Boulevard Brewing Co. Goes Year-Round with Whiskey Barrel Stout

Posted on by mashingin

BoulevardWBS_editedBoulevard Brewing Co. (Kansas City, Missouri) has officially announced that it will release Whiskey Barrel Stout in mid-September as the brewery’s newest year-round barrel-aged Smokestack Series offering.

With a recipe that is “loosely based on a previous Smokestack Series Limited Release” from Boulevard Brewing Co., Whiskey Barrel Stout has arrived to expand the brewery’s newly established portfolio of Year-Round barrel-aged brews.  This Imperial Stout is built upon a hearty base of 11 malts and then “hopped with Magnum and Columbus hops to provide just enough bitterness to prevent the beer from presenting as cloyingly sweet.”  After picking up “notes of dates and plum” from Boulevard’s house Scottish yeast strain, the beer is then “transferred to freshly emptied whiskey barrels from a variety of . . . distillers.”  As the Imperial Stout ages and matures, Boulevard’s “barrel crew selects the best barrels from different vintages to be blended together with roughly one-third fresh beer to create a delicate interplay between fresh and barrel-aged beer.”  This blending process is key because it creates “a balanced beer that showcases the very best barrel flavors coaxed into Whiskey Barrel Stout while tempering the whiskey character to create a beer that is only slightly boozy and ready to drink upon release.”

Whiskey Barrel Stout will begin its launch in the Greater Kansas City area on September 11, and will eventually hit other regions shortly thereafter.  Once the rollout is initiated, you will be able to find Whiskey Barrel Stout in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Missouri, and any other states within Boulevard Brewing Co.’s distribution area that have seen their Bourbon Barrel Quad (the brewery’s other Year-Round barrel-aged offering).  Prost!

Vital Information for Whiskey Barrel Stout from Boulevard Brewing Co.

Release – Year-Round/Smokestack Series, launching mid-September 2017
Style – Imperial Stout
ABV – 11%
IBUs – 63
Malts – Two-Row Pale Malt, Amber 50, Cara 120, Cara 300, Mout Roost 900, Patagonia Black Pearl, Chocolate Rye, Crystal Rye, Malted Wheat, Flaked Oats, Chocolate Malt & Dark Malt Extract
Hops – Magnum & Columbus
Yeast – Boulevard’s house Scottish yeast strain
Added Ingredients – Dextrose & brown sugar
Suggested Pairings – “Smoked cheese, flourless chocolate cake, roasted leg of lamb, a quiet night”
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.boulevard.com/beer/beer-finder/

Boulevard Brewing Co. Releases 8th Installment in Love Child Series

Posted on by mashingin

BoulevardLoveChild8labelBoulevard Brewing Company (Kansas City, Missouri) has officially sent Love Child No. 8 out into the wild as the latest version in this ever-evolving, blended Sour Ale project.

The Love Child Series consists of a line of barrel-aged Wild Ales that have been inoculated with “such boisterous cultures as Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces.”  Since each beer in this series has its own unique blend ratio and resulting complexity, Boulevard Brewing uses “gauges on the label to convey the intensity of three key personality traits, Funk, Sour and Fruit, presenting a picture of the ale at the time it was released.” The goal of the Love Child Series is not “to reproduce the character of the previous year’s blend, but rather to offer a blend of the very best sour beers . . . on hand” at the brewery.

Love Child No. 8 is rocking a blend that consists of “multiple vintages of a Flanders-style sour red ale and a sour Belgian-style golden” that have been aged in “a variety of whiskey and wine barrels with lactobacillus and brettanomyces.”  Each batch of aged beer was sampled and then blended by a tasting panel of brewers and quality assurance team members until they established an experience that “features soft lactic acidity punctuated with slight acetic notes and a tart, fruity flavor reminiscent of sour cherries and green strawberries.”

Love Child No. 8 hit the Kansas City area in June, but the beer has been slowly rolling out across Boulevard Brewing’s distribution area since.  This limited offering can now be found in 750ml bottles and on draft at select beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Missouri and wherever else you normally see Limited Release Smokestack Series beers from Boulevard Brewing.  Prost!

Vital Information for Love Child No. 8 from Boulevard Brewing Company

Release – Limited/Smokestack Series, gradual roll out began June 2017
Style – American Wild/Sour Ale
ABV – 9%
IBUs – 9
Blend – 59% Belgian-style Golden, 41% Flanders-Style Red
Recommended Glassware – Tulip
Suggested Pairing – Strawberry rhubarb pie
Availability – 750ml bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.boulevard.com/beer/beer-finder/

Boulevard Brewing Releases Changeling Dark Sour Ale

Posted on by mashingin

changelingbottlesBoulevard Brewing Co. (Kansas City, Missouri) has officially announced the release of Changeling Dark Sour Ale as the brewery’s newest Smokestack Series Limited Release beer.

