Saison - Boulevard Brewing Co.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Fresh bottle brought by the brewery to Cole's, on the way to Cooperstown. Above average carbonation, certainly the Brett gives the base an added dimension of drinkability. A very good example of an American style saison, bolder spice taste.A but drying in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2008 21:12:42 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.35/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Golden Delicious apple peel with lemonade colored trim. The alabaster colored crown would make most Belgian saisons proud. Persistence is fantastic, thanks to an impressive amount of effervescent carbonation. Even without waiting to see what the lace looks like (great!), this is lovely beer.

The nose gets it done in fine fashion. Grassy and lemony Saaz hops dominate... at least it smells like Saaz. One source said that Amarillo hops are used, but I don't get that at all. A modest amount of clove-like spiciness is present as well.

Saison is yet another winner from Boulevard's Smokestack Series. It occurs to me that this is what Great Lakes Grassroots Ale should taste like, instead of the overspiced mediocrity that they ended up releasing. Even though it isn't as good, this ale reminds me of Saison Dupont. Maybe they used the same yeast.

Regarding grains, pale malt, wheat and corn impart minimal flavor and minimal sweetness. The flavor profile focuses on hops and yeast, which is as it should be. Although depth and complexity are a little lacking, Saison is delicious, incredibly drinkable and refreshing beer. Flavors include crackery malt, lemon zest, meadow grasses, clove and white pepper. The finish is borderline crisp and drying. It looks like 4.5 is an appropriate taste score after all.

The mouthfeel falls just short of greatness. It's light and sparkly (which is fine), but it doesn't have the same creamy voluminousness as the world's best versions. It's close, though. Very close.

This offering is at least as good as Long Strange Tripel among the Smokestack Series of beers. The highest compliment I can pay is that Saison looks, smells, tastes, feels and drinks like a well-brewed Belgian saison. The fact that it's available any time I have the urge makes me very happy indeed.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2009 21:22:46 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

Another new boulevard I was able to try over the last week. This one was served chilled and poured into a pint glass, consumed on 02/07/2010.
 
The pour was very good for the style. Nice light, golden amber in color with a good sized head of white creeping up and over the top of the glass. Settling down gently we are left with some decent side glass lace and a nice rocky and cratered top. Aroma is light, earthy with nice notes of grain and hints of clove and banana. Warming brings out touches of pears, a light bit of peach and a nice peppery aroma that seems to pick up as it warms. Soft and subtle carbonation lead the way here, really just nicely done I have to admit. Perfect balance between the light body and the warm, subtle nature of the saison. Nice dry finish is loaded down with light fruit notes and a subtle and easy warming leaves it all but forgotten after a few moments.
 
In a world of big one offs and huge style differences this was a welcome change. I really enjoyed the warmth and easy drinking nature a high recommendation.
 

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2010 01:09:06 | More by mikesgroove

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

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a hazy, pale yellow body with a small, white head.

Smell: Aroma of pale malts and wheat charged with notes of dull citrus, a slice of multi-grain bread, dried flowers, rustic spices, and grass.

Taste: Pale malts and wheat malt with a touch of sweetness. Some spices, some dustiness. Faint hint of banana. Floral, grassy taste. Mild bitterness. Citrusy, semi-dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Fairly refreshing and easy to drink. Not a bad lil' saison.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2008 18:39:09 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: Pours a cloudy golden color with a one finger head that leaves a sheet of lace

Smell: Herbacious and grassy, with a hint of citrus

Taste: Herbacious and peppery from the outset, with citrus undertones; by mid-palate, the spicy pepper and coriander flavors raise several notches and dominate the finish, although there is a subtle yeasty flavor underneath

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with buoyant carbonation

Drinkability: Lovely and emjoyable with a nice range of flavors

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2009 01:28:20 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a hazy shiny blonde color ale with a huge pure white foamy head with good retention and even some lacing. Aroma consists of fruity and light funky ester with a solid floral malt backbone. Taste is also a well balanced mix between some floral malt with some light fruity ester and a somewhat yeasty spicy finish. Full body with some great carbonation and no alcohol could be detected. Very well done and another winner from a brewery that I would like to taste more beers from.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2008 13:27:11 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a lemon-yellow color with medium haze. Stark white foam forms a billowing head that quickly topples the glass. Lots of lacing all the while.

