Saison - Boulevard Brewing Co.

7thstreetbrewery

Missouri

4.63/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled this at the Boulevard brewery on a hot August day, it was ambrosia! Silky mouthfeel, poured like a champagne and was semi cloudy. Some fine ales have a "halo" type haze when looked at in the right light, this one had it. Everything was in perfect balance, the malt, citrus, some tartness. Since then I have purchased a couple 750 ml bottles and they have almost the same characteristics as the brewery draw, just not as "silky" in the mouth for some reason. Buy it with confidence!

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2010 21:04:48 | More by 7thstreetbrewery

EliottJW

California

3.95/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

quick review on this one so I can move on to the next without forgetting!

poured from a 750ml bottle into a new belgium goblet, I reeaaaally appreciated the head on this thing. the lazer etching at the bottom of the glass made the carb go absolutely crazy in this thing. as a result, the head started a creamy, off white finger height and stayed the entire time.

smelled solid - sweet, yeasty honey and sour apples.

taste was nice. not overly sweet and ended with a subtle yeast bite that ended up warming me all the way down.

I want to say that the carbonation was a BIT overbearing, but it wasn't terrible. I'm sure the lazer etching contributed to that a bit, but the result was that for the first couple of sips, my beer turned to a creamy froth.

totally drinkable after warming up a bit. I'd definitely buy more if it were available in my area!

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2009 03:55:11 | More by EliottJW

SpecialK088

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the brewery

A-Nice light gold color good head and retention.

S-Spicy with notes of hops and grain

T-Same as the nose and im happy to be giving this one a good review I was almost under the impression that I didn't like saison's at all since I've not had one before this I liked.

M-Good medium body and a good carbonation level goes down nice and smooth

D-I'll grabv a bottle of this one soon its the only smokestack bottle i dont have.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2008 01:19:25 | More by SpecialK088

naterock

Missouri

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

had this on tap at the brewery, Glad I got the chance to have it on tap.

Pours yellow and slightly cloudy with a nice creamy head, leaves a nice lacing

smells earthy and yeasty a slight citrusy hop nose, and also smells a bit of melon

tastes odd, but good, fruity and peppery, with a slight clove nuance.

smooth as hell and would be nice as a taster with cheese or bread. I will buy this in a bottle definitely.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2008 23:48:17 | More by naterock

Rio

Kansas

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Available on tap at the brewery only, and only then as an occasional 'test brew' offering. Poured a nice golden color, with good head of tiny, off-white bubbles that persisted for a while before fading away to a thin layer across the surface. Some carbonation was visible, but the beer's nice, hazy appearance made it a little harder to see much carbonation.

Grainy aroma, with a bit of a sweet smell, like honey, and a citrusy smell mixed with a bit of a spiciness hanging in the back. A soft malty base to the taste, somewhat reminicent of bread or pie dough, with a bit of a wheat flavor to it. The citrus flavor seemed to take center stage to me, a good flavor of orange (I believe our tour guide identified one of the ingredients at orange peal), with a subtle spiciness to it. Moderate hop bite towards the end. Nice, full mouthfeel, and very crisp.

An excellent brew, and one they've toyed with before. Once they get the new brewery up and running, I hope this gets considered for a full-line beer. I do plan to hit the brewery to try this one again, though.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2005 17:40:32 | More by Rio

ehammond1

California

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle (2009)

Acquired via trade
Thanks, whartontallboy!

(Aged 4+ years)

Hazed, pretty, dark orange. Moderately-sized bone-white head. Lined, irregular lacing left down the glass. Very pretty saison. Nothing to complain about here.

Very standard, but exceptionally well done aroma for a saison. Dried grass and just a bit of lemon peel character combine nicely with grain and earth.

Moderate bitterness, dried grasses, some faded but present lemon and citrus notes, along with traditional, bready grains. It all comes together nicely. This is marvelously drinkable.

Medium bodied with near-high carbonation.

Fantastic. Excellent with food or on its own.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 23:20:23 | More by ehammond1

blackie

Virginia

3.15/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

reviewed from notes taken awhile back, large chalice serving...

a: golden amber in color with a low, short lived white head

s: crisp light barley with a dose of sweeter, maybe caramel malt, a little herbal, a little spicy - pepper mostly, a little fruity, notes of honey and maybe sweet citrus, a decent sniff but nothing to make me think this will be any more than an average attempt at the style

m: carbonation on the medium-high end, body lighter but with sugary slickness at the end that's not exactly pleasant

t: crisp pale malts and a slight toasted sugar sweetness, caramel, hops bring a grassy flavor and a lightly crisp acid bite to the finish, some yeasty spice but nothing really distinct or pleasant - kind of metallic, some fruity esters

o: a little unrefined for the style, nothing off really, just generally plain and sweeter than I expect from the style, and not as nuanced

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 03:31:18 | More by blackie

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.79/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Big thanks to Shagtastic for this bottle...

