6.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
On draught at Kauffman Stadium in KC, served in a plastic cup. Pours a darkish-brown color with a medium thin off-white head that diminishes to a compact layer that stays. Lacing spotty but again it was a plastic cup. Aroma of toasted malt, wheat and caramel. Medium-bodied with a somewhat banal flavor profile of roasted malt, banana and caramel. Not much bitterness. The finish is sweet spices and more malt. A lot better than most beers you can find at a ball park, but overall pretty average.
Tried
from Can
on 30 Aug 2007
at 15:33
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
12 oz advance release bottle given to me as a gift at Beertopia, Omaha, NE. Pour is a hazy orange yellow with a perfectly white one inch head. Aroma is honey sweet with cloves. Taste has a nice maltiness to it, along with the honey sweetness (though decidely less strong than expected) and a nice crispness (even spiciness) to the finish. I get some heat on the after taste as it warms, but less than many Tripels I have had. Really well developed complexity. I am generally luke warm on the style, but this one was really tasty.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Aug 2007
at 14:03
9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
I can’t believe I have never updated my rating of this - have had in the bottle many times and have always been impressed - I recently had the opportunity to try a three year old bottle (thanks, Eugene!) and was completely floored - soooo dry and delicious - funky, but not in a way that interferes with the refreshing nature of the beer - superbly balanced - I must buy a bunch and age them for a few years - a beautiful beer - [BCTC ’07] 2006 vintage, 3.9- had this last year and failed to rate it - I must say that one year later this beer has gotten much more complex than I remember - huge brett aroma, with a nice floral character and dried herbs - very grassy and earthy, complimented by the barnyardy brett funkiness - herbal and lemony, with a background cheesy flavor that I usually only taste in really complex lambics (ie. Cantillon) - really nice stuff.
Tried
from Can
on 23 Jul 2007
at 19:18
9.8/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 10
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 10
BCTC - 2007 version on tap. Probably the highlight of the fest for me, I am not saying top rated but the highlight for sure. Yellow murky with a small head. Aroma is all damn brett and fresh as hell (what I like to refer as cherry juice with sourness) it completely dominates. Taste is herbal and grassy outside of the sourness, a nice dichotomy. Very light and quaffable though. I had the 06 version as well (no notes) and I remember it less grassy.8/4/7/3/16.
Re-rate: JB shared an 2006 version, 3 years old (consumed 01/2009) at Indra’s Strong Ale tasting. This was a bottled, in-house and it was so damn bretty at this point. Lots of general funk with thick musky floral aspects. Aged very nicely so far and give me much hope for my bottles.9/4/8/3/17.
My first rating from a bottle but I have had this a lot. 2008 bottle number 12000 out of 11950 (hilarious, I know). This was a 3-year old bottle that was split three ways including notalush. Popped the cork and the head rushed up the neck, just enough to turtle but did not gush out. Perfectly done Blvd. The beer is a beautiful orange-ish glow to the beer, too thick to see through, and has a large, foamy head. Otherwise, its all amazing tropical and wild brett. Absolutely no sign of age. Love this damn beer. 9/5/9/4/18.
Final Update (6/2013): Last year I did a blind tasting of different vintages of this beer aged in different conditions (fresh, cellar, wine fridge, closet). This year we made the tasting even bigger (2011 @ 63; 2011 @ 70; 2012 @ 70; 2013; 2011 @ 55; 2012 - store; 2012 @ 55; 2008 - closet). That is a range of first batch to most recent and a mix of different cellar temps for the past 2 years.
Bottom Line: fresh bottles are slightly above average for this beer with a strong hop presence and not much brett. The best bottles are those that mesh the dry hop with the brett. So, delicately aged for 2 years or the year old bottle that sat on the store shelf. Worst was the first batch, age very present.
This is definitely the beer I have the most experience with and its as close as to the best beer as far as I am concerned.
Re-rate: JB shared an 2006 version, 3 years old (consumed 01/2009) at Indra’s Strong Ale tasting. This was a bottled, in-house and it was so damn bretty at this point. Lots of general funk with thick musky floral aspects. Aged very nicely so far and give me much hope for my bottles.9/4/8/3/17.
My first rating from a bottle but I have had this a lot. 2008 bottle number 12000 out of 11950 (hilarious, I know). This was a 3-year old bottle that was split three ways including notalush. Popped the cork and the head rushed up the neck, just enough to turtle but did not gush out. Perfectly done Blvd. The beer is a beautiful orange-ish glow to the beer, too thick to see through, and has a large, foamy head. Otherwise, its all amazing tropical and wild brett. Absolutely no sign of age. Love this damn beer. 9/5/9/4/18.
Final Update (6/2013): Last year I did a blind tasting of different vintages of this beer aged in different conditions (fresh, cellar, wine fridge, closet). This year we made the tasting even bigger (2011 @ 63; 2011 @ 70; 2012 @ 70; 2013; 2011 @ 55; 2012 - store; 2012 @ 55; 2008 - closet). That is a range of first batch to most recent and a mix of different cellar temps for the past 2 years.