Sharp, tart, and acidic aromas of lemons, under ripened berries, crab apples, and pears fill the nose with a slim pilsner malt base lying beneath. Dusty and lightly spiced for true Belgian fingerprints.

Flavors are more tart and fruit driven than what the nose reveals. Very dry, peppery, sharp, and lightly pungent. Hop flavor is earthy, herbal, and pungent as well. Much like Duvel but with more hop emphasis.

Dry to the point that the beer leaps off of the palate and evaporates completely well before the finish. Airy, spicy, and powdery, this beer is effortless to drink. Rising hop bitterness returns in the aftertaste and helps to keep the beer clean and crisp.

The beer is much to dry to be a classic Saison, but personally I prefer this 'Duvel'-ish character more than sweeter Belgian Ales.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2009 01:23:30 | More by BEERchitect

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Batch #S7332. Poured from a longstanding bottle that sat for at least three months, the yeast was nicely settled and the initial glass was crystal clear. I could see my fingerprints through the wide tulip glass! A second pour was only a touch more hazy, and it wasn't until almost the end of the third pour that the lees were disturbed. That was totally acceptable as well, and upon tasting it, the yeast seems to help soften the spiciness a bit, so don't worry if you pick up a bottle and can't wait to dig in.

The body was a golden-brass with an orange cast. Tiny effervescent bubbles raced towards the surface. The frothy white head slowly settled to a short, densely creamy cap, and then eventually eroded to a thin lid midway through the glass, leaving behind it massive walls of sticky lace.

The aroma is peppery, spicy, yeasty, clove-like, and sweetish.

In the mouth it's medium-full in body, and the natural carbonation leaves it initially delicately zesty, but then it warms immediately to become cottony soft and smooth.

The flavor is as the aroma suggests, with it's peppery spice and clove swirling within a straightforwardly grainy, sweetish malt that's backed by a bracing bitterness. Candy notes (sugar, clove, vanilla) are present as well, and there's some apple and banana on the tip of the tongue. Maybe even some pear. As might be expected, it finishes dry and spicy with a quick spritz of alcohol, and lingers with dull residual bitterness and spice. As it warms it becomes more complex, and exhibits notes of honey, chalky citrus rind, ginger, and some mineralish/earthy notes.

Overall it's a pretty solid saison. Two thumbs up. I'd like to see more fruitiness to it, and perhaps a little bit less pepper, but that goes to personal taste (and yeast choice). And I can't argue with the balance. It's quite drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2009 01:21:16 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.45/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bright hazy, straw yellow hue...huge head, enormous pillowy white...gorgeous stuff.

spot on smell of it, too...spice aplenty, fresh and lively lemon zest below. Delicate, yet vivacious. Lovely, ...

Tasting it...is heaven. Creamy. Soft. Sensuous. Amazingly light, uplifting, and astoundingly delicious. Incredible. Citrus fruit still is at play. Yeast and lush, yet sensitive malt adds to the delight. A lot going on here, but terrifically digestible.

This is a great acheivement among saisons, one of the best I've had from American craft brewers. This would go great with vegetables and fish, pasta, too, but nothing too spicy.

It's fun to find others in this style that give greater spice or more exotic fruit character, more intriquing twists, etc, but for downright refreshment, and rock-solid, classic smooth saison drinking, this hits the spot!

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2008 10:30:07 | More by feloniousmonk

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy golden straw color with a large white head. The aroma is a mix of yeast with some citrus, mainly oranges and lemons. The flavor is similar with a slight funk mixed in with the citrus and yeast. Dry finish. Thin body and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 04:17:42 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

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

Batch # S727

A - Poured out a cloudy, orage/gold color with a small, white, head that left no lace.

