Bully! Porter - Boulevard Brewing Co.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

thanks bort11 for this nicely drinking porter. Dark black with abundant creamy head. Well roasted and tasty bitterness, it grows on you. Nice and certainly above average porter. The bitterness stod out and this veered toward stout. Yes salty. Thanks Tim!

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2008 03:50:38 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.28/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Transparent ruby-accented dark brown; not one of the darkest porters that I've ever seen. The dark beige head is expansive and airy, but also nicely craggy and throws up a generous amount of lace. Other than the expected roasted malts, the most prominent feature of the nose is hops. A little cocoa, but it's in the background.

Delicious beer. One sip is all it took to tell me that this is one fine porter. Lots of roasted malt with plenty of complimentary bittersweet chocolate. Hops are in the mix as well, though they're more understated than they were in the nose. I like hops to be an accent flavor when it comes to porters and stouts, not one of the pillars of the flavor profile. Bully! gets it just about perfect.

The body could be a bit bigger to suit me. With such a tremendous flavor, a more substantial body and a creamier mouthfeel would put this beer firmly in the upper echelon of the style. Well done carbonation; lively in the mouth without being fizzy.

Bully! Porter is close to great and a bigger mouth presence would inch it closer yet. Still highly recommended. Boulevard's best beer?

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2004 19:58:58 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

rich, dark black color and no light shining through on this one at all. Really nice head of tan that was easily a couple inches high at first, slowly settled down into a nice pillow that laid across the top and thoroughly coated the inside of the glass. Rich dark chocolate and roasted coffees are the first things that I am picking up in the Aroma. Really nicely done with hints of caramel and smoked malts, there is almost a peat like smell to it at times, especially as it warmed up. Equally well done as it transfers over to the flavor. Smooth, mellow, creamy, this was a very session able porter. Rich chocolate notes, hints of smoked malts, nice touches of coffee in the finish which left a slightly dry and bitter taste as it rolls away across the tongue. Very smooth and very enjoyable,

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 15:17:37 | More by mikesgroove

brentk56

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a dark coffee color with a thick beige head that persists well and coats the glass with lace

Smell: Rich roasted aroma with coffee and charcoal (not to mention the pine) dominating the caramel in the background

Taste: Starts out with a rich piney flavor that overwhelms the tastebuds and offsets the caramel and coffee notes until mid-palate; after the swallow, it settles down into a balanced malty (coffee and charcoal) and bitter brew; the finish has a late-arriving blast of espresso

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body but an overwhelming amount of carbonation

Drinkability: Nice richly flavored porter that is just a tad over-carbonated; otherwise, very very nice

Thanks, Vancer, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2007 02:15:40 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a opaque dark beer with a medium head with standard retention for porter. Aroma is quite roasty with some notes of chocolate and coffee. Taste is very enjoyable with the chocolate and coffee mixing very well with the roastiness and ending with a subtle dryness in the back of my mouth. Good hops mix with an above average body. This is an easy beer to drink after a nice big dinner.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2004 16:08:35 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bully Porter sounds about right after the first sip delivered an aggressive domination of bitterness and bite. There's a lot of high alpha acid hops in here that give a sharp pine resin flavor and much bite. The moderate malt base can hardly balance the hops with it's timid caramel flavors and medium maltiness. The toasty character if the beer also takes on a sharp, charred wood nature that accentuate the hop bitterness even more. Flavors are quite clean and don't push the fruitiness too far. The appearance in basic of Porters with a deep brown beer that sheads some lights, good head formaiton and retention with nice lecing. Ultimately a fair Porter that is a bit out of balance with the aggression of the hops and burnt toast.

Thanks CosmoHopHead!

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2009 02:33:34 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to fellow Buffalo BA orfeu for this bottle I opened right after I walked in the door,poured a deep brown almost black with a big blooming tannish colored head that took its time settling slowly.Raw earthy aromas really stick out here slight woodiness and light coffee notes,as like the nose I fownd it somewhat reaw and earthy with woody,unsweetened chocolate and cola notes,a pretty abrupt finish to it the flavors dont linger much.A decent porter I have had better but its drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2007 22:47:44 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice, very deep brown/black color and solid tan head that leaves some good Belgian-lace about the glass. The aroma is limited, but that's OK for porter. Creamy mouthfeel. The flavor is rich with malt and intense roasted barley. There's a flash of sharp hop flavor in the middle (Cascades?), but it's covered over by the roastiness before the swallow is through. The finish is dry and roasty, revealing a little bit more of the hops; seemingly lasting forever. Very nice indeed!

