The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
We love craft beer! Each week we will taste a number of beers from around the country and give you our thoughts, not only will we talk about the flavor, but also the artwork and anything else that comes to mind.
We will also go on location and visit breweries and try a number of their offerings and give you our thoughts as well.
Come sit around the campfire and join in on the fun!
The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast
Ep 108 - Sip, Discuss, Repeat: Two Beer Guys and Seven Boulevard Brews
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
When we stepped into Boulevard Brewing Company during our Kansas City visit, we knew we were in for something special. What we didn't expect was just how masterfully this brewery has honed their craft across such diverse beer styles. Having brought back seven distinct bottles to sample, we're taking you on a flavor journey that showcases why Boulevard deserves its reputation as one of America's premier craft breweries.
From the moment we crack open the Joker's Wit Double Wit Beer with its perfectly balanced coriander notes, through the fascinating Saison Brett farmhouse ale with its distinctive earthy character, our palates are challenged and delighted in equal measure. The Dark Truth Imperial Stout delivers complex layers of espresso, roasted fig, and subtle smoke, while the Mexican Xocolatl Ale perfectly harmonizes chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla and mild chile heat in what quickly becomes one of our highest-rated offerings.
Perhaps the most remarkable discovery comes with Boulevard's Baltic Porter aged in both red wine and bourbon barrels. In an unprecedented tasting experience, we find that sipping reveals prominent wine notes, while taking larger gulps brings forth bourbon flavors – something neither of us has ever experienced in over a hundred podcast episodes. Beer can rarely surprise seasoned tasters like this, yet Boulevard manages the improbable.
The brewery's innovations continue with their Chai Imperial Stout and Espresso Martini Stout, both clocking in at a formidable 12% ABV yet drinking with remarkable smoothness. The collaboration with Kansas City's Oddly Correct coffee creates an espresso intensity that builds fascinatingly with each sip, cementing our impression that Boulevard's barrel aging program ranks among America's finest.
What truly sets Boulevard apart is their ability to create beers with pronounced, distinctive flavors that remain perfectly balanced and approachable. Whether you're a seasoned craft beer enthusiast or just beginning your journey, these offerings showcase brewing artistry at its finest. Join us as we explore the depth and breadth of Boulevard's exceptional lineup – and if you find yourself in Kansas City, their taproom is an absolute must-visit experience.
Thank you for listening to The Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. If you have a question, comment or would like us to review your beer, please feel free to contact us at northwoodsbeerguy@gmail.com.
You can also find us on Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok.
If you are on Untappd, look up NorthwoodsBeerGuy and send a friend request.
Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can click on our RSS feed as well.
Grab a beer and pull up a chair. Welcome to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast.
Speaker 2Hey, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back to the Northwoods Beer Guy Podcast. This is Mike, the Northwoods Beer Guy, and once again I am actually I'm pretty grateful this week we got Jim back. Hey, buddy, how you doing, doing good man. I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better and it was a little bit of a shock to me when you know, you got a hold of me Saturday I think it was last week I said I'm not feeling very good. And I was like okay, well, let me know. And then Sunday you're like yeah.
Speaker 3I'm out, I'm like, uh-, I had to put the white flag up.
Speaker 2So you had enough time to get a replacement. I had enough time to recruit Brian back in, and he did a fabulous job.
Speaker 3Yeah, like I said, considering he hadn't been on it for 105 episodes or whatever. He got called to big leagues but didn't have a lot of practice time to get ready. Correct, yes, he did a very good job.
Speaker 2He filled in admirably and I'm sure you had listened to it, yep, and we were kind of surprised by a couple of them, you know. Yeah, it was just kind of a mixed bag. But now this week, this is what we were working on for last week Right, yes, yes, and then, when you got taken down by the flu or whatever now we're going to, we saved it and we're going to do it today. Yes.
Speaker 3This is an interesting, I think, in two ways for me. One because I mean we went to Boulevard, to the brewery, and you get a different taste, I think, when you get it right out of the tap. So all these are bottles Plus. I'm so amazed at how the different varieties of Boulevard and when I kept on doing some research, it sounds like they've got a very good program that is very well honed in. I mean, these flavors are just like so different. They're not like just one-offs, they're like all very different. I don't know if some of these we've had many of these before. So for me I think it's going to be interesting just to taste these different flavors.
Speaker 2Oh for sure, you know, like I said, oh for sure, you know, and like I said when we were there, we do have like the one that we had there, right, but then we can kind of compare it to when it was on tap and in the bottle. But these other ones, I don't think we had any of these there, no, well, I think I might have had the last one before you got there, oh okay, when we were waiting for you to meet us there, but still, yeah, it's pretty crazy. I mean, they've got a lot of different beers and a lot of different styles, right?
Speaker 1And that second one is really interesting me.
Speaker 2Yes. You know, I mean, I've never even heard of that one, so it'll be interesting.
Speaker 3Well, should we start it off, because I do have some questions.
Speaker 2Okay.
Speaker 3But we can wait until you have your first drink.
Speaker 2Yeah, I'm going to need to wait.
Speaker 3You've seen how well that helps me in the past. But I think I turned them into easy questions for you. Oh good, so it's going to be. I appreciate that Because I tried to tie it into Boulevard and Kansas City and the brewery stuff.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 3I don't know, if you're going to have a chance of answering them, right, but it's going to be fun to watch.
Speaker 2You know whatever.
Speaker 1We try to entertain. There you go and educate and educate, and educate.
Speaker 2So the first one that we have is Joker's Wit, and it's a double wit beer Double. All of these are in bottles, by the way, and this one is 7.4% ABV, so that's the lowest one, so these are all in ABV order. Yes, like we normally do them, so did you find.
Speaker 3I found a little bit on it. This also has 21 IBU, so should be fairly harmless. Yep, A Belgian-style ale that doubles down on orange peel, Ron's favorite coriander and peppercorn with a soft touch of lavender and cardamom Cardamom.
Speaker 2Cardamom, which I'm not sure. That's another kind of a spice. Is it a flower? Oh, a spice, yeah.
Speaker 3Okay, the result is a beautiful, incredibly drinkable and delightful spiced double wit. Huh.
Speaker 2So there's a lot of difference. So this is going to be like a wheat beer With some With other stuff. A lot of stuff, and you said something about orange peel. Yeah, what's the deal with orange peel? It's showing up a lot more.
Speaker 3it seems like, yeah, very light in color.
Speaker 2Yeah, I mean it looks like most of the wheat beers. I guess Smells like a wheat beer too, doesn't?
Speaker 3it. Oh yeah, it smells like a wheat, beer, that yeast. It's not bad, wow. All that flavor kind of mixes really good together yeah.
Speaker 2I was going to say that's really got. You can taste the Coriander.
Speaker 3Coriander for sure. That kind of sticks out Very prominent there.
Speaker 2The orange peel isn't as strong as I was thinking. Right, you know.
Speaker 3I don't know if I had a liquid peppercorn before. I haven't either. I thought you put that on a salad, yeah, I was going to say what's that going to taste like?
Speaker 2But I really don't pick that up that much.
Speaker 3I definitely get the coriander in that, but I think the way that it mixes together because again, I'm not a big Belgian-style guy All those other flavors kind of knock down that Belgian-ish taste for me?
Speaker 2I don't know A little bit. Yeah, I agree with you. I mean, you do get the hint of it, right. But it's not as overpowering, correct Exactly what I was going to say.
Speaker 3So for me that makes it really. They did it really good by adding those other things.
Speaker 2Yeah, like I said, the thing I'm most glad of is that the orange peel isn't because we've had some that have been really strong and it's like ugh, you know. So I guess, again the novice. So what makes this a double wit beer? I'm guessing maybe because there's a little more higher ABV.
Speaker 3Maybe I don't know, because you know, I guess when I first read that, I was assuming that it was going to be double the Belgian style, you know, belgian over the top. So that's why I was a little hesitant of all these beers, this one because it was the double and I'm not a Belgian guy to begin with. So I'm like, oh, now it's going to be double, yeah it's going to be twice as bad Right twice as strong. There you go, but it's not really that over the top no.
Speaker 2And I still, I don't you know. It says it has lavender, a soft touch of lavender. I don't taste that at all.
Speaker 3They may have waved it by.
Speaker 2I can't, because I, honestly, that's another one of those things that I don't think I could tell you. I've never had a beer that's just lavender, right, you know what I mean? We even had Heather once. We don't know what she tastes like. I think we had that twice, didn't we? Did we? I think so.
Speaker 1We still don't know, yeah, what flavor is?
Speaker 3that I still don't know. You know, and that's again, you're putting it in there. Do you want to put it in there so people taste it, or do you just want to put it in there because you say you added it Right?
Speaker 2Yeah, that's hard to say. I don't mind it Now. Would this be one that I'd want to drink? Several of them Probably not Right, but of them probably not right, but I I can easily drink that bottle, you know, I mean for me, for a belgian style beer.
