Irish Ale - Boulevard Brewing Co.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.88/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks bort11 for your generousity. Pours a tan yellow with a foaming white head. Beery cheese aroma. Toast in there and on bitter side, not getting too much malt and no hint of recognition of a 5-malt complexity, metal in the finish. Aggressive carbonation,not bad but oh so dry Irish.Thanks again Tim!

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2008 03:11:09 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.9/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings, slow to make enemies and quick to make friends. And may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward."

--an Irish wedding toast


Dark coppery orange with bright Sunkist peel edges. I don't mind the lack of any real redness since the color is so fetching. Most brown ales aren't brown, after all. The pale caramel cap is large after a vigorous pour, looks like whipped mousse and leaves several sudsy streamers of lace.

The nose is pretty good for an Irish red, even if it doesn't wow me. It's primarily caramel malty with a modest fruitiness and a noticeable hoppiness. Magnum and Saaz comprise the hop bill, if such a thing matters in a beer of this style.

Irish Ale is a solid version. Unfortunately, like the nose, it doesn't grab me by the taste buds and convince me of its brilliance. This is one of those styles that needs to do something extra to stand out. In looking back, I've only had three Irish reds that were worthy of real, honest to goodness praise. Boulevard's take on the style doesn't quite join that select group.

I'm pleased at the sweet-bitter balance since I have it in my head that Irish reds are typically more sweet than bitter. The flavor profile follows the nose in that caramel-coated citrus fruit is the star of the show. There's also a sweet black tea character that adds an extra measure of flavor interest. At an ABV of 5.3%, this would make a good St. Patty's day session beer.

The mouthfeel is light-medium in a general sense and is entirely appropriate for the style as I understand it. It holds together nicely throughout each mouthful and finishes on an acceptably smooth, perfectly carbonated note.

I'm much more impressed with the final few ounces than I was with the first few. Whether the improvement was due to warming or to the goodies at the bottom of the bottle, I couldn't say. Boulevard Irish Ale still can't touch Great Lakes Conway's Irish or Three Floyds Brian Boru, but it's damn good beer all the same. I'll be sure to look for it again next March.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2007 18:47:16 | More by BuckeyeNation

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy caramel color with a frothy head; nice retention and a bit of lace

Smell: Toast and caramel, with an earthy hop aspect

Taste: Starts out toasty, with a building caramel flavor; just when you thought this beer was all about the malt, a nice earthy, almost tea-like hop bitterness kicks in to balance things out; after the swallow, the finish is fairly low key, with a subtle remembrance of the flavor profile

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A fine session ale, that has enough flavor to make things interesting

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2009 00:46:49 | More by brentk56

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.65/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

It's refreshing to have a simple, well-crafted, and (almost) sessionable beer for once. We need more beers that quietly give such pleasure without yelling at me.

Boulevard's Irish Ale begins with a deep ruby color with a stubby foamstance of stark-white foam, very creamy appearance, and very good lacing. Very clear.

Aromas of bready malted barley and estery red apples rise to the forefront of the glass. Subtle hints of bread crusts and toffee give an understated backdrop to the aromas.

Flavors do much the same but the light toast and sweeter, sun-kissed grains take precedence over the toffee sweetness and fruitiness. Still, the malt flavor is the driving force for the beer, allowing a light grainy taste to come into play early and late, somehow avoiding the main body of the beer.

The grain taste lingers into the impressions of body a bit too much and interrupts the handsome malt structure. Hop bitterness is assertive enough to balance the beer and then to also add an English, earthy, minty flavor as well.

This Irish Ale is a very nice beer that shouldn't offend or demand attention. Just an easy drinker and wonderful at that.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 02:11:51 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into an impy nonic a deep amber shade with a large blooming light tan colored head atop.Aromas are lighter with deep caramel and dark fruit notes.This is a real deeply fruit Irish red here,dark fruit and caramel over lightly roasted malt notes,a bit of drying earthiness in the finish.Alot of frutiness to this ale wich might not be true to style but it's pretty damn good.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 22:53:43 | More by oberon

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Color: a clear reddish hue, and the head is short, off-white.
Aroma is a surprising delight, rich and ambrosial: caramel, nuts, some dark fruits, cherry, citrus, and an overall roasted feel. Puts me in mind of a barleywine or a winter ale, more than a typical Irish ale.
Tasty, warm texture. Hops are lying low, true to style. Malt is big, but not too much so. Taste is sweet and delicious. I loved this oned all the way down!
One of the better "Irish ales" I've ever encountered. Great thanks to marc77 for sending it!