S - It smelled of sweetness and light caramel malt. Also, a very fruity aroma.

T - It tasted very sweet and slightly bitter. It had a light caramel maltiness and was somewhat spicy.

M - It was crisp and smooth. A light to medium-bodied beer.

D - This is an outstanding saison. Very smooth and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2008 03:35:48 | More by zeff80

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.15/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Batch # S8053; Sampled June 2008
This is well carbonated as a soft pour still produces a four-finger thick, pale, off-white colored head in my large Tripel Karmeliet Tulip glass. The beer is a hazy, straw color that shows more of the same with perhaps a touch of an orange tint to it when held up to the light. The aroma is spicy / hoppy with grassy hop notes, lemon zest, woody pepper, a slight musty woody spiciness, a touch of herbal honey, young ginger, a phenolic mix of clove and light plastic, a touch of orange blossom and just a nice herbal quality. Lots of pale malt character is noticeable in the nose as well; like fresh crushed malt, I get aromas of saltine crackers, a whole grain earthiness and an appetizing fresh bread character. This has a really vibrant nose; it is amply hopped and this pairs quite nicely with the malt and fermentation profile.

Peppery carbonation adds quite a pep to this beer. It still has a soft, pale-malt sweetness to it that is fairly light. This finishes with a deep, biting bitterness that lingers on in the palate along with some orange blossom notes. This has a perfect texture and heft to it for a Saison; nice and light, eminently quaffable, yet it has a slight, creamy viscousness to it such that it is not at all watery. Herbal hop notes provide flavors of pine, a touch of menthol and a light, zesty, green herbal / weed-like note (the last is the best I can do in words). Cracker like malt, a nice fresh dough note and light biscuit notes round out the malt / grain character of this beer. This also has a dry mineral-like quality to it as well as a substantial, underlying fruitiness that is reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc grapes and slightly under-ripe pears.

Perhaps not an earth-shattering Saison, but damn, this is most definitely hitting the spot right now. It is so easy for me to plow through my 750ml bottle. This makes me want the Brett version that much more. A fantastic Saison, one which I would love to be a locally available beer. And there it is, before I know it my bottle of this beer has disappeared.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2008 02:12:00 | More by Gueuzedude

russpowell

Oklahoma

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

Picked this up in Wichita

Pours an effervescent gold with 2+ fingers of cream colored head. Hazes as the bottle drains, good head retention & lacing

S: Appleskins & citrus hops, plus some pear & apricots as this warms

T: Appleskins, grapefruit, & phenols up front. Lemony hops & grapeskins, white pepper, pineapple, pears, a touch of booze & honey are there as this warms. Finishes with a touch of booze, grapefruitty hops & honey dryness

MF: Light/medium bodied with spritzy carbonation, skews hoppy

Drinks pretty good, but a 750 ml bottle was plenty for me. Saisons are not one of my favorite styles, but this one is pretty good. This is as good as most Belgian saisons I've tried

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2008 04:12:15 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from Rudy's in LaSalle, IL.
Review from notes.

Vivid orange, rapid carbonation trails, with intricate and sticky lacing. Constant foam, good retention on the whole. Strong cannabis and tangerine aromas, wheat, pepper, and dried orange peel. Complex and pungent nose, a strong suit of this Saison.

Banana, pepper again, lingering herbal sage, noble hop bitterness, crackery dry pilsner malt. Clean and dry feel, not overly spicy. Full effervescence, crisp and snappy. A very quenching and summery brew, perfect with an artisanal cheese. Stock up on this for spring and summer!

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2009 02:08:30 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle, opened while the Angels are in Kansas City for a 3 game set with the Royals, coincidence?

A: Pours a very hazy and bright yellow with a fizzy, but full pillowy white head. Very good head retention, minor lace.

S: White pepper, sourdough bread, grain husks.