Speaker 3I mean, this is definitely one of the better ones I think that I've had. What are you thinking?
Speaker 2honestly, I agree with you um, I know this is gonna probably sound crazy to you, but I'm gonna go like a 3.0. I mean, I do think that's pretty good. You know, um, I do like and, like I said, the coriander I get, but it's not like, really really over the top, like taking a mouthful of flowers. Yeah, so I don't mind it. Like I said, I could drink, definitely drink a bottle or two of it, and it's good, let me ask you this question.
Speaker 3We kind of alluded to it, but I mean for prior Belgian style beers. How would you rate this one for you think?
Speaker 2Is it one of your better ones, or you've had something that's better than this? Well, I think we've had some that are probably a little bit better. We've had a number of them that are worse, a little worse, you know, I again it's. It's hard to to say unless we had a bunch of them right together. Uh it, it tastes like a belgian, but it's not the over-the-top belgian flavor, right? So yeah I. I think I like it. I think it's better than average for a Belgian.
Speaker 3And I guess you know I'm going to have to say for me, I think this is probably one of my better Belgian beers and I could probably say, on one hand, the number of double wit beers I've ever had. Yeah, so I think this is one of the better ones for me. I'm going to say a 2.9. Okay, 2.9. Okay. I'm up there close to the end, but I'm just like there's a lot of different flavors going on there, so you've got to be ready when you take that first drink. Yeah, if you've never had coriander or any of that other stuff, it is a little. I mean, we've had a few of these beers so we know what to expect. So it wasn't as bad.
Speaker 2Right, you know, and if it's where a person is new and they've never had a Belgian, you could drink it. But I think any Belgian is going to be kind of a… Be prepared.
Speaker 2Yes, yes, if you've never had one, because it does have a different flavor, right, all those Belgian beers do, and their flavors are very similar. Yes, you know what I mean Overall, but this one's good. I think it's a good representation and, like I said, anybody could try it. I'm not saying that they would all love it, but you could definitely try it.
Speaker 3Right. So I figured, since you've had a couple weeks without having any questions, I better not throw you right into the fire right away.
Speaker 2Okay, good, so I was going to be more.
Speaker 3Did you know? Oh, okay, so do you know the brewer's, the owner's name of Boulevard? No, john McDonald. Okay, so he founded Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City. We all know that right.
Speaker 2Yep, yep.
Speaker 3Do you?
Speaker 2know what year Boy I'm going to say, just guessing. I don't know. I'm going to say 85. Very close 1989.
Speaker 3Oh, that's close. 1989. Oh, that's close. And he started after he converted a historic railroad building into a small brewery.
Speaker 2Really. Yeah, Now I don't know if that's where we were at. No, it is not. So they moved.
Speaker 3Okay, yep, okay, because the way it sounded like he started small and then people really liked his stuff so he was really moving fast. Yep, so he's just been doing several expansions.
Speaker 2Okay, well, when we were there, I mean, it looked like they had at least three buildings in that area you know that were all part of the brewery and that, and it was like wow, you know, it was a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be. Yes, you know, even though it shouldn't have surprised us, because you know they have quite a wide distribution range, right? So you know that they produce a lot, but still it was like it was impressive Because it was more like, I think, some of the bigger breweries around here.
Speaker 3They're like built in a new where there was nothing before big shed type building this. It looks like he's trying to use some of the existing structures that were there before.
Speaker 2Yep, yep, like they were revitalizing that part of the town or whatever. So yeah, that's cool Good on him, yep, all right.
Speaker 3So what do we got next?
Tasting Saison Brett Farmhouse Ale
Speaker 2Well, we have another boulevard, another boulevard Another boulevard, and this is the one that I'm really interested to see how it is, and this is their Saison. Brett dry-hopped farmhouse ale with bretthomiasis Well Brett dry hopped farmhouse ale with bretthomiasis Well that's what makes them sour, but that's where I think the Brett comes from.
Speaker 2Yes, Okay, yep, 8.5% ABV, 38 IBUs. Now the thing on here that is crazy to me and this is a bottle, but this is a 12.7 fluid ounce bottle. Right, a little bit bigger, A little bigger, and this is a bottle, but this is a 12.7 fluid ounce bottle Right, a little bit bigger, a little bigger. And when you look at it, jim, what is the one thing that stands out to you that's held on by wire? Yeah, it's got that cage and a cork Torque. It's corky.
Speaker 3So so it says the you got all the deets on the beginning there. The Saison Bret, based on our very popular Tank 7.
Speaker 2Okay, We've had that have we had that one.
Speaker 3Yep Okay, is assertively dry. Hopped, oh listen, champagney, champagney. Then bottle conditioned with various yeasts.
Speaker 2Okay, including Bret the Myasis. There you go. I can't say that one. Okay, including Brett the Myasis.
Speaker 3There you go, I can't say that one. Whatever the Brett, a wild strain, kind of like Mike, yeah, that imparts a distinctive earthy quality. Though this farmhouse ale was given three months of bottle age prior to release, further cellaring will continue to enhance the Brett In quotation marks Character, if that's what you're after. Prior to release.
Speaker 2Further cellaring will continue to enhance the Brett in quotation marks character. If that's what you're after, huh, huh, and you know the label is pretty cool on this one. It's different than all the others. It doesn't even have the yeah, it doesn't have like that neck band with Boulevard on it, but it's got, you know, almost like a I don't know what color. You want to say that almost like a teal, like a metallic kind of teal color on it, and it's white the paper, or whatever the label's white, more white instead of black.
Speaker 2The rest of them are like black. It's interesting. I mean even look at the top, how wide the mouth is compared to the-. Yeah, that's interesting. So this is a different-.
Speaker 3You know, have you had a sea song, Brett.
Speaker 2Not this one. I've never even heard of this one. Okay, so it'll be interesting. I think we have had. It's not very many of them, okay.
Speaker 3If we have. If we have, I mean it's yellowish in color like the first one.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's similar in color. There was more head in this one than the first one.
Speaker 3It's almost. Look how weird it is, like the way the head is a little bit yellow closer to the beard and it's white. Yeah, so it's a two-tone, two-tone, yeah how do you do that?
Speaker 2That's another question See. See, we don't know how to do that either. Uh-uh Wow.
Speaker 3Now you said the Brett Matthias. Whatever that kind of strain of yeast is, is it supposed to?
Speaker 2sour a little bit. I thought that's what it was is something that would sour. I mean, this doesn't taste sour to me.
Speaker 3I mean, it's a different flavor. Yeah, I know we've had several farmhouse ales, but this is definitely a very unique flavor right off the bat.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's a distinct kind of flavor. Right, I'm looking up on the Google, on Mr Google, to see what it says about bret. Bret, bretton and myesis Say that three times real quick yeah bretton and myesis are non-conventional yeast that can be isolated from different sources, such as fruit peels, kombucha, kefir, whatever that is Not kefir cellar Maybe.
Speaker 2You never know he's wild. Yeah, he could be. Let's see Tea, olives, sodas and wooden barrels, among others. In breweries and especially wineries, bretonmiases are typically recognized as a spoilage yeast, being the cause of major economic losses. Hmm, huh, I mean this is, and it says the kingdom it's in, is fungi Fungi, whatever that means. So it's a fungi Fungi, kind of like me, I'm a fungi.
Speaker 3Yeah, you're a fungi, I mean fungi. I mean this is not bad. I mean no, it does have. This is not bad, I mean it does have, like now, if the second drink, the finish, is a little bit different after the second drink.
Speaker 2The initial taste is good, but then you got that after the initial aftertaste has a little bit of a funkiness to it. Right, I don't know what. How do you describe that? Yeah, a funkiness was the closest thing I could come up with. It's got a different flavor.
Speaker 3Yeah, I mean it's very hard to describe because it's not a normal beer flavor.
Speaker 2No, that you get on the end. I can safely say we probably have not had many like this.
Speaker 3I mean they did a very good job with the bottle, the marketing, oh yeah, I mean that, and being 8.5% Right, it doesn't really taste that strong.
Speaker 2I mean, it does have kind of a what you expect from a farmhouse ale. It does kind of have that reminiscent taste, but that initial aftertaste is a little bit raw. Yeah, I was going to say off-putting, but it's kind of.
Speaker 3I mean, it's something you have to get used to. Yes, yes, it's not like ooh wow. We've been doing this for a while, and I think I'd have to have several more to kind of get used to that, because it's a little bit different. I get in the hard part. It's not like a horrendous different, like bad, it's just like ooh, there's something there.
Speaker 2It gets your attention, right, you know what I mean. And then it's kind of gone. But there's just that little bit of a weird part in the aftertaste, huh.
Speaker 3I think I'm going to go. Just because I'm going to have to give it a tenth of a point, just the way the bottle and the marketing is in it, I'm going to go 2.7. Okay, not bad, but I'm just not sold on that finish.
Speaker 2Yeah, I'm going to go a 2.5. Oh, you can go right in the middle. Yeah, I think same thing. I very much like the marketing and the label and all that. I like the initial taste, but that aftertaste has to me is kind of like whew. I'm not exactly sure how to take this, you know.
