The Sixth Glass - Boulevard Brewing Co.

BMoney575

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sampled on 12-11-09
Batch number 69198

Pours a deep red color, completely cloudy with a tiny head, if you really try. Lacing is a few quickly fading bubbles.

Smell is thick, strong malt, dark fruit, and heavy duty alcohol. The booze is so strong, it has a distinct nail polish remover quality. Not in a bad way, just in a badass way.

Taste is all hardcore booze. The malt is there, adding a caramel and burnt sugar flavor. The aftertaste is nice, slightly earthy and sweet.

Mouthfeel is slick and spicy, with strong carbonation to add to the intensity.

Drinkability is good if you're a seasoned alcoholic, or if you're looking for a good time.

Overall, I wish I had bought two of these so I could leave one in the cellar. It could sure use it.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2009 01:26:19 | More by BMoney575

hardy008

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy amber with a 3 finger light tan head with good retention and lacing. The aroma has green apples, phenols, grapes, and pears. Smells good, but not as expected.

The taste is just like the aroma. It has green apples, phenols, grapes, and pears. It is also a sweet tasting beer, and has a nice flavor, it just doesn't taste like I would expect a Quadrupel to taste. At least not entirely.

Medium bodied, high carbonation, sweet, and smooth. I like much about this beer, but it does not seem like it is true to style. The 10.5 % abv is well hidden, which is a plus.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 05:01:40 | More by hardy008

Yesac

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On trade from jwinship83. Poured into chalice.

A- rubbyish copper color. Medium sized slightly tan colored head that sticks around for a bit.

S- Fruity nose.. similar to apples/pineapple juice. Slight candied sugar and bubblegum.

T- Lots of malt. Bubblegum and banana, sweet candied sugar.

M- Medium carbonation, medium body. Slightly dry.

O- A good sipper overall, not a true Belgian quad but not a bad shot from a brewery out of Missouri.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 01:40:30 | More by Yesac

crewfan16

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

poured from a 12 oz bottle into a stella tuilip glass.

a- pours a ruby amber color with some big thick slightly off-white head that dies down fairly quickly. seems slightly light looking for a quad

s- dark fruit, lots of yeast and some caramel maltiness. smells just like a quad should

t- flavors follow the nose. dark rasin, lots of belgian yeast and some sweet. flavors are a bit light for the style and nothing terribly complex, but still tasty.

m- lots of carbonation, which is typical. nice creaminess. dry raisin finish.

overall, I think this is an average quad. Not terribly priced though at $9 a four-pack. dont know if i can find a better quad for less.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 02:38:12 | More by crewfan16

Beaver13

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle, best by 7/27/13. Pours a cloudy amber with a big fluffy off white head that retains well and leaves some lacing.

The aroma is sweet caramel malts, dark fruit, wood and some alcohol. It's a little subdued.

The flavor is sweet toasted caramel malts with dark fruits and a dry light bitter alcohol finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with smooth carbonation.

Overall, an OK quad. It's kind of sweet with rather sharp alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 05:35:37 | More by Beaver13

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

750ml bottle obtained via trade with mhewes. Thanks for the opportunity. Corked & caged, Batch 68081.

Poured into a heavy glass chalice, formed a 2" beige head above the cloudy orangey amber brew. Thick head lasts and lasts, with spotty lacing. Aroma is sweet, but overpowered by strong rubbing alcohol-ish character. Taste is also sweet to start, edging towards alcohol by the close, and plenty of warming action. Mouthfeel is smooth, and drinkability is pretty good. The rubbing alcohol nose does last, however, and puts a damper on things.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2008 01:41:35 | More by ppoitras

doughanson78

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First Quad. 12oz. bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Dark golden color, like apple cider. One finger tan head, very fizzy, disappears quickly and doesn't return even with a vigorous swirl. Decent lacing.

S: Light alcohol. Nice apple aroma. Caramel malts. Light cherries and other dark fruits. Kind of sweet.

T: Tart at first. Apples, dark fruits. Light caramel. Mild alcohol. Finishes with a slight bitterness.

M: Medium bodied. Highly carbonated. Little sticky feeling. Slight alcohol warming. Lightly dry finish.

O: Seems like a good beer. Reminds me of apple cider with alcohol added. Definitely nothing saying it's bad. Might not be my style, but still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 00:13:16 | More by doughanson78

kojevergas

California

3.5/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Decided to grab this one from the fridge because I'm a huge fan of the style and I'm really in the mood for a good quad. I think this is my first special series beer from Boulevard. I don't remember what I made of their other offerings. Best by: 08/07/14. 10.50% ABV confirmed. Expectations are high given its current ratings. Reviewed live. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a New Belgium goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, California.

