my attack here a bit - rather than simply dumping all of the old reviews I have first and remaining constantly behind, I've decided I'll post my current reviews as I do them, while filling blank days with something from the archives.  This way my current reviews will be fresh in my head at the time of posting, rather than simply rewriting my notes.

So, without further adieu, my most recent entry in the notebook.

St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout (Stout)

Brewed By: McAuslan Brewing
Style: Stout
ABV: 5%

What the brewer says...

"Brewed from 40 percent dark malts and roasted barley, this intensely black ale carries strong hints of espresso and chocolate. Oatmeal contributes body and a long-lasting mocha-colored head to this well-hopped beer."

What I say...

I get this one on my occasional trips to Saskatchewan - I have a buddy who runs a small town hotel out there that orders it in special for me.  It's $17 a case, so it's a bit pricey, but since I can't get it in Manitoba, it's worth the extra cost for me.

Like any good stout, this beer pours as black as night, not letting even a speck of light through to the other side.  With a generous pour, you're rewarded with a thick, creamy head the color of caramel.  Gorgeous.

Mounds of malt on the nose, with hints of coffee as well.  All in all, the pre-drink package is extremely inviting.  While taking in the scenery, the head faded to a thin lace - fairly typical of most stouts (Guinness being a notable exception, naturally).

The first taste is excellent - a rush of roasted malt across my taste buds, followed by an aftertaste of coffee and chocolate.  Warms the palate and leaves lingering roasted malt taste that begs me for another taste.

Aroma: 9/10
Taste: 10/10
Appearance: 5/5
Palate: 5/5

Overall: 19/20

There's absolutely nothing bad I can say about this beer - I love it.  Since the first time I tasted it while living in London, Ontario, it's been one of my all time favorites.  I can only hope that the MLCC will eventually start carrying it, so I don't have to drive 90 minutes to stock up.

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New Belgium Snow Day

Review from January 5th, 2012, via THE NOTEBOOK...

New Belgium Snow Day (Black IPA)

Brewed By: New Belgium Brewing Company
Style: Black IPA
ABV: 6.2%

What the brewer says...

"Pleasantly hoppy, Snow Day carries the subtle chocolate and caramel flavors of a new brewing malt known as Midnight Wheat. The Styrian Golding, Centennial and Cascade hops bring the backbone of hoppy bitterness to complement the roasty undertones. This beer is the deep garnet of a roasted walnut and presents a creamy tan head, floating artfully atop. Snow Day is bold and hoppy, drinkable and strong."

What I say...

I found this one during a trip down to Minot that resulted in $20 worth of customs fees on beer alone.  New Belgium was plentiful down there, but I got this particular 6 pack at one of the Marketplace Liquorstores.

It pours a glorious black with a generous amount of head, but the prize here is the aroma - it's wonderfully hoppy with a citrus nose.

The head fades down to a thin layer after a few minutes but leaves nice lacing all the way down the glass.  It's nicely hopped on the first taste and the roasted malts come out on the finish.  Lingering hop bitterness on the tongue after swallowing.  Surprisingly smooth for a high-hop beer.  There is of course some bitterness left in your mouth, but it's not overwhelming at all.

Aroma: 8/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 4/5

Overall: 17/20

I loved this beer.  If I could get it in Manitoba, I'd likely pick up a fresh case once a week.  Two thumbs up. 

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Traquair Jacobite Ale

My first review from December 30, 2011, via THE NOTEBOOK...

Traquair Jacobite Ale (Traditional Ale)

Brewed By: Traquair
Style: Traditional Ale
ABV: 8%

What the brewer says...


"Brewed to celebrate the anniversary of the 1745 Jacobite rebellion the ale proved to be so popular it has become a permanent addition to the range. Based on an eighteenth century recipe the ale is spiced with coriander which gives a remarkably fresh aftertaste."


What I say...

 Picked this one up at the Brandon Liquormart some time in November and it sat in my cellar for a few weeks until I cracked it just before New Year's Eve.

Categorized as a "traditional ale" by RateBeer.com, Jacobite Ale has a light nutty, roasted smell, with no discernible hop characteristics. The aroma is quite subtle here.

It pours reddish brown with a creamy head initially, which fades to very thin lace in short order.

Initial flavor is slightly sweet before a pleasant bitterness comes through on the finish, leaving a burnt malt taste on the palate.  It's certainly not a light beer, but I wouldn't call it heavy either..  Carbonation is minimal and the alcohol taste is muted, particular when you consider the 8% ABV stat.


Aroma: 6/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 7/10
Palate: 3/5

Overall: 15/20

This guy is currently sitting at 99/99 over on ratebeer, but it doesn't rate quite that highly in my books.  While the taste is good, and it's quite drinkable, in the end it's somewhat unremarkable, and that hurts it a bit, I think.


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A quick first post

Fortunately, I can read my own hand-writing.

After spending an evening drinking beer and chatting with The Cranky Beer Blogger, I decided that I should start putting my notes and pictures up in a public place, instead of just throwing reviews on RateBeer.com and dumping pictures on Facebook that only my buddies can see.

So, I've set this up. Most posts will likely be beer related, but you should see the odd post about computers or life in general as well.

I think I'll start by dumping out the contents of my trusty notebook; I've got a pile of old reviews and pictures to match em, so it'll be a good place to start.