Nutcracker Ale - Boulevard Brewing Co.

Living816

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

How did I never try this? I live in Kansas City, my god.

I've always avoided these holiday-themed beers. Most of them suck. Nutcracker Ale doesn't. Amazing beer. Great hop aroma, great malt balance. Almost perfect harmony of malt and hops and body. Rich and smooth. This is a fairly high alcohol beer that drinks like lemonade. If there's one thing Boulevard does better than just about any brewery, it's make a solidly balanced beer.

Awesome beer. I wish I'd have tried this years ago. I've been missing out.

$6-7 for a six pack of this beer? A steal. Get a dozen.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2012 04:20:57 | More by Living816

homebrew311

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served On tap at Durty nellies. Appearance is a slightly hazy amber with thin layer of white head which retains a micro layer and leaves decent lacing. Nose starts with aromatic hops, and a mild festive spicing which features a touch of nutmeg along with a strong malty base. Taste is hoppy up front with pine and resin with a background of ginger and nutmeg. The spices are minuscule compared to the hop profile as this drinks more like an IPA than a winter warmer. Mouthfeel is highly carbonated with a light body. Overall, an enjoyable brew but not a standout.

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2012 00:16:42 | More by homebrew311

beergoot

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had this on tap at Trinity Brewing in Colorado Springs...

The beer was a dark, ruby red with a creamy white head. The scent was of sweet malts with earth and grass notes. Taste was lightly spiced with malt tones and had a soft bitter finish. Mouthfeel hovered between light to medium, kind of velvety overall.

In the end, this came across as a mediocre holiday ale, ultimately fair but non-distinct. It's worth drinking, but not worth too much effort to hunt down.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2012 01:55:01 | More by beergoot

soju6

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Served a dark mahogany color with a small tan head and nice lacing.

S: Mild aroma of nuts and caramel with a bit of spice mixed in.

T: Mild malt sweetness with some caramel, nice bit of spice. Mild bitterness and a dry finish.

F: Fairly medium body, smooth and a bit creamy. Nice balance.

O: Easy drinker, a nice seasonal offering.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2011 11:59:26 | More by soju6

colt45n

Missouri

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a coppery brown color. No head once it gets to my table. Nice streaks of lace on the sides of the glass.

S- Caramel malts mix with some light nutty notes. Herbal hops and some even light nutmeg flavor

T- Caramel malts come in first with some light cherry flavors. There is an interesting spicing going on that I can't quite put my finger on. Nutty flavor toward the middle of the beer..

M- Medium mouthfeel. Carbonation is good for the style. Sweet malts with light nutty flavors are left on the palate. Aftertaste is mostly sweet malts, fading alcohol, and light hopping. Medium drying on the palate from the alcohol. Flavors were blended well for what it was suppose to be. No off flavors were present at all.

A good beer, Ive had it both bottled and on tap and I would have to say that I do enjoy it more on tap for whatever that is worth

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2011 23:35:16 | More by colt45n

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy copper brown with an off-white head with legendary retention. This head does not move. Tight sheets of lacing.

S - Sweet caramel malt, herbal hops hints of green grapes and apples.

T - Moderate hops. Sweet malt base with walnuts. Not a lot of spice. Some green apples. The malt has a candy sweetness. Hops finish it of and seems somewhat balanced between the sweet and bitter.

M - Moderate carbonation, creamy.

Nice sweetness and hoppier than expected. No spice to speak of. A different take on the style. Good drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2011 01:45:39 | More by StaveHooks

csiewert

Oregon

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

In a phrase... a nice balance of malt and hops in a medium bodied beer that finishes smooth. Pours a dark amber color with malty notes. Lacking in hop aroma, but the flavor sneaks in a gets you when you least expect it. Not much going on in the head department as well. Very easy to drink and appeals to many drinkers. Too bad it's not available all year.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2010 22:22:35 | More by csiewert

rye726

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm always a fan of the Winter Warmer style, but this one did not really do it for me. I find myself feeling this way quite frequently with Boulevard. Their Smokestack beers are very nice, but their basic beers are pretty average.

Pours an orangish brown with a tan head. Fruity malts, light hops and spices. Nice medium body.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2010 21:45:58 | More by rye726

plaid75

New York

3.43/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On draft at Bailey's, Portland, Oregon.

Poured a medium copper hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell was neutral.

The taste consisted of a touch of herbal hop but was predominantly malt driven.

The mouthfeel was of average fullness.

Overall a pretty neutral event. Certainly a quality brew, just no real flavor to grab on to.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2009 22:07:28 | More by plaid75

MTNboy

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The body is a light brown with a reddish hue. It has a nice color. The head was thick and frothy with a great lace that just sticks to the side of the glass. The aroma is dominated by citrus and spice. I am not sure if that comes from orange peel or hops. The mouth feel is carbonated but not overwhelming. The flavor is fruity and spicy. It was a little more balanced on tap than it was in the bottle. I am going with the sample I had tap or it would have had a lower rating. Overall not bad.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2009 14:02:11 | More by MTNboy

jdense

Oregon

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Harborside Taproom, PDX, 11/26 poured into chilled (ugh) pint glass.

