Boulevard Dark Truth Stout

Brewed By: Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, Missouri

Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from the Boulevard Smokestack sampler from Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2011

Style/ABV: Imperial Stout (American), 9.7%

 

Here in the Midwest/Chicago, November 1st is first day of winter. Some jerk-face Melvin will tell you that winter actually starts on December 22nd in 2011, but that is crap. People have already turned off their Halloween lights. Daylight Savings is going to end in 5 freakin' days. It's going to be pitch black dark outside at 5pm. It's going to be cold. It's probably going to snow tomorrow, and I'll probably have to drive somewhere. Fuck.

I actually love winter, as evident by the fact that I have not killed myself or run away to Mexico. So let's usher in the winter season with a nice big American Imperial Stout. I already introduced Boulevard Brewing and their Smokestack Series when I reviewed their Double Wide IPA. The Double Wide IPA was fantastic, so I have high hopes for this Imperial Stout.

This is a big Stout, clocking in at 9.7% ABV and packing 60 IBUs. This beer uses a huge grocery list of malts, as well as Belgian yeast, and German noble hops. This has Chocolate malt, Chocolate rye, Flaked oats, Roasted barley, and Hallertau Tradition hops, Perle hops, and Saphir hops. That big grocery list of ingredients isn't even all the malts used. This beer has a lot going on, so I'm expecting something super complex. Let's see how this Stout holds up. 

 

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The pour reveals a super dark beer with a huge, super-dark head. The body of this beer is pretty black. There is just a touch of brown or red escaping the very edge of my glass, but I would call this beer very, very dark-brown or approaching ink-black in color. The beer pours with a giant, 4-finger, coffee brown head. The head on this beer is super creamy, super thick, is full of bubbles, and is a really rich dark brown color. The head is really magnificent; this is one of the thickest heads I've seen on such a high ABV stout. The head looks like a rootbeer float, and I'm really impressed with the clarity and the duration of the head. I honestly can't tell you about the carbonation because this beer has no clarity; super dark, super brown-black, and a huge, creamy, ice-cream float head. This head makes the head on Guinness look like some weak ass shit. As the head recedes I am getting some lacing, and I see some alcohol legs. 

 

This has big aromas, and there is a lot going on. There's definitely a smokey note in here, and I get hints of smoke and some meatiness; bacon, bacon grease. I smell some espresso, some spent ground coffee, chocolate, more towards the bitter and dark chocolate variety, pulls towards an earthy note, pulls towards vanilla or cream, really subtle dark fruit notes like figs and raisins, woody, earthy, and roasty notes from the barley, hints of oatmeal, and some smoke and meat. Really big nose, really complex nose. Let's see how it tastes.  

 

I'll take all my truth in "dark" from now on.

Ah-ha! Epiphany moment! This is incredible. For a beer that smells so meaty with lots of subtle aromas, I was expecting something like Old Rasputin with hints of meat. But right up front I was hit with huge Belgian yeasts, and my palate got blasted with huge dark fruit notes. This is SUPER complex, and the back end finishes with a big warming kick. This is going to take a while to break down. I'm getting Belgian yeasts: figs, plums, dark/purple grapes, woody and earthy notes, some chocolate and burnt vanilla, oatmeal and oats on the back end, roasty notes on the back end, some slight bitterness, and a big warming finish. This starts out smooth and carbonated, and you don't get any booze up front, but this finishes boozy, viscous, and DRY on the back end. Holy shit. What an excellent transition. 

 

This is smooth and viscous, all in the course of one swig. The front end is smooth and carbonated. There is soft, moderate carbonation which really supports the Belgian yeast notes you get up front. The back is viscous, dry, bitter, and roasted. This is extremely complex, and has tremendous palate depth. This is a full-bodied beer, and certainly more of a sipper at 9.7% - but this drinks like a 6% ABV Stout; given the huge ABV, this is very approachable. On the front end I get carbonation, smooth, chocolate, and BIG Belgian dark fruits. The dark fruits carry over into the middle, where I get walloped with big cream, vanilla, crème brulée, some woody and earthy notes, and maybe some cherries even? This rolls over in the back of the palate where I taste a lot of roasted notes, some viciousness, some bitterness, and some warming ABV on the back end. The more I drink, the more I get some slight meatiness - bacon, grease, smoke - and some slight pepper spiciness on the back of the palate. This is a huge beer, and a pleasure to drink.

 

Rating: Above-Average

Score: 88%

 

Huge alcohol legs, good lacing, and a head that is hanging around. This is fan-fucking-tastic. This is very complex, and there is great interplay with the Belgian yeasts and the complex malts. You pick up lots of smoke, roast, Belgian yeasts and dark fruit, chocolate, and bitterness. This is smooth and creamy as hell, but finishes with slight viciousness and big warming alcohol on the back end.

 

I would not hesitate to pick this up again, and Boulevard brewing has hit two home runs so far. I'm really enjoying their Smokestack Series. Check this beer out if you like big American Stouts. I promise you I will pick this beer up again. This would make an awesome after dinner beer to sip on, or this would go well with a big burger or steak. Awesome beer, highly recommended.