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2002 07:12:51 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

Almost done with this variety pack. This offering pours a clear, very dark russet-ruby-brown topped by a finger of very steadfast cream-tan foam. The nose comprises molasses, maple syrup, light roasted malts, light cocoa powder, a tinge of coffee, and a dusting of florals. The taste accentuates the bitterness of these elements, particularly the cocoa, the coffee, and the roasted malts. A strong sense of balsa trickles throughout. The body is a light-ish medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a somewhat thin feel. Overall, a solid porter, but one that could stand to be a bit thicker and sweeter (though not by too much on either count).

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 19:14:15 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I like this beer, before cracking the crown, due to the distinguished-looking monocled bulldog, hoisting a pint on the label. It only gets better from there.
Completely black color,but for ruby red edges, with a fantastically fluffy cream/cocoa colored head. Aroma is sweet and creamy, notes of cocoa and spice, with big hits of espresso. Mysterious, beautiful, uplifting.
Great bitterness on the palate, full-bodied with massive malt. Long, lingering finish, which continues to deliver flavors of chocolate, anise, coffee. Lest I forget, an underlying fruitiness emerges in the middle, with tastes of dark cherries and grapes. A complex, tasty, and easily quaffable porter. This would be a regular in my fridge if it existed in my area.
Both marc77 and bditty 187 sent this to me, so I give out dual hearty thanks to these fine BAs!

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2003 18:24:47 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a deep black color with a thick light tan head. The aroma is good. It is rich in black, roasted , and chocolate malts. The taste is decent. It is a bit too intense with it's blackness. It has a lingering roasted flavor. It goes down creamy, but finishes dry. The mouthfeel is good. This is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This beer drinks slightly above average. Look, I like the dark beers as much as anyone, but what is too much darkness. This beer pushes the envelope.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2004 01:22:35 | More by WesWes

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The beer pours a dark brown color with a tan head. The aroma is heavy on the chocolate with a little roasted malt mixed in. This is one of the most chocolate-forward porters I have tried.

The flavor is more of the same. I get a ton of chocolate with some roasted malt and coffee also mixed in. I also get a little bit of bitterness from the hops, but I can't really notice any hop flavor.

Creamy, medium mouthfeel and a high, prickly carbonation. The high carbonation is my only complaint.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 06:46:29 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - 12oz bottle pours out jet black with a tan, foamy one-finger head. It left some soapy lacing.

S - Smells like chocolate, sweet maltiness and touches of coffee.

T - It tastes like chocolate and roasted malt. There is a toffe-like flavor, too. Not at all bitter. Slightly sweet.

M - Soft and smoth with a dry finsh.A medium bodied porter.

D - A very enjoyable porter and at an affordable price.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2006 13:46:59 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is very dark brownish red (close to being black in color) and has a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a two finger high foamy beige head that has excellent retention properties and consistently left a quarter finger high head covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of roasted malts in the nose along with some hints of smoke.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but somewhat more complex with hints of burnt malts, cocoa, cola and smoke. There is a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels a bit shy of being light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. The beer leaves your mouth a little dry, which is unusual for the style.
O: This beer is very easy to drink and rather sessionable. The hop bitterness sets it apart from other porters.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 14:26:57 | More by metter98

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Acquired via trade from timbro81, so a big Thank You goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color with a short and dense off-white head that fades very slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is a little faint but contains coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malts and a touch of hops.

T: The taste is very well-balanced. The sweetness comes from flavors of coffee & chocolate, but it's not overly sweet. There's a strong hops presence for the style and it goes along very well with the other flavors present. The malt character is very hearty as you would expect from a Porter. The after-taste is bitter-sweet and slightly smoky.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, slightly filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a good beer to sit down with and drink a couple while you relax. Overall, it's a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2008 05:42:00 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.45/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

BBD of 10/21/06

Pours dark brown with a 3 fingers+ tan head. Good head retention & very good lacing

Smell: Malty& fruitty

Taste: Toasty malt, chocolate, followed by slight roastiness & coffee notes. Finishes dry fruitty & quenching

MF: chewy, rich & super carbonation

Very quaffable & one of the top 10 porters I've ever had

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2006 04:52:43 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Floyd's Thirst Parlor in Springfield IL.

Jet black body, with spindly webs of lacing on the glass. A distinct and full aroma of milk chocolate and charred malt.

Taste follows the nose, with a dry earthy char in the finish. The body is full and lactic. Two or three of these on tap would make a perfect session. It was sad to finish the glass and have to move on somewhere else.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2007 04:29:35 | More by emerge077

jwc215

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

best by 8/1/06 - same day that I drank it.

Poured very dark brown - almost black - with a large rocky tan head that descended to a thin, well-retained layer. It left some lacing.

The smell was of chocolate, caramel, and a slight fruity hoppiness in the background. Rich and inviting.

The taste was of chocolate, caramel, a bit of smoky charcoal and a touch of roasted coffee. An underlying fruity hoppiness was noticeable, especially as the drink progressed that balanced the rich, complex malts. Sweetness was well-balanced by bitterness.