Bottom Line: fresh bottles are slightly above average for this beer with a strong hop presence and not much brett. The best bottles are those that mesh the dry hop with the brett. So, delicately aged for 2 years or the year old bottle that sat on the store shelf. Worst was the first batch, age very present.
This is definitely the beer I have the most experience with and its as close as to the best beer as far as I am concerned.
Tried
from Draft
on 22 Jul 2007
at 22:43
6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
[i]Bottle, thanks to Casey for this one[/i] Poured mid brown colour with quite high carbonation and small white head. Had a spicier aroma than I was expecting backed up with some yeast not unlike a Belgian beer in that department. Flavour wise, whilst I consider this to be a pleasant session beer that I could happily quaff away all night on I felt it was a little bit lacking and never quite lived up to that early promise. This was a nice fresh beer with good malty base the spices also came back but maybe I served it a bit cool because Loz had put this in the fridge and it tasted better once it warmed up a bit.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Jul 2007
at 01:49
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Dark ruby brown body with a medium creamy light brown head. Sweet roasted malt and chocolate aroma. Sweet chocolate flavor with light roasted malt and cocoa.
Tried
on 09 Jul 2007
at 15:35
6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
I have had this beer many times, and was surprised to see I had not rated it. Bottle. Pour is a nice black and tan. Aroma is a bit tame, though some light roast comes through. Very dry taste, subtle, quite good. Overall, a nice stout.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 May 2007
at 09:32
8.2/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
12 oz Bottle from the brewery. Thankfully, the bottled version of this beauty is identical to what I had on tap two days previously. Can’t wait until this one is released. 8,4,8,4,16 (4.0)
Tap at the brewery. This is a tweaked recipe from the previous I tried, and though I loved it previously, I must say it is improved now. This recipe is much more hop forward in the aroma and initial taste, while maintaining the nice malt backbone. There is a really nice grapefruit / resin thing going on now. Hope they go to market with this one. 8,4,8,4,16 (4.0)
Sample at the Boulevard tasting at Lukas Wine Bar in KCMO. This is a preview of the "Smokestack Series" expected to be released in September of 2007. Cloudy orange amber pour with an off white head. Aroma is all citrus hops. Taste is initially the hops, though that quickly gives way to a nice malt backbone. This was a nicely balanced Double IPA. 7,4,8,4,15 (3.8)
Tap at the brewery. This is a tweaked recipe from the previous I tried, and though I loved it previously, I must say it is improved now. This recipe is much more hop forward in the aroma and initial taste, while maintaining the nice malt backbone. There is a really nice grapefruit / resin thing going on now. Hope they go to market with this one. 8,4,8,4,16 (4.0)
Sample at the Boulevard tasting at Lukas Wine Bar in KCMO. This is a preview of the "Smokestack Series" expected to be released in September of 2007. Cloudy orange amber pour with an off white head. Aroma is all citrus hops. Taste is initially the hops, though that quickly gives way to a nice malt backbone. This was a nicely balanced Double IPA. 7,4,8,4,15 (3.8)
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 May 2007
at 08:52
8.2/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
++++ RE-RATE 2 March 2009 ++++
750 ml bottle #00474 of a total of 10630. 2008 Vintage. Pour is hazed copper cordovan with a thick 3 inch head that is lasting and leaves beautiful lacing. The lacing etches the glass for the remainder of the evening. Aroma of caramel nuttiness, soft Bourbon notes and a floral grassy character. Nice delicate, melded nose. Taste is the caramel malt notes right away, followed by a touch of bourbon, woodiness and a soft alcohol heat. Way in the back is the cherry sweetness. The grassiness from the nose is present, holding it all together. Nothing really jumps out, its just really blended and meld nicely. Really gentle, unlike many BA beers I have had. Bourbon becomes more pronounced as it warms. Palate is smooth, medium with very little lingering bourbon or alcohol. Nice. (8,5,8,4,16 - 4.1)
++++ ORIGINAL RATING 31 May 2007 ++++
Sampled on tap at the Boulevard tasting at Lukas Wine Bar in KCMO. Pour is brown, amberish with a tan head. I was told this was aged for two months in Bourbon barrels, and that is the initial aroma that I pick up. Additionally, there is sweetness in the aroma, almost raisin. The taste is very nice. A bunch of complexity, certainly the raisin, oak and bourbon come through on this, with almost a Rochefort 10 body. Finish is a touch hot, but not unexpected. (8,4,8,4,16 - 4.0)