T: Very heavy on the white pepper, spice and grassy hops, tons of yeast as well. I got some more malt and a lot of lemon mid-palate, some fruiter tastes come in as it finishes. Too astringently bitter at times for me though.

M: Spritzy, rather light-bodied for a saison, a hair too much carbonation, refreshing though.

D: A saison that is not too high in alcohol, this went quite well with the 100 degree weather. A provisional beer for late summer.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2009 20:14:28 | More by Halcyondays

jwc215

New Jersey

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

Thanks to hwwty4 for this!

750 ml cage-corked bottle, poured into wide-mouth glass, as suggested on the label:

Pours hazed/clouded golden yellow with a rich head that lasts most of duration before becoming wispy and leaves trailing lacing sticking to the glass.

The smell is fruity - lemon, orange peel and some banana - with a tang. There's a bready, grassy/barnyardy funk touch.

The taste is sweet becoming tart fruitiness finishing with an herbal dryness. Fruity and bready with a touch of honey/graininess and grassiness throughout. There's a hint of black peppery alcohol in the aftertaste.

It is effervescent, creamy and fuller end of light-bodied.

Thirst quenching and fruity - but not overly fruity. Nice earthy/barnyardy funky touch. This is a well-made, refreshing saison. Especially nice for a brewery that doesn't really specialize in Belgian-style beers. They nailed the style nicely. An enjoyable saison, to say the least!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 20:30:09 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a 750ml from Princeton Liquors for $9. Split it with friends on a sunny afternoon and couldn't think of many beers that would have been better. It poured with a large white head of tiny bubbles and had great retention. The body was light and very drinkable, while the flavor remained complex. There was a delicious peppery citrus finishing hop, while mild vanilla, toasted French bread, and orange juice took over the flavor. A little more spice came out in the aroma, leaving no doubt this was a fine Belgian ale. My hat is off to Boulevard on this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2009 23:03:48 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to hwwty4 for this corked and caged bottle, Batch S7278. It's been in my cellar for quite a while (2 years, I'd guess).

A: The saison is a hazy golden color, clouded enough that I can't see through it. The ale is well-carbonated, 3+ fingers on first pour. As each iteration of the thick head disappeared, archipelagos of lace were left behind. The top finger of the glass is thick with dense foam.

S: The nose is pretty unremarkable. A strong caramel presence indicates that the ale might be past its prime, unfortunately.

T: The ale leads off with a strong caramel presence that I'm guessing doesn't belong. Luckily the middle of each sip through to its finish salvages things. Coriander features prominently there, along with with a black pepper bite. Unfortunately, the ale seems to have degraded (damn, damn, damn) with the caramel presence.

M: The coriander has a nice zip, refusing to fade after a few years. I can't say the same for the rest of the beer though.

D: I split the bottle with ksak. Otherwise I may not have gotten through it.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2010 01:16:10 | More by akorsak

Billolick

New York

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

Large bottle, caged and corked, the rear label lets me know the Batch Number( does this really help the consumer?) but there is no freshness info offered...pours slightly hazed, yellowy, with bubbles rising, the off white head is initially quite impressive, and shows nice retnetion including merainge, then fading to ta thick loose film and leaving quite nice lace on the glass. Light pepper, flowers and fruit in the nose. Quite tasty saison, with notes of lemon/lime, pepper, more ropical fruits and belgian yeast notes in the finish. As it warms up the mouthfeel really comes around in all its tasty saison goodness. Nicely done, more respectable Smokestack series offerings from Boulevard. If I could get em locally, they would be on my regular play list.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2009 21:07:27 | More by Billolick

ppoitras

Massachusetts

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

750ml bottle obtained via trade with mhewes. Thanks for the opportunity. Corked & caged, Batch S8060.

Poured into a Rapscallion glass, formed a 1 1/2" white head above the clear golden brew. Meringuey head lasts nicely, with prevalent delicate lacing. Aroma is sweet, effervescent and citrusy. Taste follows the nose almost exactly, with a crisp close. Mouthfeel is easy over the tongue, with tartness prickling a bit, and drinkability is good. Seems to fall into the style quite well.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2008 00:12:55 | More by ppoitras

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled at biegamans Summer Saison tasting, grub brought this bottle.