A: Pours a slightly hazy yellow gold with two full fingers of pure white head. The foam settles fairly quickly, leaving a ton of lacing on the glass.

S: The nose is cracked wheat, lemon peel, fresh cut grass, mild clove, and some malt. This beer smells like a hybrid saison/hefe. I'm into it.

T: I get a lot of malty sweetness up front mixed with mild clove and banana. As it moves towards the middle, the carbonation and spice fades, making the beer sweeter. In the finish, all the flavors seem to fade at the same rate. It's moves off the palate quickly, with only a bit of lingering malt on the palate.

M: Light bodied beer. The carbonation is great, for a beer that has a few years on it. It's light and refreshing to start, a bit coating in the middle, and finishes smooth.

O: This is a decent beer, but I'm glad they decided to make Tank 7 their regular release, over this beer. I'm extremely happy to have tried this, but it far from my favorite Boulevard beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 19:22:13 | More by trxxpaxxs

FosterJM

California

3.71/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

1692nd Review on BA
Bottle to Woodshop snifter
750ml

Not sure what batch #
Thanks Vince for sharing at Steve's

App- A wonderful looking bright looking yellow with golden and peaches intermixed. A small capped 1/2" pure white headway there and stuck around for a bit. More stick than I thought. A bit of a clearer vs. hazy saison.

Smell- A good rep of the style. A nice mix of yeast and banana and wheats. A bit old in the nose. I'm pretty sure this was not a new bottle. A bit thick but used to that with Boulevard.

Taste- Being a Boulevard fanboy I was looking forward to this one and while it was a bit old, it still retained a lot of the saison flavors. Banana and small clove with a yeasty bread behind it. Balanced and not to cloying or bubblegum as well.

Mouth- A smaller medium body with a certain lightness. A lighter medium carbonation with residual yeast and wheat. Not really much of the spice remains.

Drink- Despite being an older bottle, this was flavorful and balanced. Glad I finally got to tick this one. Thanks vinny.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 17:17:08 | More by FosterJM

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

750 mL bottle. Batch S8317. I think this is last bottled batch from 3/2009?

Pours a slightly hazed orange copper with a thin white head that fades to a thin ring. Aroma is old, but has some fruity orange, Belgian yeast, lemon rind, grass and straw. Flavor is a little musty and stale, but otherwise this is a nice fruity and doughy saison. Medium body and effervescent carbonation. Slight taste of cardboard in the finish. Over the hill at this point, but still drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 00:50:55 | More by yourefragile

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.86/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to yourefragile for sharing this one. Served in a Boulevard Smokestack cervoise. Pours a clear medium golden cot with a nice white head. Plenty of sticky lacing and a nice cap.

Nose has some light grains and faint pepper. A bit oxidized, but still nice. Just a touch of very light fruit in the background. Flavor adds in some semi-sweet grains and light straw. Moderate bitterness and a very crisp body. Light spice through the finish.

Probably a bit muted compared to its prime, but still quite enjoyable and easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 00:42:07 | More by Thorpe429

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.38/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle opened on 9.20.12.
Batch #S8228

A - Pours a murky medium orange with a three inch foamy off-white head with good retention.

S - Lemons, dulls spices, Belgian yeast.

T - Lemony, buttery, wheat, light yeast.

D - Great carbonation with a light body.

O - Pretty muted and lemony.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 07:02:58 | More by HuskyinPDX

Florida9

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A dark shade of yellow. Almost golden, but not quite. Clear at first, but gets cloudy on subsequent pours. Forms a moderate to large bubbly white head that reduces down to a thin surface coating. Some decent lacing.

S: Some light pale malts, a little grassy hops, some lemon, and a touch of yeast.

T: Starts off with a good dose of pale malt. Light toast, bread, and biscuit. Then some apple notes, light yeasty spice, and a notes of peach and lemon. Rather spicy on the finish.

M: Medium bodied, but this one has more body than the typical saison. Appropriate carbonation. Mild bitterness.

O: I enjoyed this beer. I found this one to have a bit more "meat" to it than the typical Saison while the yeasty qualities were toned down a bit. An enjoyable Saison.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 00:04:13 | More by Florida9

n2185

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: pours a slightly hazy yellow gold with three fingers of white head that fades into a rocky head with decent lacing.