Speaker 3So I don't know.
Speaker 2Again, this would be one of those Jim. I don't know, hey, I'm not. Again, this would be one of those Jim. I think if it was a new person, I might not recommend it. Yeah.
Speaker 1Just because of that aftertaste that.
Speaker 2You know, it's just that little bit of a.
Speaker 3And if you're not ready for it, you don't know what it's like. You're going to think it's bad, right you know. But I mean good on them for stepping outside their comfort zone and trying something different.
Speaker 2Oh, I agree A hundred percent and, like I said, we've had farmhouse sales, but I don't think we've had many at Brat.
Speaker 3I don't know how many, I know it's not been many, but it sounds like a bottle of champagne real quick, right, right.
Speaker 2So that's another good thing I don't know if Brat's related to Heather, but I don't know.
Speaker 3They might have something going on. Yeah, that was different, so I got another little did you know A little factoid. Yeah, so when Mr McDonald first opened Boulevard, he was hunting far and wide for equipment. Okay, do you know where he found the equipment for his original brewery?
Speaker 2So like the kettles and tanks and all that.
Speaker 3Yep. It's either going to be way far away, or it'll be like right next door.
Speaker 2Um, I'm just going to say he see, I wish. I'm going to say he got them from Germany.
Speaker 3All right, so I'll give you a half credit for that, because he did. He found it, the used equipment from a closed brewery in Bavaria, germany. Oh, how come.
Speaker 2I only got a half credit Because you didn't say the town.
Speaker 1Oh, I didn't know the town.
Speaker 2Yeah, what was the town? Bavaria, bavaria? Ah, dang it. So he, because I figured it's either going to. We never saw the tanks or anything, right, so I didn't know if it was that style, or, if it's, this may not even be around yet.
Speaker 3Since this was the original Correct. I forgot about that Since 89.
Speaker 2Yeah, so they could have updated since then Probably have.
Speaker 3So that was I mean not only think about.
Speaker 2Wonder what that cost to ship.
Speaker 3Ship it all the way from Germany here, yeah, you know, instead of buying something brand new. But I guess if something from Germany where you know is going to have a good lineage of good beer making and you know it's already established, maybe you don't want to mess anything up. But hey, this is already a good system.
Speaker 2I was going to say he must have had a plan Right and whatever he was making at the time that he needed that style Right. You know so interesting.
Speaker 3Yeah, so I thought that was cool. Yeah, did you know, no doubt.
Speaker 2No, I had no idea and, like I said, you would think the shipping from Germany to Kansas City would be a little bit high. Just to make beer. Yeah Well, hey they're still doing it.
Speaker 3There you go. They're doing it All right. What's on tap? All right.
Speaker 2So the next one that we have is Dark Truth Imperial Stout, and this is a 9.7% ABV and 60 IBUs. Six zero, six zero. So that should be interesting.
Speaker 3Yes, that's pretty high for a stout. That's up there.
Speaker 2Huh. So what did you find out? Is there any? Let's see.
Speaker 3So throughout the ages, oh, that one didn't pop like the champagne bottle.
Speaker 2No, no, this had a normal. This is back to normal bottles.
Speaker 3There we go. Throughout the ages, man has been fascinated by the quest for hidden knowledge. Just like Mike, yes, I have a lot of hidden knowledge. We're trying to get them educated. The search for the secret to transforming the elemental into the extraordinary, the simple into the sublime. Ladies and gentlemen, we present for your consideration this exotic, not erotic, oh, okay, I was going to say wait a minute.
Speaker 3Inky, not kinky, concoction. Huh, the almost magical creation of our modern day alchemists, who have turned humble grains, barley, wheat, rye and oats into black liquid gold. Layers of complex flavors slowly emerge from the glass. Espresso, roasted fig, creme brulee, belgian yeast provide a plum-like fruitiness. Noble german hops reveal spicy herbal notes, while the rich, velvety mouthfeel mellows to a dry, smoky finish that sounds like there's a lot going on there's a lot wow wow, now there's an eye looking at us on the label.
Speaker 2It's got an eye on you, an eye on something. So this is going to be interesting and this is the.
Dark Truth Imperial Stout Experience
Speaker 3Dark Troop, dark Troop. So I don't know where they got the name or how that ties. Yeah.
Speaker 2I don't, they didn't say anything about that, but it's going to be interesting to see, because roasted fig I don't know if we had fig before, but I don't know if we've ever had roasted fig. Creme brulee is very good, right, you know. But then, yeah, the smoky finish. I'm thinking, okay, is it because we've had some smoky? You know, smoked beers that are really smoky, and then we've had some that aren't bad. So this will be interesting to see and an imperial stout Imperial.
Speaker 3Stout. So we've had several of those. Oh yes, but nothing with these same flavors?
Speaker 2No, and, like I said, there's a lot going on there, so let's see what it is.
Speaker 3I mean not much for aroma, I don't get a smoky smell. Hmm, huh, I don't know. Is that the espresso or the?
Speaker 2fig. That's, at first, I think it's the espresso. Maybe is that I have a lot more uh, knowing what an espresso tastes like than a roasted fig.
Speaker 3Oh now, I've kind of feel the roasted burnt at the end, the very end of my tongue sitting there.
Speaker 2I kind of got that little bit of a smoky very little, but it's just that little hint like a roasted. Yeah, yes, it's more roasted than the smoking. I don't get very much hop at all. No, I don't. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3I was worried 60.
Speaker 2IBUs. I was worried with that 60 IBU statement there because I thought, man, it's going to be really hoppy.
Speaker 3It's not, it's not hoppy, but definitely a different take on an Imperial Stout yeah for sure.
Speaker 2I'm looking at the layers of complex flavors. Okay, I don't know if I get a creme brulee. Maybe there's try it again here and see if there's like a sweetness.
Speaker 3Now on the second taste, I get a little few different flavors. I think, yeah, but still that. I think that espresso is kind of taking over my mouth now that it's drowning all the other flavors and I do.
Speaker 2When it said that the mouthfeel mellows to a dry smoky, I do get that kind of a dryness at the end.
Speaker 3Right, that's interesting. Wow, that is. There's a lot going on, there's a lot going on.
Speaker 2I don't know if per se, because it said the German hops are kind of a spicy flavor. I don't really get a spiciness to it.
Speaker 3And I would guarantee that if I didn't read this and you drank this, I wouldn't have picked any of these out.
Speaker 2Well, the espresso Right. I think we just said coffee, coffee right, it had a coffee flavor to it. But yeah, this has got way more than this, has a lot of stuff going, but it all tastes good though. Oh yeah, I mean, typically when I've seen a list this long of flavors, it's usually in, like you know, like one of the Bourbon County or something like that, where it's a bigger stout. It's got a lot of stuff in there and then the barrel flavors it kind of impacts in it too. But this isn't barrel-aged.
Speaker 3Well, I wonder if they would have put this in a bourbon barrel for 24 or 48 months.
Speaker 2That would probably have been interesting. Oh, that would have been interesting.
Speaker 3Kind of mellowed this out, smoothed it out a little bit, boulevard.
Speaker 2If you're listening, let us know if you have dark truth in a barrel. Yeah, Because, that would be. I think you're right. That would be interesting to try.
Speaker 3Because it might mellow out that espresso a little bit.
Speaker 2I agree with you. Wow, that's better than I was thinking. I Boulevard knows what they're doing. Yep, we've had a number of their other, you know barrel-aged stuff and all that. So I knew it wasn't going to be bad, but boy, there's a lot going on.
Speaker 3But you get a lot of different stuff. Well, I think what's good too is, I mean, as an Imperial Stout. Sometimes they are kind of heavy yes Drinking, but this is not heavy in that fashion. It's got a lot of the flavors are coming through. Yes, which are good, which I think make us even better.
Speaker 2No, I don't know, because it said again like the yeast provides a plum-like fruitiness, I don't know if I get no. I think the espresso, like you said, kind of drowns out some of those more delicate flavors, right, which I mean.
Speaker 3Sometimes it's not bad, I mean, but like you said, the creme brulee, I don't really get a sweetness. I guess I'm assuming that's what they added that flavor for.
Speaker 2That's what I would think you know, and I don't get that at all, but I think this is pretty good. Yeah, is it one that you'd sit and pound a?
Speaker 3sixer of it? No no.
Speaker 2You know this is definitely a sipper that this is another one of those where somebody new I'm not sure if I would say you know if I'd recommend it just because there's a lot going on Right, Maybe on your second or third one, but not your first one.
Speaker 3Right, right, yeah, of the night, yeah.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, there you go, because I just think there's a lot of different flavors going and a new person may not be able to differentiate. If you like coffee, I think you could drink it. Right, right, you know, but again it's 9.7, so it's starting to get up there.
Speaker 3Oh yeah, and just by the way, this is our last beer under 10%.
Speaker 2So only the first three of them were under.