Fresh and cold from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated. Not paired with food. Allowed to warm over the course of consumption.

A: Pours a two finger beige colour head of nice cream and thickness, and good retention for the high ABV. Smooth and frothy. Lacing is pretty good. Body colour is a nontransparent understated auburn ruby. Looks best with some light behind it. Some yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Looks as a quad should. When the head reduces after a couple minutes, there's still a pleasant glistening floater atop the beer. I'm excited to try this one.

Sm: Floral hops, biscuit malt, caramelization, bready malts, spice, dark fruit - plum and fig, dried fruit, rich layered amber malts, a hint of vinous character, and fermented raisin. A delightful aroma for a quad. I'm really looking forward to it. It's more of a dried fruit aroma than a dark fruit one, but it remains appealing and pleasant. No alcohol comes through. Not acidic or too sweet. Not too earthy. A subtle complex aroma of average strength and presence. Slightly yeasty.

T: A lightly bready caramelized dried fruit body. Some spice from the yeast. Certainly raisin and fig come through, not getting as much of the plum as I'd like. It has a good rich malty backbone that helps balance its more refined notes. Hopping is minimal, with some light floral notes but mainly just preservative function. Has a lightly vinous undertone. A bit of alcohol comes through, manifesting mainly as a warming sensation in the stomach but also in the flavour. Biscuit malt makes an appearance as do well layered amber malts. It's consistent throughout and nicely balanced, though it lacks the depth I'd expect from a great example of the style. Caramel and prune come through. Ripe fruit blossoms on the climax, with a slight sweetness in the second act as well. A hint of peppercorn in the early second act. My main problem with it is the overdone sweetness on the finish, which really holds the beer back.

As I sip more and more on it, the alcohol heat builds in my stomach.

It does come off overly sweet. The dark fruit would do better dried and refined. All around a well balanced beer of high complexity. I quite like it. Just what I'm in the mood for. A well built quad.

Mf: Warm, lightly creamy, and not quite dry enough. Certainly too vinous and thick in the late second act through the climax. Could use a bit more coarseness as well. It certainly doesn't lack body; it's very filling. Not at all astringent. Well carbonated. Good presence on the palate, though as noted above it does lack a depth of flavour to accompany its full body. Suits the flavours well but doesn't seem custom-tailored to them. A light stickiness is apparent.

Dr: Very drinkable for the high ABV but that alcohol does make it something of a sipper. ABV is poorly concealed here. It's meant to be enjoyed slowly, and gets better as it warms. Boulevard has impressed me with this one and I look forward to trying more of their beers. A good effort for the style. Fans of the style will not be disappointed.

I get some heat on the burp.

A pretty good choice for aging, but that said there are better (likely cheaper) options in the style.

Serve after a period of rest from the refrigerator. She gets better as she warms.

Pair with fig newtons and/or plain unsalted pretzels.

Drank fine out of a goblet. I'd recommend a goblet or teku as the ideal serving glass.

With a reduction of the third act sweetness and better concealment of the ABV, this would easily rise to at least a B. Further honing the mouthfeel might raise it to a B+. More depth of flavour - especially insofar as the fruit is concerned - could bring this to an A-.

High B-

**I manipulated the "overall" section to give the letter grade I wanted in the interest of maintaining the integrity and consistency of my reviews.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 05:39:34 | More by kojevergas

denver10

Colorado

3.48/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a dark red with a brownish hue. Nice white head. Very sweet aroma of malt, brown sugar, and dark fruits (raisin, fig) paired with the yeast. Very sweet taste, as you'd expect from the style: raisin, figs, some brown sugar coated banana, some breadiness and alcohol. Medium bodied to this and active from the carbonation. A nice quad but its a style of beer that I generally find too sweet and this is no exception.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 22:29:28 | More by denver10

pdoran10

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a light amber color with two fingers of white head. Not much lacing. Lots of light passing through this beer for a quad :)

Smell is dark fruit, candied bread, hint of alcohol heat sweetness comes through.

taste is sweet plum, fusel alcohol heat, banana, nutmeg. Complex, but hot missing a smoothness in flavor profile.

Mouthfeel is a bit thin, with high carbonation. Dry and crisp.

Drinkable in a sense, but a bit too much alcohol heat. Not as bad at many American breweries' attempts at a quad when it comes to this though.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 06:13:01 | More by pdoran10

Immortale25

Florida

3.45/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter. Label says 07-2014

A- Pours a rubyish light brown color with a 3/4 inch head that soon putters away to a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a mostly full sheet of surface foam. Slippery ring of lacing.