Brown body, less than a finger of off-white head, quick disappation, minimal lacing. Dry bready nose with no hops present. Sweet taste up front with a bit of spice (nutmeg, cinnamon). Hops more prominent on the back end. Not much carbonation, but a pretty smooth mouthfeel. Taste a bit more complex when warm, why are they chilling the glasses? Very drinkable, need a bit of warming before serving. A nice winter warmer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2009 23:21:21 | More by jdense

lhaqq

California

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Reddish-brown body with a decent light-tan head.
S: Syrupy sugar and malts. Also some fruits--apple and a bit of orange.
T: Tastes kind of like a dubbel initially in terms of sweetness. Finishes with a citrusy hop flavor with little aftertaste.
M: Good carbonation level, and the lack of much aftertaste is enjoyable.
D: A good winter warmer--easy to drink with still a good amount of taste.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2008 03:35:39 | More by lhaqq

KI9A

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap, at a (thankfully) smoke free bar in Illinois. Nice to really be able to taste a beer at a bar, without the aroma of stale smoke!

Poured a copper, to medium amber. Typical head, some retention.

Smells of hops, and malt.

Taste was a fine balance between floral hops, and malt, with a slight hint of yeast. As expected, the hoppiness rose as the temp rose, which worked well for me.

A nice, dry-hoppy finish. Had 2 of these, not really a session beer for me, 2 was enough. But, I really enjoyed both.
Nice job, Boulevard.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2008 16:07:23 | More by KI9A

timbro81

Oklahoma

3.25/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Head billows out from my mug at the bar. I see that the color is a hazy copper in my friends glass (my mug is ceramic). Somewhat sweet, but not of the good variety, in the nose. Good malt to hop balance mingled with usual Christmas spices (ginger, cinnamon, maybe some orange). Light mouthfeel followed by a short lived aftertaste. Not the best for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2007 22:29:44 | More by timbro81

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

3.79/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

P: A brown/ruby red effervescent body with lush tan micro bubble head.

S: Holiday spices, soapy hops, molasses and rich roasted syrupy malt. Spiced rum and dark fruits followed by a bready base.

T/M: Roasted caramel malts, sweet cherries, prunes, dates and a bitter floral and pine profile with a touch of citrus. Nutty with holiday spices that bring a warming holiday sensation to the palate. Heavy doses of malt but a nice hop bitterness to round it out. Body is medium-full and sticky with a gentle sting of carbonation. Finishes dry with lingering caramel and nuts.

O: A great holiday warmer that really packs a flavorful punch. The alcohol is present but does kill the palate. Can't wait to go back to Oklahoma were I can drink this yearly. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 20:22:51 | More by Hopswagger

johnkale

Wisconsin

3.84/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle, 2012 vintage, poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint

A - hazy chestnut, two fingers of rocky beige head with good retention, leaves moderate lacing

S - caramel and toffee up front, pine resin, some mint and dried fruit (prune/raisin)

T - lots of caramel, raisin, grapefruit and pine coming through from the hops with a solid bitterness at the back end

M - medium bodied, moderate carbonation, a little coarse in the finish

O - nicely hopped for a "winter warmer," good depth from the malt, definitely a nice Christmas-themed beer

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 02:36:32 | More by johnkale

tut2528

Illinois

3/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2012 release

A: pours a nice murky brown, with a nice fingers worth of frothy beige colored head formation. moderate lacing is seen as well. just a couple of swirls in the glass re-creates a nice slick creamy looking film

S: hops right up front with a massive alcohol burn. behind the alcohol lies some subtle spices, a sweet malt and a slight touch of fruit (possibly berries), nuts, and interestingly i pick up on celery (like how celery tastes)

T: very underwhelming. hops, nuts, spices, and alcohol. just a slight touch of fruit in there, but I not enjoying this balance

M: medium bodied, leaves hops and a slight nutty character on the palate. slight alcohol presence is also felt as it warms up the gums.

O: usually I enjoy Boulevards offerings, but I could easily do without this one because I dont find this one all that well balanced, and the alcohol keeps all the other aspects of the brew at bay

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 21:02:11 | More by tut2528

schleprock

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass

A: Beer pours a nice reddish brown color with a decent foamy head. The lacing doesn't last but leaves spots as you drink.

S: Caramel, citrus, cinnamon, raisin and dark fruits are my take aways from this beer.

T: Toffee, caramel, cinnamon and a bit of citrus along with some spices I just couldn't define, and in a good way.

M: Complex flavors don't disappoint, it's a party in my mouth.

D: This beer is very drinkable. Is it the best holiday beer, no, but it's worthy of buying again and considering it as one of your twelve beers of Christmas each year.