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2003 20:11:43 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.63/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a ruby red color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice malty scent that boasts of pale, crystal, and roasted malts. It's a bit sweet with a dry, bitter hop aroma. The taste is decent. It has a dry, roasted flavor that boasts of crystal malts and roasted barley. It has a mild hop bitterness and a dry finish. The yeast seems to give it an overly dry flavor. The mouthfeel is decent also. It is a medium/full bodied beer with a little too much carbonation. This is a decent brew. I think I may have aquired an older bottle, hence the overly dry and carbonated feel.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2006 20:58:22 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

At the time of this review, this is #4 on the "Top Beers - Irish Red Ale" list on beeradvocate.com. Beer served in a Boulevard Brewing Company Irish Red Ale shaker pint. This is how the fictional God intended. A top 5 beer in a real style is always an exciting find.

Beer is dark red / ruby and clear with a nice one finger off white head of small bubbles. Some lacing, decent retention, moderate to low carbonation.

Aroma is plain and sweet.

Beer is a little apple-like in the mouth, a mild roast on the end, very subtle. A mild bitterness, a nice medium bodied. The finish is nice as well. I'd have it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 19:07:17 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

I had to work late on St. Patrick's Day, so I had two of these when I got home from work. Poured a copper/red color. There wasn't much of a smell, but what smell there was came across as malty. The taste was malty with only a slight amount of hops. I haven't had a ton of Irish Red Ales, but this one tasted good to me. I would definitely try it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2008 02:35:13 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

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

12 oz. bottle

Pours out a reddish, copper color. Maybe a two finger head. It leaves some lace as you drink it. The beer is very typical of an Irish Ale, hoppy and slightly bitter. It goes down very smooth. Goes great on St. Patrick's day, if you don't have any Guinness or Harp on hand.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2006 20:53:35 | More by zeff80

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.9/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up at the class 6 store at Vance AFB, OK, review based on notes, beer was 2 weeks past it's sell by date (bottle conditioned)

Poured a caramel orange with 2 fingers of sand colored head. Good lacing & head retention

S: Breadyness & cereal notes, some leafy hops, plus some caramel as this warmed

T: Caramel, grainyness & leafy hops up front. More of the same plus dryness & biscutty malt as this warmed, Finished dry with more leafy hops

MF: Medium bodied with high carbonation & pretty good balance

Drank pretty good, the dryness would get to me after a while. A passable Irish Red, bottle conditioned, so may be better a bit fresher 2 months post Saint Patricks

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2008 14:37:45 | More by russpowell

WVbeergeek

Ohio

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

Appearance has a smooth creamy tan caramel tan head body is amber red leaves even thick chunks of lacing. Aroma contains caramel malt sweetness with pine cone scented hops definitely hoppier than the average Irish Red, which is a plus in my book. Taste has upfront malted wheaties sweetness touch of caramel creamy tone altogether with a mild bitterness but complex piney hop flavor. Mouthfeel is medium to light bodied mildly carbonated very smooth with each sip. Drinkability is very nice all around definitely better than many other beers of this style, go Irish this March with Boulevard's take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2006 22:06:16 | More by WVbeergeek

Wasatch

Utah

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to stephens101 for this brew.

