Boulevard Smokestack Series

Its been a bit since I've written, but I have been sick, made two trips to the ER, had a dose of morphine, and have had some serious insomnia. Work has been good though, and the numbers of converts to the cause of good beer continues to grow. I find that I'm getting back to my roots of talking to customers, and moving them in new directions. Slowly but surely I am educating my employees about the variety that we carry, and hopefully I will not be the only passing on the word of better beer at Mass Beverage.

Also of note: come mid to late February, I will be hosting the first beer tasting at the Eldridge. We'll be pairing cheeses and hors d'ouevres with 5 or 6 Belgian beers for the first round. If it is a success, then Luke and I hope to make it a monthly event. Further details to come.

Last Wednesday I attended a tasting of the new Boulevard Smokestack series at Henry's Upstairs. I got to meet JB, the head of the new division and received an invitation to go check out the new facility. Also, in addition to the four out now, they are getting ready to bottle a quadrupel aged on cherries in whiskey barrels, and after that a brettanomyces inoculated saison.

In any case, on to my notes:

Saison
This one pours a golden straw color with a full, fluffy white head. There is moderate retention, and nice lacing. The nose is spicy, with a distinct tang to it. I'm picking up white pepper, bread, coriander, a bit of fruit. The taste follows in kind, with the tang kicking at full strength. The hops are pleasantly present. The finish is nice and dry. The body is medium light, with good effervescence. Highly drinkable. This was my favorite going into the tasting, though in the end the Tripel came out on top.

Doublewide IPA
This IPA pours a bright burnt orange, with a thick creamy head that settles quickly. Lacing is minimal, and the retention is but a thin layer of foam across the surface of the beer. There is a slight haze to it. The nose is hops, and I am guessing this is Amarillo through and through, or at least it is the predominant hop. There is also a surprising amount of sweetness in the nose. The taste follows in kind. Lots of hop flavor here, but not all that much bitterness. The sweetness of the caramel malts almost seems to over power the hops, which is bizarre for an IPA. Can't say this is very high up my list of IPAs, especially not for $7.49 750mL. The body is medium, and the drinkability is moderate. This was my least favorite of the session.

Long, Strange Tripel
This one was my favorite of the session. The look is of a classic tripel. A gorgeous, fluffy white crown sits atop a golden body that almost glows. The retention on this one is excellent, and the lacing is textbook Belgian. The nose is rich and complex, with bright, fleshy fruits. The taste is heavenly, with apples and pears coming out along with sweet malt. There is a touch of hops at the end, and it is just enough to balance the beer and dry out the finish. This one is superbly balanced and sublimely drinkable. The whole experience is smooth without being dull. Absolutely excellent.

Sixth Glass Quadrupel
Looks like a quad, smells like a quad, sort of tastes like a quad. While I liked this one more than the IPA, it just didn't have the power of so many other quads (Three Philosophers, Rochefort 10, Chimay Blue). Certainly a pretty beer, but the smell and taste just didn't follow through. Alcohol seemed just a touch hot. I'll be interested to see what the barrel aged cherry version of this is like. I'm hoping it will pick up some much needed character.

All in all, the new Smokestack series is a great success. I fully endorse it and look forward to the beers that will continue to come out in this line.