O: I've been disappointed by several Boulevard beers I've tried. I am happy that they have redeemed themselves in my eyes with this one. I'll be a buyer every year if they keep making it.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 08:38:12 | More by schleprock

bmwats

Louisiana

3.45/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a standard pint.

A: Cloudy amber hue. Pours about a 1 finger, foamy, white head. Settles fairly slowly leaving a blanket of foam on the surface. Sporadic, but persistent beer ring lacing

S: Light malt, tea, raisin, sourdough bread, and a little spice.

T: Sourdough bread, with some bitter pecan shell, and sweet raisin.

M: Light body, pungent throughout through the bitter and sweet combo.

D: Goes down easy, but the aftertaste puckers the palette a bit.

Atmosphere is pretty good. Interesting hue, nice foamy head, and some reasonably nice lacing. Nose is sweet and bready with a little spice. Flavor is a pungent combination of bitter nut and sweet raisin. Overall, this is a good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 02:56:02 | More by bmwats

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass.

Appearance: Pours a somewhat hazy copper amber orange with a lot of rising bubbles. Huge five finger off white head with good retention. Leaves a lot of lacing around the glass.

Smell: A spicy hop driven aroma with a solid malt backbone. Lively mix of hops with hints of citrus orange, pineapple, mango, and grapefruit. A good amount of earthy and spicy pine resin. Not to be outdone, the bready malts add a nice balancing sweetness with hints of caramel, toffee, biscuit, and soft cracker. Also a little brown sugar in the mix. A really nice and unique aroma for the style.

Taste: Like the aroma hints, a solid mix of spicy and citrus hops along with a sweet bready malt presence. Upfront is a taste of earthy, spicy piney hops and some citrus orange, mango, pineapple, and grapefruit. Hops are lively but not overly bitter. Some brown sugar is tasted. Solid toasty malt presence with a taste of sweet caramel, toffee, crackers, and biscuit. Its a really nicely balanced beer with some nice hop and malt flavors.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy, juicy, and fairly slick. Very smooth.

Overall: A really good and interesting take on a Winter Warmer. Good hop spice and fruit esters with a solid malt balance.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 07:59:05 | More by MattyG85

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bronze and deep, ruby, nut color. Decent bubbling. The head and retention of this off-white colored foam is pretty good. The film of foam lasts for all twelve ounces.

Smells spicey, but not nutmeg and cinnamon and XMAS spicey. That has to be the hops. Spicey with some citrus notes thanks to the hops. That blends with a great biscuit and bread malt bill. Well toasted of course.

Spicey, toasted bread crust with notes of herbal and toasted citrus peel spicing. This is a hoppy, XMAS ale. All the XMAS spicing comes from the hops. Thats awesome. A hop forward Winter Warmer worth a try for any beer enthusiast.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 00:21:45 | More by scruffwhor

CHADMC3

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a walnut colored body beneath the frothy light tan head which slowly dissolves yet maintains a constant presence atop the beer with a sticky ring of lacing.

Sweet caramel, nutty, and biscuit malt accompany the Cristmas spices and yeast.

The flavor is a bit nuttier than the aroma, again biscuity and sweet with hints of spices.

The mouthfeel is medium in body with generous carbonation.

A tasty winter warmer with just the right amount of spices which do not dominate the palate.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 01:51:29 | More by CHADMC3

rlee1390

Indiana

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

A-Translucent ruby, some carbonation, one finger head that tries to leave behind some lacing

S-Spices, nuts, some roasted malt, vanilla, sugar.

T-Spices, nuts, some malt that balances nicely with the spices, not much bitterness. Pine and brown sugar.

M-Light to medium bodied, nice carbonation, smooth.

O-A nice spice forward Christmas brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 19:30:26 | More by rlee1390

Flightoficarus

Washington

4.23/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's that time of year for winter ales again! Finally giving this one a shot.

A - Pours a copper-mahogany hue, with a nice two-finger tan head. Lacing is pretty minimal after the head is gone though.

S - Smell is of molasses, candied fruits (orange is most prevalent), caramel, and various spices.

T - Mmm..taste is of rich, bready caramel malts, with candied plums, oranges, cinnamon, and nutmeg, with a hint of nuttiness. Finishes with just a hint of hoppiness. This is one complex, and very tasty winter brew!

M - Full bodied, with just the right, modest amount of carbonation. Pretty easy to drink, and satisfying at the same time.

O - This one was a pleasant surprise for sure. Very good winter ale for a very cheap price! I'm going to have to hunt some more of this down, and very soon!

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 10:36:11 | More by Flightoficarus

JMad

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brownish gold color with a foamy off white head. Surprisingly I could smell fresh peaches, lots of caramel and some citrus. The taste is very piney with followed by a candy like sweetness and lots fresh hop flavor. The beer is medium bodied and the carbonation makes it feel soft and silky with a nice dry finish. I thoroughly enjoyed this winter warmer and plan on buying some more.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 20:38:45 | More by JMad