Pours a very nice slight hazey golden amber color, nice carbonation, very nice one-finger plus creamy light tan head, with some very nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, with lots of caramel. The taste is malty, nice sweet note, with some caramel. Medium body, with a dry/bitter finish. Drinkable, this is one fine brew, thanks Lane.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2009 01:52:39 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.43/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a four finger light tan head that fades slowly leaving some lace. Almost clear amber color. Light-medium carbonation and light-medium bodied. Slight malty nose. Starts almost sweet maybe caramel, clean finish. Hints of hops in aftertaste. Best by May 1, 2006. $1.49 for a 12oz bottle from John's Grocery Iowa City, IA.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2007 23:44:22 | More by jdhilt

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in an American pint glass)
best before 05/01/11 (It was)
A- This beer pours a hazy deep pecan brown body with a big bubbly carbonation that supports a light tan head that last for a good bit.

S- This beer has a soft brown malt aroma with some graham hints that grow as the beer warms.

T- This beer has a dry malt flavor with lightly toasted notes and a green hop bite at the end. As the beer warms there is a biscuit note that comes through the malt.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel has a tight fizz in the finish that scrubs the palate.

O- The hops are a bit stronger than the malt but both are a bit soft and there is not a lot of depth in the beer but it has some nice flavors and is easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 21:52:31 | More by rhoadsrage

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a deep clear amber, with 2 solid fingers of off-white foamy head. This retains with a creamy ½ finger that flares up rather robustly into a cascade of thick and heavy lacing. The aroma is toasty and sweet in the nose with caramel and biscuits. There's also a good bit of leafy and citric smelling hops, which help impart a deep green tang in the nose.

The taste has a fairly strong roasted presence going on with it, with more than enough malty sweetness present to help balance things out. Hops offer up some herbal accents and spicy bitterness that adds some punch to the profile, while also letting this finish with lingering notes of earth and dryness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a VERY creamy and softer feel to the carbonation that gives this a super mellow and easy drinking nature. I ripped through this glass, before I scarcely had time to finish reviewing it!

I've got to say that this was definitely one of the better Irish Reds that I've had in a while. Lots of robust malt flavors with just the right amount of earthy hops providing balance. Plus the feel and drinkibility on this were great for nearly 6%. Maybe not entirely true to the sytle with all of the hops involved but I was still impressed by this Boulevard offering.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2010 16:17:33 | More by Kegatron

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear burgandy/scarlet red appearance. Head is thin and creamy. And retention adequate. Nice toasted tones on the nose as well as some roasted malt and nuttiness. Some slight toasted malt hits the palate first and is followed by a roasted bitterness and dry hop finish. Nuttiness is quite subtle and caramel notes lay in the background. The body is about medium full. A quaffable Irish Ale it is.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2004 04:40:43 | More by Bighuge

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle received in a recent trade with thehand. Thanks again man.

Pours a slightly cloudy golden copper/dark ruby red color with dark golden orange hues when held to a light source and a one finger off white head that quickly settles into a thin lasting ring.

Slightly toasty malt aroma with hints of caramel, nut and toffee along with a prominent earthy, piny hop presence. There's also some slight biscuit and citrus fruit character.

Very hop forward for the style and on the lighter end of medium body. Lots of dry earthy bitterness with some dry sticky pine along with some sweet citrus notes. There is a nice slightly toasty caramel malt backbone that provides some balance with hints of toffee, nut and biscuit. Although there is some decent balance this beer is very, very dry and is dominated by the bitter piny hops. Not much like an Irish Ale at all really but is still pretty tasty. Long dry bitter hoppy finish.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2010 06:46:16 | More by corby112

kojevergas

California

2.98/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

2011 1107 E. Best by: 05/15/2012. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into an Odell Easy Street Wheat pilsner glass in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are average given the brewery.

Served straight from the refrigerator and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a three finger head of nice cream, pretty good thickness, and good retention for the somewhat above average retention. Colour is semitransparent vibrant copper-amber. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Toasted malt, some cream, amber hops, other clean vibrant malts, and a hint of biscuity yeast. A mild strength aroma.

T: Toasted malts form the backbone accompanied by cream, amber hops, and clean malts with hints of biscuity yeast. In other words, it tastes much like it smells. Nicely layered and enjoyable, if somewhat simple. Not particularly subtle or complex, and a bit overdone in terms of the hops and toasted malts, but it's pleasant to drink.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with some pleasant crispness. A touch too thick. Too smooth and wet; needs coarseness and dryness to really bring the flavours out. Adequately carbonated. Suits the flavours decently, but is far from ideal.