Pours a hazed golden, nice and thick white head forms, drops to a solid layer, some nice lacing on the glass, looks pretty. Smell is nice, straw, sour lemons, honey, tart spicy middle, apricots, light fruit, coriander, neat. Taste is similar, lemons, biscuit, lots of wheat bread in the middle, bit of malt sweetness, tart fruit and spice in the finish, very dry. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with medium carbonation, very refreshing and drinkable. Great saison, thanks Russ!

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2008 16:39:26 | More by Viggo

Bighuge

Minnesota

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

Hazy looking vanilla tinged yellow body. Pillowy white head. Lace is quite full and sticky. Great aroma of lemon peel, coriander and citrus. Also get nice smelling yeastiness. On the palate, this beer comes off at once as quite the refreshing and enjoyable beverage. Lots of stuff going on here: Earthy fruitiness, lemon zest, leather, cork, honeyed malts and cedar. Damp earth. Very complex. Body is medium. The beer feels light and active. This is really enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2008 04:03:52 | More by Bighuge

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle received in a recent trade courtesy of thehand. Thanks again man!

Pours a hazy, dark golden ripe banana/yellowish orange color with golden yellow hints when held to a light source and a two finger frothy white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Sporadic chunks of soapy lacing are left behind.

Slightly earthy aroma with lots of peppery spice and crisp light fruit. There's also some bready yeast in the nose with hints of apple, banana and pear. There's also a slight tart character in the nose.

Spicy medium body that is fuller than I expected with lots of peppery spice and clove up front that linger over the slightly creamy body into a very dry finish. Slightly tart and earthy with hints of bready yeast and light fruit, specifically apple, pear and banana. Well balanced and the fruit/bread flavors become more prominent as it warms providing some sweetness. Subtle floral and alcohol presence but the ABV, although not very high, is well masked making it pretty quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2010 07:16:35 | More by corby112

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bright lemon yellow that even when completely shaded from the light remains a sunny, resplendent golden. The beer is, however, better suited to the light; its colour becomes lustrous, an even brighter more scintillating yellow, and its complexion completely glossy. With such a beaming tone one might easily overlook that their finger is hardly visible on the other side. In true Belgian fashion, its head is an enormous buttress of pillowy white foam.

The aroma is divine, ambrosial. It is a delicately soft scent, light on the senses, but intricate with fine-grained traces of spices, flowers and fruits. There is an understated wheaty graininess layered in apricot, citrus zest, green apple, rose hips and white pepper. It is the kind of scent whose essence enters your very core, goes directly to your heart and lifts your spirit. For each breath time seems doubled, or tripled, but never is it long enough.

I couldn't take just one first sip, I had to take several in very short sequence. The flavour is nearly as captivating as the bouquet, and equally as delicate. Despite a generic malt bill that contains only two-row pale malt, wheat and corn, there is an interesting use of hops (Magnum, Simcoe, Amarillo) and a clearly qualified yeast under propping the taste.

And the flavours, all co-existing as precise as the coloured bands of a rainbow, include: various herbs, ginger, apple, corn, pear, citrus and straw. Despite the vivid presence of such flavours the mouthfeel fails to turn 2-D into 3-D; they are tasted but not sensed. The texture could use more crisp wheat and graininess, to say nothing of spice, grassiness or yeasty phenols. Still, this 750ml bottle evaporates at the speed of a 330ml.

Boulevard's Smokestack Series is a collection of some of my favourite American-made Belgian style ales; for the length of this bottle, as far as I am concerned, Kansas City is located right in the heart of Wallonia. Anyone else who loves the style as much as I do is likely to feel the same way. We may no longer rely on Saisons for sustenance but I think, given this offering, in a pinch, we gladly could. Thanks Buckeyenation!

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2009 23:34:56 | More by biegaman