Speaker 3Yes, so I'll give it a score. I actually don't mind. I'm going to say a 3.0.
Speaker 2So I didn't tell you that I was giving up 10% and plus beers for a while, right after this episode. Oh yeah, that's right. Oh wait, I was going to say no, because I never said that.
Speaker 3Oh, maybe after I'll talk you out of it after this. Okay, good, good. So what did you give it, Jim? I'm going to give it a 3.0.
Speaker 2I mean I like it.
Speaker 3I mean, is it the best Imperial Stout I've ever had? No, but I can probably honestly say is it the first Imperial Stout I've had with this type of different flavors in it, and I think they did a really good job crafting it together. Would I have tweaked a couple of these, or maybe put it in a bourbon barrel? I think I'd even give it a higher score.
Speaker 2I agree with you. I think for me I'm going to go a 2.9. Okay, I think it's right there. It could have been a 3.31 for me as well, but I don't get that sweetness of the creme brulee. I don't really get a plum type a fruitiness to it either, or that spicy, the spicy of the hops. I'm not picking it up, but again, it's definitely better than I was. I was kind of worried that it may not be. You know, they might have been trying too hard Right, putting too much in there. But it's not bad. No, it's a good one.
Speaker 3Yeah, I don't mind that at all. So for your next, did you know? I did not know this, but in 2014, boulevard joined a new brewery, so they're under a subset of what's the name of that larger?
Speaker 2brewery, so they went in business with them, or Well, I tried. They didn't get bought out or anything like that, right?
Speaker 3No, it looks like they must be, because this company, which I'm going to ask you that question too, okay, own several small breweries like that, hmm, including one of your favorite, firestone Walker, really, yeah. So the question is what was the name of that brewery? And then, what was the name of the family, the group, that bought it?
Speaker 2Wow, I have no idea, dude, you don't know that one no.
Speaker 3You don't know that one. No, I don't know that one. All right, so it's Brewery Omegang O-M-E-G-A-N-G.
Speaker 2We have a beer. Remember that we had an anniversary beer. That was their Omegang Right. How do you pronounce it? I apologize. It was one of their anniversary ones, so they own them now of their anniversary ones.
Speaker 3So they own Yep, so they own them now Really. So it is part of the Duval Moore Gott family We've had that Duval or remember it had the little gnome guy on it remember Was it between the Bluffs or Han and Out.
Speaker 2They had the little gnome hats that year.
Speaker 3Yes, so it said in 2014,. That's when Boulevard joined that group.
Speaker 2Interesting, so I didn't know if you knew that. I did not know that. I guess the good thing. It seems like they're leaving them alone and do their thing.
Speaker 3I think that's what they do, so it's more the marketing and getting it out there.
Speaker 2Okay, well, hey, that's cool. I got no problem with that, so I thought that was another like well. I didn't know that.
Speaker 3Yeah, I mean when some of the they get bought out, sometimes they make them change and try to make more money.
Speaker 2Try and cheapen up the recipes and try to get it.
Speaker 3so the mainstream will dislike their flavors. Yep, so I'm glad because I mean, these are very, these first three for me anyway have been very distinct, oh for sure, In their flavors I agree with you. I mean I don't think there's anything that's similar, but I think that they've really went out on a ledge on all these different flavors Yep, trying something new.
Speaker 3Yep, exactly which is good because I know we always talk about flavor. There's flavors in these, there are, and we're all about the flavors, right, and these have not been, I guess, in my opinion, not over the top. I mean, could they have maybe tweaked a couple of the percentages to get?
Speaker 2maybe yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3You know, maybe it would have tasted a little bit better, but I still think it's well on the right track.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, and like you said with this last one, if they put that in a barrel, that would be interesting. So, we'll have to do some research and see if maybe they got that going that would be or make a drip. There you go. Yes, for sure, so I'm up for that.
Speaker 3There you go.
Speaker 2So awesome for that. There you go. So awesome, yeah, all right, what is, well, the next one that we had? We actually tried this one at the brewery, okay, and this was part of their brew house series, remember, they had the big bar and then they had that small. Oh, yep, the small, and this was at the smaller one. Okay, and this is their, and we couldn't pronounce the name.
Speaker 2Yeah that's it either this is their Mexican X-O-C-O-L-A-T-L, so I don't know if it's kind of like a Z, is it a Zoc, some kind of? It's an ale. It's their chocolate ale with vanilla and spices. Yes, and this one is 10% ABV, 10%-er, and now I remember when we had this one on tap.
Speaker 2It was very good, right. So it'll be interesting to see how it changed being in a bottle, right, because I'm sure there's going to be a difference to it from what it was on tap. Did they have any? Just to kind of refresh people?
Speaker 3Yeah, a little bit. So it said. At Boulevard Brewing, we take immense pride in our community, our craft and our collaborations. When it came time to create the latest addition to our Brewhouse One series, we knew we wanted to work with a partner who embodies Kansas City's rich cultural diversity and bring something truly special to the table. Enter Cafe Oyama, a gem in our neighborhood of Kansas City's West Side. Together we crafted Mexican Zacolate Ale I think that's close An imperial stout inspired by Cafe Oyama's beloved El Abulida Lupe beverage. Wow, this beer celebrates the vibrant flavors of Mexico and the incredible stories behind them. Nice, so let's see. Wow, Because we've always had some pretty good luck with some Mexican beers.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, Remember when we did that. We did an episode where it was like Mexican-style beers and boy, some of those are good.
Speaker 3So I'm just hoping there's some. They didn't say much about spices or anything.
Speaker 2Right, you can A little bit, but you, you can when you have you A little bit, but you smell it you definitely kind of get an aroma.
Speaker 3There's some spice in there. I don't know if it's, but we don't know what they are.
Speaker 2No, if it's like a, cinnamon smell almost or some sort of a, a pepper. I mean it could be a pepper. I'm not really getting like a coffee smell, no, but it's really dark. The beer is Very dark, that still tastes good.
Speaker 1Wow, doesn't it.
Speaker 2Yeah, wow, yeah that tastes good.
Speaker 3I mean the spice, there's that sweetness.
Speaker 2There is, it could be. I wish I knew if it was. I don't think it's pepper, it could be some pepper, but I do think there's almost like that cinnamony kind of a flavor to it.
Speaker 3Yeah, there you go, that's what it is, that's very good and like were impressed by it and it's it still is impressive in the bottle. Yeah, it's. Wow, that that's good. I just wish, I mean, we could tell the listeners you know what some of those different? Yeah, I wish places are, but I don't really know.
Speaker 2I wish they went a little bit more into what was in it right, you know I mean, but hey, that doesn't say it on here.
Speaker 1I don't think it does it.
Speaker 2I don't. I'm gonna look on untapped as well. Oh wait, oh here we go.
Speaker 3Here's a little bit okay, ale with vanilla, cacao, cacao, cinnamon. Hey, I nailed the cinnamon and chili pepper spices.
Speaker 1Well, and you nailed the peppers so we can I guess all of them there, didn't we?
Speaker 2yeah, except we didn't say vanilla. But I definitely can. Now that you say it, you, you can taste the vanilla Right. See, now this one. You can taste all those flavors.
Speaker 3Yeah, and they complement each other.
Speaker 2Yeah, where the Dark Truth? We were trying to look for some of those flavors and we didn't quite pick them up, but this one you definitely can pick up all those flavors.
Speaker 3And I think the Heart Bar is not one that stands right out. It's like different parts of how you're drinking it right now. It's like different parts of how you're drinking it, boy.
Speaker 2That's yeah, that's good, that's really good. That's really good. And the good thing is I had to buy a four pack, so we got three more bottles of it.
Speaker 3That's really good, yeah, and this is that first double digit, so it's 10 10 I don't think it has very much for ibus. I think if this would say anything, it'd be low. Yeah, I don't think it's 20s or 30s.
Speaker 2I don't see anywhere on here where it says anything about the IBU. So it must be pretty low. But boy that's.
Speaker 3But you know like the Dark Truth was an Imperial Stout.
Speaker 1Yep.
Speaker 3This is an Imperial Stout. I mean totally different, yeah, totally different flavors, yep, yeah.
Speaker 2Very good. I would safely say we could put these up against some of those other really high, like the Mexican chocolate.
Speaker 3Right Things like that that we've had before.
Speaker 2this is very good yeah, they did a very good job with all these flavors, putting them together. Very much so, wow. So what are you thinking on a score boy? This one I'm going like out of the bottle, I'm going like a 3.7.
Speaker 3Wow you're right up there oh yeah, I like this.
Speaker 2I think I could drink a few, even even though it's 10. I could drink a couple bottles of it, right, but then you're going to be like whoa, you know, but just the flavor is so good I think that I wouldn't get burned out by it or anything like that. I think this is one of those. Honestly, jim, I think a new person could drink it Because it doesn't well. Again, maybe our taste buds are shot. We don't. To me, it doesn't taste 10. Oh no, not you know but it's got such a good flavor.
