Amber: Heavier texture than I was expecting. I am a big fan of ambers in general (with Michelob Amber Bock as my particular friend). Also not as hoppy as I was expecting. To me, it tasted like a warmer Boulevard Wheat. I guess I'll never escape the taint on my palate.
Bully! Porter: Here, not quite as heavy as I was expecting. A little hoppier than the amber, but not enough for my tastes. I would really give this one two thumbs down, if not for the highly sophisticated bulldog portrait on the label, which I couldn't get a picture of because my phone is a joke.
Single-wide IPA: Not as heavy as the porter, but really hoppy. This beer was also a former favorite of mine, but it was a challenge to finish this one after the first two.
Summary: In short, I've lost a lot of my faith in Boulevard. There ultimately was not much to distinguish any of these three beers from one another, except the amount of hops in each brew, the color, and the texture. The beers weren't very cold when I drank them, which is supposed to help the true flavor stand out a bit, but in reality kept me from enjoying them. I didn't catch the ABV on any of these, and I didn't get any photos I could use this time 'round. I also didn't catch a price because I was drinking for free at my in-laws' casa.
P. Soop
Mr. Soop,
ReplyDeleteI must disagree with you on at least the Bully! Porter. First of all, the bulldog and the exclamation point are awesome, and, second, I found it to be a rich, full-bodied porter with a nice texture and smooth finish. Bully!
I agree with your support of the Bully! Porter, AldeBeer. I haven't been able to enjoy one for almost 2 years due to Boulevard's limited midwest distribution, but I remember the brew being characterized by a slightly sweet deep caramel malt that was well balanced by a subtle, crisp hop undertone.
ReplyDeleteAnd a picture of that refined bulldog can be enjoyed here.
Were it not for my good friend the Kind of Casual Sex who resides down in KC, I would have said, "Stay strong, Mr. Soop!" Alas, a trip down to the BBQ capital of the world one month ago, has the Boulevard Brewing Company on the rise in this humble pollster's ranking. On an aside, I will agree with you Mr. Soop, that the Wheat is the single most overrated beer on either side of the Mississippi. I wouldn't pay Trader Joe's prices for it, much less four mother fucking dollars. But the Pilsner was crisp, and washed down a tender, tangy, and tasteful Oklahoma Joe's pulled pork sandwich like you wouldn't believe. And the Singlewide? Wow, I didn't know Boulevard made beers with this much flavor! Maybe it was my lowered expectation, but this dark horse really made my trip to KC one to savor, and made a return trip all but inevitable. A flavorful, yet not heavy bottle of suds which made the blaring indie band I was listening to almost bearable.
ReplyDelete