Almost done with the sampler pack, I swear! Originally tasted on February 27th, 2012, this review also comes by way of the notebook.
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| Boulevard Nutcracker Ale (English Strong Ale) |
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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