Speaker 2I think that a lot of new people would be like, oh, that's good, because it doesn't have you know, it's not no again, it's not barrel aged right, but it doesn't have like a boozy flavor to it at all, anything like that. I just think it's really a smooth, good flavor you know, I mean the peppers are not like burn your mouth.
Speaker 3No, I mean you know, because I think the uh, I think you know, I mean the peppers are not like burn your mouth, no, I mean you know, because I think the uh, I think you know I'm gonna get right up there with your score too, but I think the way, just the way that they mixed, you know, because a lot of times when they say pepper boom, you're gonna get it got a bite yep, it's not a bite. When I say the spice, is it like you know? It's like over the top. But the way, just like these, the previous three, the way that they've kind of blended everything really is a very good, almost perfect collaboration. The way that put it all together, yep.
Speaker 3I agree with you Because I mean, when you're talking about all these different items to mix in there. We've had some where they put that on there and you don't taste anything. At least now, with these, you can taste the flavors.
Speaker 2Well, we always say if it's on the bottle, it should be in the bottle. Yes, Remember. Or on the bottle it should be in the bottle. Yes, remember, you know. Yep, and this is for sure. Oh yeah, this is the embodiment of flavors. It's on the bottle and it's in the bottle.
Speaker 3Yep, and I'm going to say the same thing. I'm going to say a 3.7 as well. I really like that one. I mean it's kudos, good job.
Speaker 2Good job, they did. Yes. Like I said, we had it at the brewery and it was very good. But I just wondered okay, is it going to be the same in the bottle? And it's very good, it's very good, I'm glad you brought some of them back. Yes.
Speaker 3Yes, good job. So another, did you know? Okay, so we were just talking about Duval Morgat, right? Yep, so they're an independent family of authentic craft breweries. Do you know when they first started brewing?
Speaker 2Probably a long time ago.
Speaker 3Yes, and the first number's a one. That's a good hint.
Speaker 2Good, the last number's a one Is a one. Okay, is the second number an eight?
Speaker 3Yes, oh boy oh boy.
Speaker 2You're getting close, 18. I'm going to say 21.
Speaker 3Close 18, 71. You're only off by 50 years. Dang it. So I think that just means the way I read, that is they've been around a long time, been a long time.
Speaker 1So they kind of know what they're doing. Yep.
Speaker 3That's the way I would take it. I mean, if you're around that long, it's not like you just stumbled out. Oh, I'm going to try a beer, yeah.
Speaker 2It's okay If it hangs around.
Speaker 3They've been doing stuff for a long time.
Speaker 2And we've had some of their beers. Yes, you know, and yeah, they're good, they're good.
Speaker 3I mean I don't think we can complain about any of them.
Speaker 2I mean that was, and we still have two bottles. I know they're 24 and 25 or 23 and 24, whatever it is. We've got two more anniversary ones we've got to do yet, and I'm looking forward to it. Yeah, those really tasted good too, Because those were that other one was good.
Speaker 3Yes, we had that one so. Awesome.
Baltic Porter in Wine and Bourbon Barrels
Speaker 2What do we got coming up now? Well, I hate to break it to you, but we have barrel aged beer. Oh, there we go, right in your wheelhouse. This one is oh, oh. Did you see there two barrels? I did not notice that. Yes, now we've had this style before many times from other breweries and that. So this is a baltic porter, nice, okay, good, but it's aged in red wine and bourbon barrels. I wonder how many times we've had that. That's kind of an odd combination.
Speaker 3Right, because the red is going to make it dry, right yeah, and the bourbon is going to have a different flavor.
Speaker 2Huh, this is 11.5% ABV. I don't know if it said IBUs 22. So it's going to be lower Right. This should be interesting, yes, so. So it's going to be lower Right, this should be interesting. Yes, so it's. You know, baltic porter Yep 2024 barrel aged.
Speaker 3All right, and the only other thing that it said was that's with roasted malt, hints of dark chocolate, okay, and red wine tannins Okay. So we should.
Speaker 2I don't know what a tannin is.
Speaker 3It's not like tannin somebody's behind.
Speaker 1No.
Speaker 3That's a different kind of tannin.
Speaker 2Yeah, what.
Speaker 3Not that kind of tannin.
Speaker 1Are you on some kind of?
Speaker 3medication.
Speaker 1I can neither confirm nor deny, oh yeah.
Speaker 3Well, it does not. I was maybe kind of anticipating it might be a little bit reddish, but I don't think it's not red.
Speaker 2I mean your Baltic porters are a dark beer and this is dark I mean the head on it. It's not white and it's not really the dark tan that you see in a lot of me. There's kind of the in-between a little bit Right, kind of whitish brownish tannish, yeah, I mean it's a tan, but it's not as tan as a lot of the barrel-aged stuff we've had.
Speaker 3Not a strong aroma.
Speaker 2There's a little bit, but I can't really tell what that. Yeah, nothing is jumping out on the aroma, Right Boy, the initial aftertaste. I get the red wine.
Speaker 3Right the very.
Speaker 2You get that.
Speaker 3I was waiting for it because I mean, like the very first taste there was not a lot of taste right until I swallowed.
Speaker 2Then I got some of the red wine and then all of a sudden you're like whoa that has a and it's not like over the top I mean, it's not like you're drinking wine, right, but it has that.
Speaker 2That aftertaste is I don't taste much bourbon no, I was gonna say there's not much, there's no burn nope, I honestly thought we were gonna have more of a bourbon flavor that's what I thought too, this and I think I think we get more of a bourbon flavor that's what I thought too and I think we get more of a red wine, almost aftertaste to it.
Speaker 3It's really weird. Again, I mean to describe because you know plus, I don't taste much chocolate.
Speaker 2That's a different Baltic porter boy. That's different. And I'm not saying it's a bad, different, but it's different.
Speaker 3I mean again all these different things they're trying to put together, which is good. I mean they're out there, stepping outside their comfort zone, which you don't see again a lot of craft breweries doing this multitude of different flavors into one beer?
Speaker 2Nope, I agree, that is wild.
Speaker 3Huh.
Speaker 2Who would have thought? I would have totally thought that the bourbon barrel would have really kind of overpowered the red wine flavor.
Speaker 3So I wonder, being the novice that I am, did the bourbon barrel and the red wine cancel each other out a little bit it? Could have you know, because I bet you it has a difference in the flavor and how they see it. Did they do it in the red wine barrel first and then bourbon barrel, or did they do bourbon barrel?
Speaker 2first and then red wine. That's a good point, jim, because they didn't say. They just said that they were aged in both. Right, they didn't say which, or I just took for granted on the label maybe the red wine was first, but you could be right I mean, does that have a difference in how the flavor then turns? Right, I bet it does, and it definitely to me. The red wine overpowers the bourbon right so it could have started in the bourbon and then they move it to the red wine.
Speaker 3That's what I'm wondering, that I think you might be right but I mean it's still not like, because I mean I'm not a red wine, I don't drink much for red wine, but this is not scaring me away by having the beer aged in a red wine barrel. No.
Speaker 2This is one of the few, because we haven't had all that many that have been aged in wine barrels. We've had some. I mean it's starting to add up a little bit, but not as much as like bourbon. But this one is definitely like you said, it's not scaring me away.
Speaker 3Right, and I'm not a wine guy either, right, I was just looking back at the notes here. Dark Truth for me was actually a little drier on the finish than this one.
Speaker 2Oh, yes, I agree with you.
Speaker 3Yep, and it doesn't say the Dark Truth doesn't say that it was aged in a wine barrel or nothing like that. But whatever they had in there actually made my mouth a lot drier than this one that was actually aged in a red wine barrel. Yeah, so I mean kudos to them again. I mean, that's Boy I was when you were talking.
Speaker 2I was just focusing on the aftertaste, and it is wine, right, so that had to be the second barrel. It's got to be? Well, I would think so.
Speaker 3You know, but boy, that it's not bad. No, I mean, and again, this is an 11.5% ABV, 22 IB. I mean IBUs are again non-relevant.
Speaker 2And I wouldn't have guessed this is 11.5%. No, it's pretty mellow tasting that way. I think the biggest flavor is the wine on the aftertaste Right To me. You know, like you said, I don't necessarily find much dark chocolate in it that I can taste.
Speaker 1Right. Well, even bourbon, I really don't taste the bourbon, right I taste a wine?
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2I taste wine.
Speaker 3You know, I'm actually. I'm going to go out on a ledge. I'm going to put this as a 4.0. Holy cow, I like this one. I mean, it's not scaring me away and I'm not a wine guy, but I guess, just by the way that they put it all together and the flavor seemed to me like really do it justice and. I like that flavor.
Speaker 2Wow, that's crazy. I'm not saying it's up there with the you totally blindsided me on that one.
Speaker 3I'm not going to put it up there for a Beer of the Year nominee, but I like it, yep.