To add some new flavor to their Smokestack Series, Boulevard Brewing went big by crafting Changeling Dark Sour Ale to be “an enchanting blend of sour ales aged in whiskey and wine barrels that were inoculated with brettanomyces and lactobacillus.” Deep ruby in color, Changeling establishes itself with notes of plum and toasted malt.  The flavor then takes on “a soft tartness, with notes of earthiness and funk provided by brettanomyces and a touch of lingering caramel to create a delicate balance.”  The finished beer weighs in at 7.3% ABV and consists of the following blend of beers:

The Official Blend for Changeling Dark Sour Ale

  • Snow & Tell Scotch Ale aged in whiskey barrels – 43%
  • Snow & Tell Scotch Ale aged in wine barrels – 40%
  • Dark Saison aged in whiskey barrels – 10%
  • Flanders Red/Belgian Blonde – foeder – 5%
  • Imperial Stout aged in whiskey barrels – 2%

Changeling Dark Sour Ale is available now in the Greater Kansas City Area “with other cities to follow soon.”  You can expect to find this limited release offering in 750 ml bottles at select craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Missouri and other areas that normally receive Smokestack Series Limited Release beers.  Secure your bottles of Changeling while you can because this beer will only be available during the month of April and – like most Wild/Sour Ales these days – is sure to move fast.  Prost!

Vital Information for Changeling Dark Sour Ale from Boulevard Brewing Co.

Release – Limited/Smokestack Series, April 2017
Style – American Wild/Sour Ale
ABV – 7.3%
IBUs – 20
Treatment – A blend of Sour Ales aged in whiskey & wine barrels (see above for details on blend)
Availability – 750 ml bottles 
Recommended Glassware – Tulip
Suggested Food Pairings – Aged/smoked cheeses, roasted duck, apple smoked sausage, & beef carbonnade
Beer Finder – https://www.boulevard.com/beer/beer-finder/

 

 

Scotch on Scotch Debuts for Boulevard Brewing Company

Posted on by mashingin

boulevardscotchonscotchBoulevard Brewing Company (Kansas City, Missouri) recently announced the release of their newest Smokestack Series offering, Scotch on Scotch Oak-aged Imperial Scotch Ale.

Drawing inspiration from the previous releases of Snow & Tell Oak-aged Scotch Ale and Rye on Rye, Boulevard Brewing has doubled down once again to create Scotch on Scotch.  This new Smokestack Series Limited Release beer starts with a massive malt base “created by layering caramel and amber malts with just a touch of peat smoked malt for additional complexity.”  The recipe also includes three hop varietals that were carefully chosen to lend balance and spicy earthiness, and brown sugar that was incorporated during the boil to impart “suggestions of toffee and molasses and a slightly sticky mouthfeel.”  Finally, this Imperial Scotch Ale lives up to its name by eventually finding itself aging on Scotch whisky barrel chips to “coax rich woody, char and vanilla notes along with the essence of Scotch whisky into a hearty, warming beer.”

Like most new offerings from Boulevard Brewing Company, Scotch on Scotch Oak-aged Imperial Scotch Ale has begun an initial release in the Greater Kansas City Area to allow local fans first dibs on the beer.  This limited offering will then become available in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at fine beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida and other select markets that typically see Smokestack Series Limited Release beers from Boulevard.  This is just one of many exciting new beers heading to shelves and taps in the near future from Boulevard Brewing, so stay tuned for more news and keep an eye out for Scotch on Scotch while on your next beer run.  Prost!

Vital Information for Scotch on Scotch from Boulevard Brewing Company 

Release – Smokestack Series/Limited, launching late February 2017
Style – Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy
ABV – 9.6%
IBUs – 24
Hops – Magnum, Chinook & Northern Brewer
Additional Ingredients – Brown sugar
Treatment – Aged on Scotch whisky barrel chips
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://boulevard.com/beers/beer-finder/

boulevardscotchchips
To create Scotch on Scotch, Scotch whisky barrel chips were suspended in the aging tank in porous bags.

 

 

Boulevard Brewing Company Releases Bottles of Rye on Rye on Rye

Posted on by mashingin

boulevardryeonryeonryeBoulevard Brewing Company (Kansas City, Missouri) recently announced that bottles of Rye on Rye on Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Ale are available now for a limited time.

First released as a draft-only offering in 2016, Rye on Rye on Rye has returned as a Smokestack Series Limited Release – a series of “bold, complex ales [that] include both traditional styles and daring experiments, allowing [Boulevard] brewers to explore some of the more esoteric realms of their craft.”  Rye on Rye on Rye expands upon the legacy of the classic Rye on Rye by incorporating an additional step in the aging process. This offering begins as a “rich, tawny Rye Ale” that is then “aged in first-use rye whiskey barrels then transferred to yet another set of first-use rye whiskey barrels for a second aging, effectively resulting in “Rye on Rye on Rye.”  Weighing in at a sizable 14% ABV, Rye on Rye on Rye promises an experience loaded with caramel and distinct whiskey aromas and flavor notes of bread crust, caramel and toffee.

750 ml bottles of Rye on Rye on Rye are available now in the greater Kansas City area and this limited offering will soon become available in other select markets within Boulevard Brewing Co.’s distribution network.  The brewery hints that fans can expect to find Rye on Rye on Rye “in cities that typically see . . . Smokestack Series Limited Release beers like Saison Brett or Love Child blends.”  This applies to my readers in Alabama and Florida, so be on the lookout for this one in the coming weeks.  Prost!

Vital Information for Rye on Rye on Rye from Boulevard Brewing Co.

Release – Smokestack Series/Limited, February 2017
Style – Rye Ale
ABV – 14%
IBUs – 33
Treatment – Rye Ale aged in first-use rye whiskey barrels then transferred to yet another set of first-use rye whiskey barrels for a second aging
Availability – 750ml bottles
Recommended Glassware – Tulip
Suggest Pairings – Cuban cigars, pot roast, rich stews & salted caramel ice cream