My single experience with Boulevard is one I clearly recall. Bill and I were in the middle of brewing one of my world famous mediocre saisons when I decided to break out “Saison Brett” from the cellar. This wonderfully complex and slightly sour beer was the best saison I’ve ever tasted. Period. Bill and I were blown away with everything about this beer. Turns out, that despite being a fairly large brewery, Boulevard had limited availability and was not available even within driving distance of our metro area. Boulevard has called Kansas City home since setting up brewing operations back in 1989. Since then, they have gone on to win multiple awards and have expanded production to almost twenty states.
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Type: Production
Available in DC Market: No
Beer #1: The Sixth Glass (Belgian Quadruple, 10.5%)
Beer Advocate: A- (323 Reviews)
Rate Beer: 98 Overall, 85 Style
Notes: This bold, dark and deep red colored Belgian represents what fans of this style love the most. Plenty of rich malt, fig, raisin and brown sugar and that classic Belgian yeast flavor that makes Belgian beers amazing. To describe this beer as a big boozy Belgian wouldn’t be too far-fetched. To really enjoy this takes some time and appreciation of the style.
Beer #2: Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale (Saison / 8%)
Beer Advocate: A- (785 Reviews)
Rate Beer: 98 Overall, 98 Style
Notes: Tank 7 is a combination of my favorite style and favorite hop. Although saisons are not hop heavy, you can still enjoy the qualities of the Amarillo hop in this beer. Here is some background info on it from Boulevard:
“Most breweries have at least one piece of equipment that’s just a bit persnickity. Here at Boulevard, it’s fermenter number seven, the black sheep of our cellar family. Ironically, when our brewers were developing variations on a traditional Belgian-style farmhouse ale, the perfect combination of elements came together in that very vessel. You could call it fate, but they called it Tank 7, and so it is. Beginning with a flavorful surge of fruity aromatics and hoppy, grapefruit notes (Amarillo hops), this complex, straw-colored ale finishes long, dry and spicy.”
I need more Boulevard in my life and would love to see these guys expand into our market. After tasting their beers at SAVOR, I’m sure you will agree.
This profile is a part of the DCBEER.COM SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2011 SAVOR participants.
Beer Review Disclaimer: The beer reviews found on Beer Advocate and Rate Beer do not represent the opinions of this site. We provide these in the hope that they will serve as a resource showing what some craft beer fans have thought of the beers. These reviews can be a helpful guideline, but are not the be-all end-all about a beer’s strengths or weaknesses.