Speaker 2You know, for me, part of what you said I agree with. It's not scaring me away. Part of what you said I agree with, it's not scaring me away. For myself, I'm going to go a 3.5. I think it's very good. I wish that you did get a little bit more of the bourbon, Right, but the wine in this one isn't harsh. It's not like you said. It's not scaring me away. Would I recommend it to a new person? Well, if you like wine maybe Because I don't really get a lot of the Baltic Porter flavor I'm getting that wine, but it's good. Like I said, a three and a half is still a good beer, but maybe it's a little different than what I was expecting, but it's not bad.
Speaker 3One thing that just happened now I had a little bit like my last drink. I actually got a little more bourbon flavor. When I had a little bit like my last drink, I actually got a little more bourbon flavor. When I took a little bit bigger of a drink rather than just a sip, I got a little bit in my mouth.
Speaker 2Okay, that's weird.
Speaker 3Did the same thing happen.
Speaker 2Yeah, I don't know why. Yeah, I had a little bit Right Instead of tasting the sip. If you take a little bit bigger, bigger gulp and then you got the, that's weird and then you don't have the red wine flavor.
Speaker 3That's weird. Can you give me a little bit?
Speaker 2another hit on that. Sure, I want to confirm that that is odd.
Speaker 3Yeah, we got to try that again, because I don't think that's ever happened.
Speaker 2No, because that's weird, because when we took a little sip I think that Because let's try this again.
Speaker 3So I think that's about what.
Speaker 2I had Yep, so we're going to take a full drink.
Speaker 3All right, we're going to drink the whole thing. More bourbon flavor, isn't it?
Speaker 2That is just weird.
Speaker 3Have we ever had a beer where you sip it, it tastes like red wine and you take a big gulp and it tastes like bourbon.
Speaker 2No, that is totally. It was red wine all day long Right.
Speaker 3So do you want to change your score now that it actually does have a little? It doesn't have a, it's not over the top bourbon.
Speaker 2It's confusing, I'm going to drop it.
Speaker 1No, I'm not going to drop it.
Speaker 2I'm going to stay where I'm at, okay, just because.
Speaker 3That is odd, though I mean, how do you explain it? I've never had a beer, do that.
Speaker 2I have experienced that, so I'll put a little star by it.
Speaker 3So maybe you can just maybe not in the beer of the year, but maybe to talk about it.
Speaker 2Yeah, we'll revisit that just to talk about it, because that is the craziest thing I've ever noticed. And good thing, you kind of and again, it's not a lot, I mean, you know we had more, but it was more than just a sip.
Speaker 3What did you say? It wasn't even an ounce, a half ounce.
Speaker 2Like a half ounce, and then we drank that, and then you tasted the bourbon.
Speaker 1Right, it's like this is weird.
Speaker 3In a good way. Yeah, that is weird. I'm sure you'll leave it at 3.5.
Speaker 2I'm going to go with 3.6.
Speaker 3All right, I'm going to bump it up a tenth, because that's just strange.
Speaker 2I have never had a beer. Do that, that is good. Good, I am so confused right now. I know. You know Well, speaking of confusion, I've got another question for you, all right, not that you're confused.
Speaker 3Yeah, no, all right. So the Brewers Association currently ranks the American arm of Boulevard's parent company, duval-mouguette, as what number they're in the top 10. So which number?
Speaker 2in the top 10? Are they Based on volume?
Speaker 3Oh, volume, Sales volume yes, For craft beer right, craft beer You're not including Only in America. They're American and they're not just craft breweries. Okay, and not Boulevard, but the Mogat.
Speaker 2Out of 10, I'll say six Close.
Speaker 3Fourth, the fourth largest craft brewery in America.
Speaker 2Really Huh.
Speaker 3So I mean that's based on 2023 sales volume and you're talking Boulevard. Well, no, we're talking. The Duval Mugas, oh, duval, Okay.
Speaker 2So the whole family of Duval, the whole family is fourth. Okay, did they say who was ahead of them, or no?
Speaker 3No, and it just said.
Speaker 2Interesting thing. I can see it though.
Speaker 3Yes, I mean, I could definitely believe that I mean because if they're anything like this, they're getting niche beers that have a lot of flavor, correct? Because that firestone walker had a lot. Oh yeah, boulevard has a lot so they're in the right.
Speaker 2You know you bring that up and I'm.
Speaker 3We got to work those in I know we got to work those in maybe next time we got we can tie them in at the end of one of our because those are gonna have double digit right.
Speaker 2Those are double digit, yeah, double digit right. Those are double digit. Yeah, and they're.
Speaker 3We can put that in with a Shiner Bach and add some flavor. We could.
Speaker 2We could, could have, but I don't think we will Let that one go. Yeah, we'll find something else. All right, what do we got?
Speaker 3now we got. How do we got left? We got two left.
Speaker 2Two left we have is is oh darn, this is bourbon barrel aged. Again, there we go. This is their chai imperial stout. Wow, this is 12 abv and 15 ibu.
Speaker 3So again, it's not going to be hoppy right it shouldn't be, you would think to worry about right, right. So it says hello cozy season. Oh, this bourbon barrel aged imperial stout with chai spices has notes of dark chocolate and roasted coffee with warming cinnamon and clove.
Speaker 1Oh, so this is a new flowering Combination yeah.
Speaker 3Because none of the other beers we've had so far today have had clove no. Typically we've had clove in like the winter christmas beers, things like that and I'm not a big chai tea guy, so I don't know what chai right really tastes like one company that had.
Speaker 2I didn't mind it, but again, I'm not a chai tea guy either. But stevens point, point brewing, okay, their other it's. Uh, is it like something? Casper, john, casper, whatever it is they have like the white buffalo? Oh, okay, that white stout. They had a chai tea one. Oh, that's actually Not too bad. Not too bad, but again, I'm not a big chai tea guy. And that one you definitely got the flavor, okay, of a chai tea but, it was good All right? Well, there's flavor.
Speaker 1There's some aroma there yeah, I'm not sure.
Speaker 2It's probably some of the chai. Is that what that is? Oh, is that a little bourbon? Yeah.
Speaker 3I taste the bourbon. I kind of taste the bourbon more than the chai tea. I was going to say, boy, that bourbon stands out more than the Baltic Porter. Yeah.
Speaker 2This one you can sip and get bourbon out of it.
Speaker 3You didn't have to peel it back like you did the other one.
Speaker 2Uh-uh, no, boy, that's I'm wanting to see if we get a little bit, because you get a little bit of the chai tea, but not the bourbon is definitely more of a stronger point there, did they have? Yeah, you said that I don't know about the Dark chocolate. I didn't really get Really get a chocolate, roasted coffee or cinnamon, cinnamon.
Speaker 3Maybe on the finish.
Speaker 2Maybe on the finish, yeah, like right now it's lingering, a little bit of cinnamon and same with the clove. I think it's more on the end and I don't even know what a clove really tastes like. That's not alfalfa, is it?
Speaker 3It's not what Alfalfa.
Speaker 2No, okay, that's a different kind of clove.
Speaker 3You go what is that.
Speaker 2Boy, see this one. I don't get as much chai tea flavor as what I did in that point beer.
Speaker 3And again, like the Baltic Quarter and this one, we don't know what kind of bourbon barrels they're aged in or for how long Right yep. You know, like our friends up north in Amherst, they tell you exactly what kind of bourbon barrel and for exactly how long? So you really know exactly what it was aged, and so I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but we just don't know what I mean. This, I mean, could be a great bourbon beer. Bourbon beer, bourbon alcohol by itself too right, but we don't.
Speaker 2We don't really know, we don't know which barrels they use. So I mean it's not bad I mean I don't have a burn. No, no burn. For what was it 12? Yeah, no, I, our taste buds must be shot, dude, because I just I can't. No, I shouldn't say that, because sometimes when we get some of those higher ABVs, you can tell there's booze and we've had times when remember we've had a couple of them where like 8%, where it was super boozy flavor, but these or we get the.
Speaker 3I think we've had a couple of the extreme opposite where they're putting a whole bunch of sugar in it to cover it.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, yeah, and these are just flavor. Yeah, they don't flavor yet.
Speaker 3I mean, it is so hard to describe. I mean these are really good, I mean we haven't had a stinker yet.
Speaker 2No, I mean, this is really I'll tell you what. The more beers we try from Boulevard, the more I'm impressed Because again, we have not had many of them at all that you're like, oh, that's not very good. You know, in all the ones we've had, we maybe have had one maybe, but I can't even remember it if we did.
Speaker 3Right, well, and I think if I'm not mistaken you can correct me if I'm wrong but we've focused on a lot of the darker ones. But I think at the brewery didn't they have.
Speaker 1Oh, some that were ipas. Oh yeah, they've got, so they had a whole different one.
Speaker 3So it's not. Don't be afraid, I mean if you go to the brewery.
Speaker 2You're gonna, you can you're, you can get these are just a very small part of what they had to offer, and I think it's more.
Speaker 3We bought them because it was kind of more falls on our wheelhouse right we did. I mean, we probably could have bought a four or six pack of the other stuff. Yeah, so we really our opinions more favored towards these, right, and I think that you get a lot more flavor out of these.
