Bully! Porter - Boulevard Brewing Co.

ahq514

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz bottle into shaker pint glass.

Pours a slightly translucent brown color with an off white head, which is a good two and a half fingers at pour. Beautiful coats of lacing.

Malt dominates the aroma. Slightly roasty, slightly toasty. Not as much coffee and chocolate as I get from other porters. There is a light nuttiness in the aroma that I can only pinpoint to the yeast. Very mild aroma.

A very nice drinking porter. Honestly didn't expect much from the aroma. A slightly sweet, creamy, and malty flavor up front, mixed in with the light nuttiness from the yeast I detected in the aroma. Next comes a nice mild level of roast that dries it out just slightly. Slight bitterness from the hops.

Nice low level of carbonation and just above medium body. Extremely drinkable for a porter, that's what I love about this beer.

A good very drinkable porter. If you're looking for something extreme, this isn't it. This is a good session beer packed with flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 05:45:50 | More by ahq514

ikenney87

Kansas

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

Bottle into a New Belgium tulip style glass.

Look: Black with mohogany highlights around the edge. Great, thick, latte-colored head.

Smell: A mixture of grapefruit and coffee. Nutty, roasty, sweet. A tinge of sourness that may be coming from the grapefruit hop character.

Taste: Roast and toast up front. Juicy and bitter hop presence in the back. Leaves the mouth dry and tasting that burnt maltiness. Taste is almost bordering on cascadian dark ale territory.

Mouthfeel: If this beer is carefully poured and never swirled, it will retain a high level of carbonation that may subtract from the experience. I prefer to pour somewhat aggressively and swirl it up a bit to get that carbonation down. This leads to a smoother, creamier beer and I can focus on the flavors more.

Overall: A very good porter with a nice hop balance.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 04:34:34 | More by ikenney87

barleyroad

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is dark, past brown with a nice carmel foam. Smell is balanced nicely with hops and grains. Mouthfeel is crisp and clean; this beer leaves the mouth nicely. Taste is, well, nicely balanced and has hits of toasting. Overall this is a good porter that will go well with any meat. Good swiss and sausage..yea

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 02:00:28 | More by barleyroad

Pjev11

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle (six pack purchased 3 weeks ago) into a pint glass.

Appearance - very dark brown with lighter browns along the edges. 2 fingers of tan head. Looks nice. Leaves a nice amount of lacing.

Smell - Notes of coffee. Not getting much else.

Taste - Nice and dark but the carbonation comes through up top. Then slight alcoholic taste. Also coffee.

Mouthfeel - Fairly carbonated for a porter. Maybe a bit too much.

Overall - I like this porter but it's not my favorite. A nice overall job by the Boulevard guys.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 02:30:46 | More by Pjev11

jera1350

Minnesota

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

Pours a solid brownish/black color with a tan head of foam that reduces down to a nice little creamy layer with a bit of sticky lace.

A nice roasty character with a sweetness that is reminiscent of lactose sugar. Some nutty notes as well.

Huge roasted malts dominate the flavor. Some sharp bitterness in the form of coffee bean and dark chocolate. Nearly all roast with very little sweetness. Quite flavorful, just not sweet enough for my tooth.

Very soft carbonation lends to a smooth beer with a nice medium body.

A well crafted porter here, but personally I like a little more sweetness. Solid choice nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 02:49:34 | More by jera1350

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark hazelnut brown color wih burgundy edges and a one finger light beige head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Streaks of lacing left behind.

Slightly toasty aroma with caramel malt sweetness, hazelnut, toffee and chocolate. Slightly smokey with a faint hop presence in the nose.

Medium bodied with soft carbnation and a slightly roasted malt character up front. Hints of toast, caramel, and toffee balanced a by a subtle smokiness as well as some autumnal spice. Slight hop bitterness balances things lingering into a dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 15:14:06 | More by corby112

bigaltemple

Colorado

3.48/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle Best by 1/9/12

A - Deep, dark brown. It does allow some light to shine through at the edges. Big, foamy, tan head recedes to a one-finger width leaving some sticky lacing.

S - Quite a bit lighter than I was looking for. Some smoky caramel malts. A little bit of coffee with some faint nuttiness. Sense a mild hops presence.

T/M - Much the same as the nose. Roasted burnt toffee with some coffee. A hint of bitter chocolate comes through in the taste. More of a hops bite on the finish than I was expecting. Medium body with a mild creaminess. Good carbonation.

O - It has some good things going for it, but not something I'll be actively grabbing from Boulevard's offerings.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 22:36:50 | More by bigaltemple

FanofHefe

Illinois

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

Bottle poured into a pint glass. Dark brown, nearly black body with a big three-finger mocha head. Very good retention and lacing.

The aroma is a little lighter than I expected. Faint notes of dark fruit, roasted malt, coffee and a hint of chocolate.

The flavor is a touch more impressive, as all the mentioned aromas come through very well in the flavor. The chocolate is much more pronounced and blends well with the dark malt flavor. A bit of smoky flavor comes through as well.