S: spices with candy sugar up front followed by a lot of dry, funky barnyard aromas.

T: similar to the aroma, spices and sweet fruit up front with funky, barnyard flavoes following. The finish is dry and bready.

M: light body with medium-high carbonation, this beer is light, dry, and clean.

O: despite being a couple of years old, this beer is still tasty and quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 22:51:31 | More by n2185

DenverLogan

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Light yellow with some tiny floaties. Small head hangs on for a long time. Big flavor...some roughness...earthy, fruit rind, pepper...minimal malt and sweetness. At a tasting most tasters prefered this over the Brett, but I'm not convinced. The Brett varies each year and in the bottle vs on tap, and I've enjoyed much on tap at some of those crazy pre-GABF parties.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 20:05:01 | More by DenverLogan

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle. Pours a cloudy dark amber color with a nice white head. Lots of orange in the nose along with some vanilla. Slight vegetable. Medium mouthfeel. Malty, orange, wheat, f me where did the saison go?! Lots of caramel and orange. Slight hop note in the back end. It’s not bat but it suprises me that this is not more like a really saison.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 16:51:42 | More by kbutler1

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Batch s8254

Pours a white head leaves some nice rings. Color is golden orange.

Aroma: very malty and bready. Funky with a must. Has a lemon and orange citrus. Very sweet. Orange dream sickle.

Taste: very bready and malty. Tons of oranges. Not so funky. Musty. Some spices. It tastes old. Odd.

Overall, I think this is past it's prime. It tastes old and I don't like that. I do like the oranges however. Not to saison like.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 02:31:53 | More by mothman

DavidST

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a tulip glass. This pours a hazy light yellow color with a massive white head. The smells are great, banana, yeast esters, bubble gum, spices, some sweet malts. The feel is medium to thin. The taste is pretty great, semi sweet and light, lots of Belgian esters, fruit, citrus, good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 04:37:53 | More by DavidST

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.98/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

BIG thanks to hannydawg for this beloved extra! According to the batch code, this was bottled Aug 16th, 2008. Wicked!

Pours a very hazy, medium orange color. Much hazier than Tank 7. The head isn't out of control. With a controlled pour, you can get a slight and massive head alike...which is nice to me. Aroma is fruity, with a little funk and even still some floral, grassy hops. There's some maltiness, almost nutty sweet. The taste has a nice surprising bit of hoppiness to it. Slight bitterness, with some earthy grass. Fruity yeasty notes are noticeable, along with a good funky barnyard note. Slight sweet nutty note as well. It's slick with a bit of creaminess, but it's still got a nice carbonation note too.

Really glad I got to try this, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It will remain on my wants.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 23:17:44 | More by EgadBananas

portia99

Massachusetts

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

750ml bottle (batch S8317) poured into a Russian River stemmed glass.

A - Pours a clear and bright golden straw color tinted with amber. Three fingers of thick, dense and whipped creamy white head shows outstanding staying power lasting for several minutes and dying slowly with tons of webby lacing left on the glass.

S - Super citrusy...filled with oranges, some lemons and limes. Spicy with some black pepper present, grainy malt, a bit yeasty. Love the citrus dominated aroma here.

T - A bit different than I was expecting from the aroma. Quite dry overall with some good earthiness at the base, grassy and bitter hoppiness - clean and crisp, touches of black pepper. Lemons and limes are noticeable but not approaching the dominance of the aroma. Lightly grainy and wheaty for a malt presence.

M - Very dry and crisp...well attenuated - practically no residual sweetness here. Very high carbonation level that gives a huge tingle and a bit of a foaming action in the mouth thru to the swallow.

O - Sat on this one in the cellar for a while...definitely worth the wait. Well balanced, full of flavor and complex...sad that this one won't be made again. Another excellent saison from Boulevard.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 18:13:29 | More by portia99

gtermi

Texas

4.18/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I was nervous to try this because the beer was really old, but I said screw it and bought it.

I poured it out into a Duvel tulip class and it had a lot of carbonation like a champagne. The head pours very thick too.
The smell of this beer is very nice too. I pick up a lot of sweetness, fruitiness and a slight bit of hops.
The taste is very nice. I pick up a nice bit of malt, some sweetness and a very mild after taste of hops. This is by far the smoothest beer I have ever had. With as huge of a head as it had, I didnt expect such smoothness.