Speaker 2I'm I guess I'm biased. I I agree 100 with you. I think you're right, you know. And and we do try and taste, because when we were there I did have a couple other ones that that weren barrel-aged or there were other styles, but when it came to doing the podcast, when we did it there, it was like man, especially when we saw that they had that experimental bar, a little bar off by itself, and we did those and we had that one. That was what was it? Was it 15 or 19 percent, whatever it was? And it was good, super good, and we wanted to buy some, but we couldn't. Well, it was, and it was good, super good, and we wanted to buy some, but we couldn't yeah, well, we could, but I didn't want to pay 50 bucks for a crawler, yeah, so, but this might be and and again.
Speaker 2I I honestly think for the two of us our specialty really is barrel aged, or at least stouts. You know, the on the darker side yep and I I definitely think that we have a lot more experience and a lot more kind of that we can say about them.
Speaker 3Right, I think, because there are those people out there that anything dark beer they don't like right away, or if it has that bourbon, they get turned off by it. But I think for us it's we like I'm not going to say power through it, but I think just being able to decipher the different flavors.
Chai Imperial Stout Impressions
Speaker 2I think that's our specialty, right, you know, we're not afraid of it, no, and it is funny because we know people that we've tried to have taste these and we've had people that wouldn't even taste it, right, oh no, that's terrible. It's like how do you know?
Speaker 3You've never even tasted it, but I think they're probably afraid of the flavor.
Speaker 2Yeah, I think they look at it and go. That's not name your giant beer company. That's not that it's got to be terrible. No, this is where your flavors are typically, and Boulevard is doing a really good job.
Speaker 2Yeah, boulevard is definitely one of the top ten that we've had for barrel aging and all that as well. I mean, they do a good job. So what are you thinking on a score for you? It's good you do get more bourbon flavor, but I boy, I'm going to say a 3.4. Okay, I do like it and I just I guess my opinion. I kind of wish it had a little bit more chai tea flavor.
Speaker 2Oh, okay, you know what I mean Just because I'm not really picking up a huge amount of it. You know what I mean. And I get the bourbon, which I do appreciate. Yep, I do wish we knew what kind of bourbon Just you know, because then it does make a difference. Sure yep, but I would drink it. You know I wouldn't, because 12%.
Speaker 1I wouldn't drink many of them.
Speaker 2But I've had a drink of many of them but it's good. But, like I said, I kind of wish it had a little bit more tea flavor.
Speaker 3Right, and forgive me, boulevard. I'm not a tea guy, so even if I was tasting it, I don't know if I could tell you what it tastes like.
Speaker 2Well, that's the same with me. I don't drink tea, but I've had other tea chai tea, beers and they have a distinct flavor.
Speaker 3Right, and this one needs just a little bit more Right. So I'm going to actually put my score right there. I'm going to say a 3.6. Okay, I put it right behind the Baltic Porter and the Mexican chocolate, but it's definitely not a bad beer. I really like the flavors and, like you said, the chai tea. I might be tasting it, but I don't know Because I don't really Right.
Speaker 2When you don't know for sure what it's supposed to taste like. Yes, but, like I said, we've had other. I've had not a lot, maybe three other ones, maybe Right, let's just say. And, like I said, that one from Point Brewing was very good, tasted really good, very good, but in that head. So when I tasted that you got to kind of learn what a chai tea should taste like. And this one, like I said again my opinion just needed just a little bit more Right and then it would have been really good.
Speaker 3Yeah, and I think, like you mentioned before, I think anything in that upper mid threes is still a good beer in our way that we rank the beers Yep Exactly. It's not saying it's bad, it's just. You know, these are just minor tweaks. I think we just provide our own opinion on Yep. I agree 100% man, man.
Speaker 2So I do have one final question for you. That's good, we have one beer left. Look at that.
Speaker 3I kind of tied it right. Perfectly right guy. Yes, did you know? I think you already knew. Okay, boulevard is the largest craft beer brewery in the state of missouri I wondered, because it's it's pretty big right so it is.
Speaker 3So I did find that out. Um, I don't think I know there was a lot of other small breweries that we could have went to over there. Oh my gosh, we need to re-look at that again, because there were I don't even know how many. We didn't end up going to that day Small. They were small, probably about the same size of our downstairs studio.
Speaker 2Yeah, some of them probably were, but I think it'll be interesting to hit a few more at some point.
Speaker 3Yeah, I'd definitely recommend, if anybody's in the Kansas City area, definitely swing by there and try them.
Speaker 2Definitely. If you get a chance to go to Boulevard, do it, because it was a really neat place. They had good food, yep, I remember well.
Speaker 3Of course, what we ordered was kind of more appetizer, oh right, you know finger, so they get other, they get like, but they had a few other things, I think, but it was cool.
Speaker 2I'm glad we went Right Because again we've had a lot of different beers from Boulevard and it lived up to its reputation when we went there.
Speaker 3Yes, All right.
Speaker 2So what is the final? The last one we have is a limited release. Nice, okay, and this is their Espresso Martini Stout. Oh, all right, and this is their Espresso Martini Stout. Oh, all right, and this bad boy clocks in at 12%, just as high as a chai.
Speaker 3Did it say IBUs, I did not see that I don't see. And I looked on tapped and didn't see it either.
Speaker 2Yeah, so we don't know on that, but it's a collaboration with Oddly Correct and I believe that's a coffee, I think. So, yes, I think, and this is part of their smokestack series.
Speaker 3Yes, and this is a 2025 limited release, nice, so you know what's got to be fresh.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 3So let's see here this bold cocktail-inspired beer martini.
Speaker 2Espresso martinis. I've seen those before.
Speaker 3Is an imperial wheated stout. Wheated, wheated With espresso, capturing the indulgent vibes of a well-shaken espresso martini. Whether you're winding down after dinner or kicking off a lazy Saturday brunch, this beer is your perfect companion. Wow, crafted in partnership with our friends at Oddly Correct, one of Kansas City's beloved coffee roasters, okay, yep, espresso Martini Stout combines Boulevard's brewing ingenuity with Oddly Correct's coffee expertise. Let's dive into how this collabor oh, okay.
Speaker 2So they're going to tell us how it came to life.
Speaker 3Right, that's fine, okay. So they're going to tell us how it came to life. Right, that's fine, all right. So, oh, wait a minute.
Speaker 2Cheers to late nights, early mornings and everything in between. Well, there you go there you go, cheers.
Speaker 3This is our last one. There you go, and it's a dark one, so you know I can smell the coffee in it. This is strong. Oh, there's some coffee. There's coffee, there's coffee there.
Speaker 2Boy, you can taste the coffee in that, wow, but it's not. It's on the verge of being like you're chewing on wet coffee grounds. You know what I mean. It is like right there it's right there, but it doesn't quite go over. But it's boy, it's got the flavor to it.
Speaker 3Oh, it says milk stout with espresso.
Speaker 2We did imperial milk stout.
Final Tasting: Espresso Martini Stout
Speaker 3But it didn't say that in the online, but it says here on the label wheated imperial milk stout. I don't taste much of the wheat style. Well, like I said wheated.
Speaker 2I don't know, Brian, if you can let us know, I don't know.
Speaker 1We'd have to, brian, if you can let us know?
Speaker 2When it says weeded, what does that mean In a milk stout?
Speaker 3In a milk stout.
Speaker 2you know it's got lactose in it, so it is a little smoother mouthfeel, right, I do give it that. But boy, that espresso jumps out. That jumps out at you.
Speaker 3There is some flavor there. If you like coffee, there is flavor galore your wheelhouse.
Speaker 2And again, I don't taste 12%.
Speaker 3No, and I don't know how they got to 12%, because it's not barrel-aged.
Speaker 2No, yeah, you're right, they must have jacked her up somehow.
Speaker 3Wow, this has got some flavor.
Speaker 2This has flavor. What's on the label is in the bottle.
Speaker 3Of all these. So far, this has probably got the most flavor of all of them.
Speaker 2Boy, yeah, that's kind of impressive that way, all of them Boy. Yeah, that's kind of impressive that way.
Speaker 3This is almost like taking one of those little shot glasses of espresso.
Speaker 2Yeah, great, now we're going to be up all night. Great, all right. Wow, do you want to start off? What are you thinking? I think it's pretty good. You know I'm not a coffee guy. Yep, unless it's in a stout, and this it's in a stout and this it's on that verge of being too much, but it does not. To me, it does not cross that line. I think the milk start milk start probably knocks it down. Yep you know that smooths it out a little bit it's like putting milk in your coffee yes, man, I'm gonna go 3.9.
Speaker 3I I think this is good now no, you're gonna say this is the best of the day, yeah.
Speaker 2Well, I can't See.
Speaker 1I can't do that. I can't do that.
Speaker 2You put yourself on the corner there I can't do that, right, okay, I'm going to go. Oh man See, okay, change this one. Okay, put that to an eight, and then we'll do a 3.7 for this one. All right, to an eight, and then we'll do a 3.7 for this one, because I do like that one better than this one.