750 ml bottle #00474 of a total of 10630. 2008 Vintage. Pour is hazed copper cordovan with a thick 3 inch head that is lasting and leaves beautiful lacing. The lacing etches the glass for the remainder of the evening. Aroma of caramel nuttiness, soft Bourbon notes and a floral grassy character. Nice delicate, melded nose. Taste is the caramel malt notes right away, followed by a touch of bourbon, woodiness and a soft alcohol heat. Way in the back is the cherry sweetness. The grassiness from the nose is present, holding it all together. Nothing really jumps out, its just really blended and meld nicely. Really gentle, unlike many BA beers I have had. Bourbon becomes more pronounced as it warms. Palate is smooth, medium with very little lingering bourbon or alcohol. Nice. (8,5,8,4,16 - 4.1)
++++ ORIGINAL RATING 31 May 2007 ++++
Sampled on tap at the Boulevard tasting at Lukas Wine Bar in KCMO. Pour is brown, amberish with a tan head. I was told this was aged for two months in Bourbon barrels, and that is the initial aroma that I pick up. Additionally, there is sweetness in the aroma, almost raisin. The taste is very nice. A bunch of complexity, certainly the raisin, oak and bourbon come through on this, with almost a Rochefort 10 body. Finish is a touch hot, but not unexpected. (8,4,8,4,16 - 4.0)
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 May 2007
at 08:49
8.5/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
++++ Re Rate 25 May 2009 ++++
750 ml bottle purchased at Lukas in Kansas City, MO. Batch number S8254. Pour hazed white yellow copper with a fluffly and lasting 3 inch white head. Nice lacing as the head falls. Aroma of soft, gentle wheat grain, with a great yeastiness of clove behind that. Nice mineral elemnt, along with some faint citrus hops. Engaging nose, lovely. Taste is the grainy citric wheat, with clove spice yeastiness. Foolowing is nice clean hop bitterness that finishes beautifully along with the clove and white pepper of the yeast. The mineral element is ever preseny and is flinty. Palate is nicely carbonated, medium with a dryish finish. Really nice saison. (9,4,8,4,17 - 4.2)
++++ Re Rate 8 May 2009 ++++
750 ml bottle, corked and caged, enjoyed at Blanc Burgers in Leawood, Kansas. Pour (into a Boulevard Chalice, mach 2 - nice touch Blanc!) is a hazy cloudy yellow golden with a thick and lasting white head. As the head falls, nice lacing is left behind. Pretty beer. Aroma is earthy, grainy wheat, with a touch of lemon citrus behind that. Behind the malt and hops is the yeastingess, which is also earthy and spicy. Overall a nice, layered nose. Taste is the nose, for the most part, with the grainy wheat taking the initial step forward, the citrus lemon close behind and the earthy spicy yeastiness taking over the finish. There is also a sweetness to the taste that was not present in the nose, and did detract a bit. Palate has nice carbonation, medium bodied with an earthy brief, dry finish. This was really good with the spicy lentil burger. Nice one. (9,5,8,4,16 - 4.2)
++++ Original Rating 28 Jan 2008 ++++
Sample at the Boulevard tasting at Lukas Wine Bar in KCMO. This is a preview of the "Smokestack Series" expected to be released in September of 2007. Pour is cloudy yellow and a nice white head. Aroma is great, citrus, grapefruit, yeastiness and a bit of wet dirt. Taste is very smooth, with the citrus and grapefruit shining through. This is a very nice sipping brew, though not nearly as complex as other Saisons I have tried. It was a delight having a Saison on tap, though. (8,4,7,4,15 - 3.8)
750 ml bottle purchased at Lukas in Kansas City, MO. Batch number S8254. Pour hazed white yellow copper with a fluffly and lasting 3 inch white head. Nice lacing as the head falls. Aroma of soft, gentle wheat grain, with a great yeastiness of clove behind that. Nice mineral elemnt, along with some faint citrus hops. Engaging nose, lovely. Taste is the grainy citric wheat, with clove spice yeastiness. Foolowing is nice clean hop bitterness that finishes beautifully along with the clove and white pepper of the yeast. The mineral element is ever preseny and is flinty. Palate is nicely carbonated, medium with a dryish finish. Really nice saison. (9,4,8,4,17 - 4.2)
++++ Re Rate 8 May 2009 ++++
750 ml bottle, corked and caged, enjoyed at Blanc Burgers in Leawood, Kansas. Pour (into a Boulevard Chalice, mach 2 - nice touch Blanc!) is a hazy cloudy yellow golden with a thick and lasting white head. As the head falls, nice lacing is left behind. Pretty beer. Aroma is earthy, grainy wheat, with a touch of lemon citrus behind that. Behind the malt and hops is the yeastingess, which is also earthy and spicy. Overall a nice, layered nose. Taste is the nose, for the most part, with the grainy wheat taking the initial step forward, the citrus lemon close behind and the earthy spicy yeastiness taking over the finish. There is also a sweetness to the taste that was not present in the nose, and did detract a bit. Palate has nice carbonation, medium bodied with an earthy brief, dry finish. This was really good with the spicy lentil burger. Nice one. (9,5,8,4,16 - 4.2)
++++ Original Rating 28 Jan 2008 ++++
Sample at the Boulevard tasting at Lukas Wine Bar in KCMO. This is a preview of the "Smokestack Series" expected to be released in September of 2007. Pour is cloudy yellow and a nice white head. Aroma is great, citrus, grapefruit, yeastiness and a bit of wet dirt. Taste is very smooth, with the citrus and grapefruit shining through. This is a very nice sipping brew, though not nearly as complex as other Saisons I have tried. It was a delight having a Saison on tap, though. (8,4,7,4,15 - 3.8)
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 May 2007
at 08:45