Overall this beer was a nice find. I was nervous to drink this beer because it was over two years old, but it has aged well. I am grateful I got to try this beer before there are no more.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 02:34:20 | More by gtermi

TippySelenoid

Missouri

3.65/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a 4 year old bottle from my cellar.
Poured into a tulip.

It is a cloudy gold. It poured with a nice frothy head that dissolved into a thin white lace. There were also bits of yeast to be seen swimming in the beer.

It had a sweet floral smell. A bit grassy.

It tastes of flowers, with some spicy notes. It's not overwhelmingly spicy. There is a nice sweetness as well.

This beer has a chalky yeast feel. It is full bodied with a pleasant carbonation.

This beer was a chance in my cellar since the abv isn't that high. It didn't get any better, but I can't determine that it got much worse. This is my last bottle of this since it was replaced by the Tank 7.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 02:12:01 | More by TippySelenoid

SDDanC

California

3.53/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

the cork popped with a good amount of pressure, surprising for the 2 years since it was conditioned. pours a hazy, light straw color with a prominent creamy head. right of the bat, the nose is filled with subtle citrus, a lemon zest almost, and some earthy spice. a good amount of malt comes through as well. on the tongue it is very dry and very spicy. the carbonation explodes through the gulp, releasing more lemon, leaving behind a cloying bite of spice. as it warmed up, the citrus definitely went down while getting more yeasty and slightly chemical. nail polish? gulped it down quickly after that.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 04:16:16 | More by SDDanC

wnh

Missouri

4.47/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a lightly hazy straw topped by a large, creamy white head.

Aromas of light, clean citrus on the nose, surprisingly hoppy. This was tasted alongside six or seven other saisons, and the hoppiness became even more apparent when compared to the other offerings.

Very light on the palate, smooth and rounded and almost--almost--watery. Flavors of lemon peel and earthy pepper. Manages, however, to stay perfectly thin and quaffable, though not quite quenching.

A good saison, though I'm not terribly disappointed that Boulevard will be replacing this with Tank 7.

===

Re-reviewed 07.16.2010. Batch Number S7332

Very exuberant pop upon uncorking, with the cork flying across the room. Oops. Pours a hazy golden straw topped by a large foamy white head with good staying power. Very lively. Clears up eventually, becoming very bright.

Aromas of lemon peel, herbs, spice (coriander?), and sweet grain. Sweet on the whole but with an undercurrent of must.

On the palate this is surprisingly dry. There's some sweet fruit up front, followed briefly by juicy caramel, and then the beer seems to disappear with a quick, short, dry finish. Much more rustic than the nose suggests. The second time I've had this, but I'm surprised how good it is. My saison experience is limited, but this is closest to what I think a saison should be. Tasty, quenching, and I'd imagine somewhat restorative.

Medium to full bodied, firm and dense but sprightly carbonated. I can't seem to put this down.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 19:35:25 | More by wnh

MbpBugeye

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Neat-o! A retired BLVD Smokestack tick! The girlfriend bought this some months ago while we were in Indianapolis. It sat around since then. She called while she was on her way home from work, asking me to have a beer ready. So I decided it was time for this one to be opened.

Poured into a Parra Duvel tulip.

Appearance
This saison is surprisingly clear. Its a perfectly clear, honey-hued yellow. A big, billowy white head tops it off. This is a Boulevard Smokestack, so a huge head is to be expected. Copious lacing.

Aroma
Pretty typical of a saison, I think. Although this one edges just above normalcy in the smell department. Tons and tons of ripe apple juice along with pear and some peach. Yeast esters are prevalent; lots of clove and chalky earthiness.

Taste
The taste is very nice. Its light and breezy; loaded with fruit juice flavors. Apple takes the show, but doesn't overpower other fruitiness like pear. The flavor starts out sweet and juicy, it then really cranks up the spicy yeast character. LOTS of spice, clove and white pepper on the finish. When it warms slightly a new level of fruitiness comes out. In a very Fantome way, strawberry makes an appearance. I really enjoy how the beer has these two facets that blend together. Alcohol, while low, can be tasted at the very back, but only as it warms and only if you look for it.

Mouthfeel
Carbonation is somewhere about medium, for the style (which I typically expect higher levels of carbonation from). The body is a touch fuller than it looks, but it still remains easily within the mid-range. Dryness is modest, this beer is mostly juicy.

Overall
A very nice saison. Its both very fruity and very spicy. Complexity is in no short supply here. At the time I thought this beer was not the wisest purchase. Now I'm glad we got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 04:40:13 | More by MbpBugeye