Speaker 3Mexican chocolate yeah, oh, no, no, no. Oh, I was gonna save that okay but, yes, all right, that's yeah.
Speaker 2Um, again, like I said I, this is this is good, uh, for a coffee beer, right, that you don't like much coffee, right, this is pretty good, right, and like I said I, I think boulevard, they nailed it. You know, I've not had, uh, I've seen them, like on cruise ships and stuff. I've never had an espresso martini because I'm not a martini guy, right, um, maybe when next time I go on a cruise I'll have to try one, but this is good, yeah so so I have had several martinis, so I would.
Speaker 3That's because you're more hoity-toity than I am. I did actually go to a martini bar.
Speaker 2Oh, there you go.
Speaker 3So I would recommend, if you've never had a martini, give it a whirl. Only because of the flavor variety. It's so wide, it's wider than any craft beer, almost the flavors you can get. Okay. So if you haven't had one, just give one a whirl. The only caution is they're almost always all liquor, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2So actually I have had I apologize to cut you off. I have had a restaurant. We were in La Crosse and I had a restaurant and they have like a martini list and I had one, I had two there. And they're very chocolatey.
Speaker 3Oh, but the same thing it's all booze. So, you didn't have the one like James Bond shaken, not stirred.
Speaker 2Yeah, I don't know how they did it. I didn't ask them that.
Speaker 3but yeah, ah, very good. So I think so. Am I actually going to put this in at a 3.5? Okay, I'd like it, but for me that espresso is. It's not putting me out. I think it's just really, really strong and I would say you just have to. If you don't like coffee, this is not one you're going to like at all. You have to be ready, for this is the ultimate coffee and cigarettes beer.
Speaker 2Can I say right now that the more I'm drinking it, the more that is building up?
Speaker 3You know what I mean.
Speaker 2As far as that goes.
Speaker 3So I'm just rethinking my whole thing here Strategy, yeah, you're right.
Speaker 2The more I drink it, the more strong that espresso flavor comes through.
Speaker 3Continue, I'm going to figure out my final final score yeah, so I mean I like it. I mean, and kudos to Boulevard for trying something different, because I don't think I've ever had anything with this strong of coffee flavor. And they did a good collaboration. But I think I'm going to go with 3.5 and keep it right in there. I don't think you can change much, but I think it's still pretty good.
Speaker 2Yeah, I'm changing mine to a 3.5 just because that espresso and you're 100% right, jim the more I drank Is it sad here? And warmed up a little more, that espresso flavor really was kicking up, yes, so it's like whew Again, the only time I drink coffee is in a stout and the flavor of this is good, but it continues to build Right.
Speaker 3You know what I mean and it's like boy, I just you know what I mean, I know.
Speaker 2Yeah, so I'm locking in at a 3.5.
Speaker 3There you go.
Speaker 2So we finished our seven. I mean, this has been a very good podcast, very good session, considering we had to try to ease you back in after your illness. Do you want to start off?
Speaker 3So kudos to Boulevard 100%. They did not disappoint no they're doing a great job, so any of my scores are not a knock on anything that they're brewing. They're doing a good job. Keep it up. I mean, I think the only things that we've said are our opinions on maybe how you could tweak it to make it even better, but I think my favorite was the Baltic Porter.
Speaker 3I like that red wine Because I've never had a beer where I could sip it and taste red wine and take a little bigger gulp and take a bourbon. I've never had that, so it kind of intrigues me. Was it the best I've ever had? No, but I don't think I've ever had a beer where you get two different distinct flavors like that. So that's kind of why I put that one at the top of my list. Um, and then I like that mexican chocolate boy. That was. It's not chocolate, but it's zoccolate yes, yeah was very good too.
Speaker 3I mean the, the spices, the chilies, the chocolate, all mixed very, very good too. I mean the spices, the chilies, the chocolate, all mixed very, very good together. Yep, kudos to that one. And then maybe my third one was that chai. Even though I don't know what chai tastes like, I think it still tasted good, yep. So I mean gosh, this was a very hard category because they all tasted so good.
Speaker 2Right, yeah, you know, for myself, I think my number one was the Mexican one. Okay, yeah, I really liked how the cinnamon and all those flavors, the chilies. I kind of wish it had a little bit more bite to it, but it was still very good. I agree that Baltic Porter was very intriguing and I've never had a beer where you sip it and it tastes like one thing and you take a little bit bigger taste and it tastes like something totally different. Right, Totally blew my mind. I mean, I've never tasted something like that before. And then the third one for me was that espresso martini, just above the chai. Okay, but like you said, the more I tasted it, then the coffee flavor got stronger and stronger. So if we wait for five minutes it might change again. I don't know. But again, I do think that all of these beers were really good and they were honestly. The first two were totally outside of these. The rest of them are kind of similar category, where the first two were definitely different and they were still very good.
Speaker 2So again the dark truth. I wish if they put it in a barrel. I'd love to try it and see what that comes up. So yeah, boulevard is definitely a very good brewery. If you've never tried a Boulevard beer, try them.
Speaker 3Or if you're in, Kansas City, stop by or, if you're in Kansas City, area go yes.
Speaker 1You know, tell them, we sent you. You know not that that'll get you anything but Give it a whirl.
Speaker 3Give it a whirl.
Speaker 2I mean, it was impressive and these are good, yes.
Speaker 3No doubt. I mean I'm glad we had this. We did seven beers rather than the normal six, but I think it was worth it to add all that we had for extra ones. So now we've got a complete boulevard podcast together. So that was really good.
Speaker 2Yep, exactly so awesome, man. Well, I'm glad you're feeling better. Yes, you know, back in the saddle, so to speak. Yeah, next week we'll have something else. We've got to figure that out yet. Oh, and.
Speaker 3I think one of the things we got what's coming up in a couple weeks.
Speaker 2We have Between the Bluffs coming up in two weeks, so hopefully people can go out and check that out too. I'm thinking, I'm hoping knock on wood that we're going to try and do An on location.
Speaker 1Well.
Speaker 2I'm going to try and do because we have Taster's Eve.
Speaker 1Oh right, I'm going to try and have us rate some beers that night.
Speaker 2Oh, gotcha, and again, it'll be on location, so the sound might not be quite as good, but we're going to try and do that. Maybe Saturday morning we'll try and do something from 608, because I believe they're introducing another beer. Try morning we'll try and do something from 608, because I I believe they're introducing another beer. Try something there. And then at the, the fest itself, my goal is I want us to try and do something there. To try and you know, because we've had wrap-up shows before, but I think it would be a little more appropriate, so to speak, if we could talk about as we're tasting them. Oh right, you know what I mean. So I think we're going to try and do that as well, so we could get, hopefully, knock on wood, we could do like three episodes in a couple weeks.
Speaker 2There you go For people to kind of experience the whole thing. There you go. So, yeah, that's going to be cool. There's a lot of breweries coming, you know, and they've got a lot of beers that we've got to try. Hopefully they'll have some more 10 percenters or better. There you go, hopefully.
Speaker 3Well and hopefully you know, with microphones, the only limitation being able to talk to the person behind it to get a little bit of insight from them.
Speaker 2And the nice thing is we always for the Between the Bluffs we do the VIP ticket so we get in two hours early, Right. So hopefully that's what I was hoping we could actually kind of talk to a few of the brewers, the representatives there, Right, and just find out what they brought, what they would recommend, and then try them.
Speaker 3Yes, you know. So that's my goal, that's what I want to do, perfect. So.
Speaker 2I think that'd be a good thing. And then, yeah, you never know, Because for some reason we seem to bring extra beers with us and try them. Right, because we've got a pretty good group together.
Speaker 3Right, and yeah, well, that'll be fun. Hopefully the weather cooperates. Yes, hopefully it's not snowing, right, because you never know this time of year what you're going to get you never know.
Speaker 2Well, awesome. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for listening to this Boulevard Broadcast Broadcast. Yes, there you go, boulevard. If you're listening, we're looking for pro staff.
Speaker 2We'd love to try and let us know on that dark truth if you got that in the barrel somewhere because we want to try. We would try it. So awesome, jim, thank you for uh kind of getting over your illness and uh saying you'd partake again. You know, I knew I couldn't keep you down. I wouldn't keep you down, there you go. So awesome, still trying, there you go. So hey, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for listening. Like we always say, we hope your campfire is always warm and your beers are always cold.
Speaker 3See you, take it easy Bye.
Speaker 1Thank you for listening to the Northwoods Beer Guy podcast. If you have a question, a comment or a beer you'd like us to review.
Speaker 2Please feel free to send us a message at northwoodsbeerguy at gmailcom.
Speaker 1You can also find us on Facebook, twitter and Instagram If you're on untapped.
Speaker 2Look up Northwoods Beer Guy and send a front request.
Speaker 1Until next week. I hope all your campfires are warm and all your beer is cold.