It thinned a bit in the mouth, making it more medium than full-bodied at times. Still, most of the flavors were well-retained, especially the charcoal-like smokiness and the touch of fruits.

Overall- smooth, complex and delicious. I would love to have this on a cool/cold evening, but, unfortunately it's not available in my area.
Thanks to bditty for this good brew!

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2006 14:32:41 | More by jwc215

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A stubby 12 oz bottle from a trade with czoch75 on Dark Lord Day.

A: The porter is thick and black, reveal dark garnet red highlights only at the narrowest point of the glass. The head, on pour, was almost a finger in height and looks like it will lace nicely.

S: The nose is thick with chocolatey roasted malts, with an aroma that has a depth that normally comes from impy stouts and not porters. A very intriguing start to the beer,

T: The first sip is damn near a revelation. The porter packs the punch of a huge RIS without the big alcohol and overwhelming malts. The porter's body is roasted grains and burnt toast, kicking up a sweetness that could easily be Baltic porter. The depth of flavor does not betray the relatively low alcohol content, this is a damned fine beer.

M: The depth of flavor rivals some of the best stouts that I've had. Porter-wise, it comes close to GL's Edmund Fitzgerald and ranks as one great porter.

D: The low abv and inviting taste makes this dangerous. I could sit and feast on this beer for hours.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2007 02:44:52 | More by akorsak

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pulled out of a variety case. Poured pitch black with a tan head and lacing. This beer reminds me slightly of Rogue's Shakespeare Stout, but in porter-form. The malts are very, very smooth with dark roasted barley with cocoa powder and dark, rich chocolate. There's also spicy hops in the background that grow as the beer warms. Drinkable and very tasty. Check this baby out.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2008 03:30:43 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Very dark ruby brown almost black color after a mildly vigorous pour the head forms nicely thick and tan leaves even scattered specks of lacing throughout the pint. Aroma: A very pleasant mix of chocolate, mild coffee, and underlying ripened fruit tones a great roasty malt profile and a touch of hops this porter is complete. Taste: Extremely smooth porter a bit robust with roastiness but soothes the palate very nice touch of dark chocolate, coffee, and once again some ripe fruit nice brew all around hard to find any faults very moderately hopped just the way it should be. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied evenly carbonated nice smoothness, I could definitely chill with a sixpack of this beauty. Drinkability: Quite the all around quintessential American Porter, very good not too many fireworks or anything devastating just straight solid brew that I could drink easily in session, thanks to BuckeyeNation for the sample.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2004 18:34:23 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Hwwty4 for this one.

Pours a real dark hue with a nice tannish head that falls fairly quickly. Some minor coffee in there on the nose. Flavor has a decent sweet smooth tone to it. Minor coffee is noticeable on the back side. As it warms up, there seems to be a slight touch of caramel and slightly more vanilla. Feel is smooth on liquid and the carbonation has a slight bite, but not very much really. This is a nice and easy drinking porter.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2008 19:28:31 | More by RblWthACoz

Wasatch

Utah

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to Vancer and Bitterbill for this brew.

Pours a nice clean/clear dark brown color, nice carbonation, nice two-finger creamy tan head, tons of lacing afterwards. The nose is kinda sweet, malty, with plenty of caramel. The taste is malty and with a nice touch of caramel. Medium body. Very drinkable, a nice little porter from this brewery, glad to have had a chance to try it out.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2007 20:55:24 | More by Wasatch

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in an American pint glass)

A- This beer pours a dark brown opaque body with a lumpy yet creamy head of tan that last a good while. There is a strong carbonation of bib bubbles that can only be seen when they congregate at the side of the glass.

S- This beer has the smell of pale malt with a toasted dark malt aswell. Both malts smell very fresh and there is a soft yeasty note in the finish.

T- This beer has a chocolate malt roasted flavor with a soft nougat quality. There is a soft green bitterness at the finish. There is a coffee malt bitterness in the finish that lingers after each sip.

M- This beer has a medium-full mouthfeel with a slight creamy texture.

D- This beer has a nice smell and texture but the flavor was just a bit off and not really as fresh as the aroma. This beer is close to being a really good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2007 18:46:38 | More by rhoadsrage

Jason

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz short brown bottle with a twist off cap, no freshness date.

Appearance: The head is quick to foam but slow to dissipate, some stickage is noted. Nearly pitch black in colour.

Smell: Faint black currant fruitiness, mild yeast, soft charcoal and espresso in the nose. Nice aromatics.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Nice level of hops, the herbal bitterness does not go overboard within the sturdy base of malt. Roasted flavours are uniform with highly roasted coffee, dark chocolate and burnt grain flavours. Ghost like fruitiness of black currants and elder berries. Finishes clean and semi-dry with some faint esters in the back.

Notes: A notch or two above the normal run of porters, a sure fine pick for beer drinkers in the Central Part of the US.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2003 23:37:42 | More by Jason