Appropriate texture and mouthfeel for the style. Overall, a solid porter that I would gladly have again.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 22:40:06 | More by FanofHefe

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into a standard pint glass. Pours a deep black with a tint of ruby red through the light. The head is a very airy, creamy pillow of frothy bubbles. The head retention is nice. Lots of lacing, not as sticky as other beers, but definitely present. This beer smells like it should: bitter chocolates, roasted malts, and even a sweet raisin and citrus hop presence in there somewhere. A nice tasting porter with the bitter chocolate dominating. Again, there is a finish of tangy hops in there, but the malty bitter chocolate is dominant. The mouthfeel is a bit watery, and too carbonated. Overall, this beer was better than I expected. It is too carbonated like some Boulevard beers tend to be, but the appearance, taste, and aroma are all worthy. It has it's flaws, but I like this porter.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 11:28:54 | More by JuicesFlowing

FosterJM

California

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

899th Review on BA
Bottle to Handleless Mug
12 oz

Best by: 2/05/12
Purchased from: On the Rocks, Lawrence, KS

App- A nice lighter/medium brown with a good 1-1/2 in head. A medium paced receding head that falls to a bit of a pond layer of light creme.

Smell- A good roast note with a little malt backbone and some white pepper to it. A good touch of cocao powder.

Taste- A good little porter with a small malt presence. A good touch of roast with coffee and some dark chocolate.

Mouth- A lighter medium bodied beer with a light medium carbonation. The taste of the dark chocolate remains.

Drink- I love me some Blvd. Always a quality product. I would like to have this one available locally.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 00:38:47 | More by FosterJM

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle from the mix pack into a pint glass.

Pours dark black with tan foam. Stickiness. Roasted coffee smell. Burnt. Really smooth creamy taste. Milky.

Quite flavorful but clean. Hops are subtle. Nice classic porter. Taste more like an English porter than an American one. Quite good.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 01:05:16 | More by KTCamm

DCon

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bought a Boulevard 12- Mix Pack w/ GeoffTheAleMan @ Dierbergs in Creve Couer, MO for $15.49 & Shared w/ GeoffTheAleMan. Poured from black bottle w/ Bully! Porter in Red & a Bulldog that looks English raising his Pint into a 16oz Pint Glass. No freshness date found.

Aroma- Has a strong roastiness and good malt aroma. The hop aroma's presence was very light-medium but still present. Nice overall smells.

Appearance- Pours a .5 finger head that didn't even have room to keep (b/c it was so small). Has a dark brown color body that had great clarity. No much lacing afterwards.

Flavor- Very roasty and has an awesome amount of maltiness! Sweet and a bit of hop at the finish. Medium hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, Low Carbonation, Roasty on the finish, and smooth.

Overall Impression- An awesome brew for Boulevard. Roasty and the characteristics were dead on to be a Robust Porter. Enjoyed greatly and hope to see more! Don't see this much in 6-packs with the other Boulevard usuals.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 03:17:18 | More by DCon

nach0king

Texas

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've only had a handful of porters in my life, but this is the best one. I'd go out of my way for it again, even though I'm normally not a huge fan of dark beers.

A: Dark black, of course, with a smoldering red at the bottom of the glass. Head hung around for a few minutes but left superb lacing.

S: It doesn't give much away on the nose. Typical dark smells of coffee and roasted malts.

T: Just delicious. Smoke, wood, coffee, brown sugar, a bit of dark fruits - nothing too strong, not overpowering and definitely sippable. All ties together brilliantly.

M: An appealing, lively combination of body and bubbles.

A really great effort. Will drink again.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 01:20:05 | More by nach0king

secondtooth

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a perfectly-executed porter, with a deep black appearance and overwhelming carbonation that leaves some extraordinary retention on the glass.

First sniff reveals a nutty, roasty character, with a chocolate or cocoa overtone. Nice!

Tastes burnt, with more bittersweet cocoa at the finish that seems to sweeten up as it warms. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this one, and any fans of porters or stouts will be pleased.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 13:22:41 | More by secondtooth

zhanson88

California

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a dark brown color that is impenetrable once in the glass. About 1 1/2" of light tan head forms. Excellent retention, and lacing is superb. Super looking beer.

Smell: Dark malts and coffee. Very hoppy as well. One of the hoppier porters that I have come across.

Taste: Dark malts and a fair amount of coffee up front. Hints of dark fruits, and a very hoppy finish. The hops are probably imparting some of the fruitier notes that I am getting out of this.