Dr: Drinkable and pleasant, but far from impressive. I might get this again on-draught, but for the style it's rather mediocre. Nothing new is offered here. Fans of the style should try it, but don't expect anything amazing.

C

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 22:37:33 | More by kojevergas

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into New Belgium Globe glass.

Color is a dark mahogany. Pours a tan head that leaves some decent lacing.

Aroma is mainly malts. A lot of carmel and nut smell is present. There are some slight hops present.

Taste is very malty. There is definately a bread taste and some earthy hops. The carmel comes back as well.

Mouthfeel is very bitter. Leaves a sticky aftertaste.

Overall, at 4.26% abv this is a very sessionable beer. It is a really great irish red and something I could easily buy again.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2009 22:09:14 | More by mothman

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired via trade. Pours a beautiful rich dark amber color with a frothy medium beige head. Aroma is pleasantly toasty and malty. Full sweet malt flavor with a touch of hops and caramel. Finish is sweet and rich. Not bad at all. Boulevard has a pretty respectable line of beers from what I can tell so far.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2003 08:50:19 | More by Dogbrick

tavernjef

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Scarlet amber in color with a dulled clearness, thin ivory head that fades to leave a bit of a collar, small spots and globs of lace stick. Aroma is toasty and grainy reminscent of Cheerios. Taste is toasted in the front, slightly dry and very mildly hopped in the back. There's a small twinge of bitterness just before the middle and light roasted nuttyness and subdued sweet malts skip in and out. Feel is a close to medium throughout with a nudge in the middle but kinda drops off from there and has a light fuzzy texture.
Kinda boring, but adequate, drinkable, sure, but passable. Give me that Red Rocket by Bear Republic instead, thats my kind of Red!

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2004 02:53:24 | More by tavernjef

ZAP

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Session beer all the way...pours a light brown with red highlights...nose is very light...just not much to smell...nice toasty/nutty flavors similar to a nut brown ale....some sweeter caramel like texture...hops are hidden nicely in the background but serve their purpose with a husky/dry finish..

Body is lighter side of medium...this is nothing to jump up and down about but it is a pretty tasty, low ABV, easy drinking , session-style beer....I rate drinkability as a 3.0 because while it IS easy drinking, it's not one I would be dying to drink again....that is what I consider "drinkability"

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2004 06:13:02 | More by ZAP

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.33/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Purchased at Liquor Shed in Casper

This ours from 12oz bottle(best by May 1 2007) a nice clear amber with a smallish head of foam that shrinks pretty quickly to some spotting near the edge of the glass with some lacing.

The smell has some sweet and roasted malt to it and it's nice.

The taste isn't as sweet as the nose would indicate and that's fine by me. This has a good roastiness to it with some sweet notes and some fruity hop goodness there as well that shows up mostly in the finish. Nice long lasting aftertaste that is very yummy.

A very smooth yet tasty drinker...I've had this many times before and I was surprised to find that I hadn't reviewed it yet. I think this is a top notch example of the style and I *believe*, my favourite to date. Very well done, Boulevard!

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2007 23:39:28 | More by Bitterbill

cokes

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear and gleaming ruby-kissed bronze. The head is beige, well-formed and well-retained.
Nose is hollow and grainy, lightly bready, and generally a weakness.
Taste, however, gathers up the slack. Begins caramel sweet, but begins to dry immediately. Turns into brittle toffee, then into toast. Sweetens again late. Interesting ebb and flow. Hopping is manifest, and actually serves to build on the reclaimed sweetness. Juicy citric hues. Orangey with lime rinds. Dries again at the close. More herbal around the time of the swallow, along with a strange gin-like sensation. Odd especially, because alcohol is a non-factor here.
A super-quaffable, medium-bodied, red ale. And one that has some strong points- primarily its Americana uniqueness.

More kudos to the Huge one.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2004 05:24:39 | More by cokes