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.

View on Ratebeer.com

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.

View on Ratebeer.com

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.


View on Ratebeer.com