Mouthfeel/Overall: Just shy of medium bodied, and pretty creamy. Pretty solid in this category. Overall, a good porter. Generally I like my porters more rich and less bitter, but this is a quality brew. I have had this beer quite a few times, and have always enjoyed it. One of the better Boulevard regulars, for sure.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 05:02:10 | More by zhanson88

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

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Boulevard Bully! Porter has a thick, creamy, beige head, and a very dark brown, almost black appearance (ruby under light). The aroma is of deep-roasted malts, some prune, and coffee. Taste is of dark-roasted coffee, prune, dark & bitter chocolate, and sweetness. The hop bitterness really comes across as coffee bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy, and Boulevard Bully! Porter finishes wet, full, and delicious. Overall, I quite enjoyed this one, and I think it's excellent.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 00:11:22 | More by RonaldTheriot

homebrew311

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: appears dark brown, not opaque, ruby red highlights with some light passage, thick creamy head, good retention, lots of lacing

S: nose features chocolate, plum, and some other dark fruit notes, notes of bitter roasted coffee

T: taste is mainly chocolate and coffee without much sweetness, nice roasted profile, mellow flavors that are well melded.

MF: medium body, creamy texture

O: this is a well balanced and drinkable porter, no flavors are out of this world, but it is a fair representation of the style and worth a try

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 05:31:48 | More by homebrew311

jcartamdg

Florida

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

Pours a black color with a one finger mocha head that retains, beautiful lacing throughout. Aroma of roasty malts and hops. Taste follows the nose, a little more hoppy than the typical porter and that's what I like about it. Smooth, slightly sweet while still bitter. Good balance but it doesn't stifle the hop profile. Good porter!

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 03:15:38 | More by jcartamdg

jlindros

Massachusetts

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

Thanks to redredwino (Reddit) for this one.

Pours a creamy 1 finger head that fades semi slowly with a slight lacing, over darker ruby mahogany brown colored beer.

Nose is porter all right, some light roasted malts, light coffee, touch of burnt malt with hints of the almost acrid coffee grind but not sure if it really gets there, light chocolate malt, bit of caramel and hint of vanilla. That with slight hints of earthy hops.

Taste starts creamy porter like again, light roasted malts, light chocolate malts, slight biscuit like kit-kat almost, just the faintest hint of burnt acrid coffee grind and acidity, light oat like creamy flavor, hints of caramel and vanilla as well. I think the slightest hint of earthy hops but very hard to tell. Starts just a slight sweetness that dries as it finishes, with a slight sticky feel, and lingering bitter earthy charred malt flavors, and hint of salty brine.

Mouth is med to slightly heavier bodied, decent carbonation, creamy.

Overall not bad, a nice drinking porter with some darker malts, full bodied, bit creamy, plenty of malts in there, hops are a bit harder to pull out, and the very slight burnt coffee grind acrid and acidic like flavor takes away slightly.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 04:02:37 | More by jlindros

THECPJ

Delaware

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: dark brown with a orangish hue and a 1 finger off white head

smell: roast, malts, caramel

taste: roasted malts, caramel

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: pretty basic porter nothing to exciting.

Cheers,
the CPJ

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 21:14:25 | More by THECPJ

EricCioe

Montana

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This pours a deep, deep brown with a two finger mocha colored head with a good deal of lace. On the nose there seems to be a good deal of raw, roasted malt. There are whiffs here and there of espresso and especially cocoa, but it's always a subservient note to the dominant roasted malt. There are some deep hop aromas buried here that come and go. In the mouth the cocoa comes out a bit more, a dry chocolate rather than sweet, mixing with roast. The body is pretty medium and drinkable, with a medium finish of roast and hop bitterness.

Overall, I must say that this beer took me a whole six pack to really appreciate, but I've come to think of this as a fine porter. Not to the level of Founders Porter or Ed Fitz, but few are. Definitely worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 03:21:19 | More by EricCioe

mikeylol

Texas

3.65/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Poured into tulip. Nice, thick and tan four-finger head which sticks around for a little bit. Black, when held up to light, a deep ruby red is visible.

S- Roasted malts upfront, hints of toffee and caramel. Mild dry hop notes. Some phenol character? Piney hop notes emerge as beer warms.

T&M- Thin feel, medium/mild carbonation. Starts off semi-sweet with roasted/coffee flavors upfront and through to finish. Finishes semi-dry with some hop bitterness. Piney hop notes come out as beer warms.

O- A solid session porter. Good flavor without being complex, straight-forward.

Notes- While drinkable and enjoyable, not memorable. Would not pick again, but would never turn one down.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 06:21:27 | More by mikeylol

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

JohnnyChicago

Illinois

2.73/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter.

A: Pours a deep, dark brown with an off-white head. Looks like a porter should.

S: Smells a little off for the style. There's that signature phenolic aroma. Other than that, dark malts are present, but it smells a little harsh.

T: Harsh was right. They used too much black malt and fermented too hot...or else this beer just isn't good to begin with. Roast and burnt marshmallow with the hint of bitter hops. Poor balance.

D: Harsh and astringent. Alcohol is a bit too present for the ABV and mouthfeel is depressingly thin.

Overall: Not very good. This tastes like first-batch extract homebrew (I know because that was me once), not something that a renowned brewery should be pumping out. Boulevard has failed to impress me with this 12-pack. Why are their specialty beers so good and their regular lineup so weak?

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 00:06:06 | More by JohnnyChicago