S- A bit boozy with some mild dark fruit and caramel in the back. The alcohol is almost solvent-like.

T- Taste is also a bit harsh with lots of alcohol overtaking the dark fruit and raisin taste in the back. Some toasted malt and Belgian candi sugar. Most of the sweetness is thrown off-kilter by the sheer booziness in the flavor.

M- Sharp, bitey and dry. Medium-low carbonation and a semi-full body.

O- This is not the way a quad should go down. Maybe I should've given it more time in the bottle but, as it is, it's not so pleasant. Still, it pairs pretty well with brie.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 02:35:03 | More by Immortale25

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sixth Glass pours a clear copper color with a big off white head on top. the foam dissolves quickly to a sheet on the beer, leaving behind a few spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma is sweet with notes of caramel, alcohol and dark fruit.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is smooth, oily with mild carbonation. The flavor is sweet and malty. Caramel malt, candy sugar, ripe fruit (red grape) dominate the flavor. Notes of bread and clove are also present. It finishes with a medicinal alcohol flavor. Once gone the sweet caramel and candy sugar lingers on the palate.

This is an easy drinking beer with a descent flavor. Could use more bitterness to balance out the sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 19:37:16 | More by WanderingFool

superspak

Michigan

3.43/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle into chalice, batch 69198 (bottled 07/17/2009). Pours hazy reddish brown color with a foamy 1 finger light khaki head with ok retention. Minimal lacing on the glass; plenty of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big caramel, plum, raisin, bread, molasses, candi sugar, light fruits, light spices, and alcohol. Some decent aromas here, but they are a bit boozy. Taste of big caramel, raisin, molasses, candi sugar, toffee, light pepper, yeast spices, earthiness, and light alcohol. Lingering notes of caramel, raisin, molasses, earth, light spices, and light alcohol on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is definitely showing itself with a fairly large warming on the finish, and a bit in the taste and aromas. Definitely a sipper to be enjoyed slowly with the alcohol presence. Overall this is a decent and fairly enjoyable Quad. Some good flavors, though it is a little boozy. The age of this bottle is probably the culprit; combined with the fact it was sitting on a store shelf up until a couple months ago.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 04:52:41 | More by superspak

allinthehead

3.41/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

poured into a Bruery tulip

appearance - short lived white head over caramelly colored haze

smell - sweet, dark fruit notes accented with a sharp alcohol nose

taste - bready, sweet. lacking in complexity for a quad, ATMO

mouthfeel - nice carbonation; one of the tricks of the Trappists. dry finish that reminds me of iron. but a much better finish than Boulevard's Tripel that I had last night

overall - a budget quad. I can't always have a Rocheford 10 and I'm happy enough drinking this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 04:22:06 | More by allinthehead

midaszero

Washington

3.4/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Hazy amber with one finger of white head with not lacing

S - Strong boozy dark fruit (raisins) and sweet brown sugar

T - Boozy raisins and dark fruit. A little bit of banana

M - Medium body with high carbonation

D - Wish it was less boozy but enjoyable otherwise but rather grab other quads in the end

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2008 19:33:59 | More by midaszero

auroracrisis

Kentucky

3.4/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz into a snifter, dated best before 07/27/13

Pours a rich amber orange with a small head that doesn't stick around. Ring of foam around the edges, pretty clear in the body for the style.

Dark candied fruits like cherries, plum, and figs greet you with a touch of alcohol. Continues with the sweet, almost syrupy like aroma.

More candied fruits and booze. Figs, dates, and cherries. Warming as well, with some cake-like flavors in there too.

Chewy with warming alcohol. Minimal carbonation.

Very sweet, candied dark fruit with alcohol. Not subtle or complex, but not bad.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 04:31:47 | More by auroracrisis

mikey711

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Darker amber color with plenty of head to spare. Slightly cloudy, not much lacing to speak of, the heavy carbonation was a deterent.

S: Heavy banana and bubblegummy ester smells, with hints of clove as well. Also hints of candied sugar but mostly banana

T: Again the banana esters are heavily present. Really just an extension of the smell. Not overly complex and not perfectly executed either

M: A very clean feel, just the body I am looking for in the style. The booziness is pretty mellow and it is quite smooth

D: A good one to split amongst a few people. Maybe it is the banana overkill but definitely best split

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2010 23:57:27 | More by mikey711

GilGarp

Colorado

3.38/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Batch #610120, best before 04/2013.

750 mL bottle, corked and caged, served into a chalice.

Sixth Glass is a hazy cherry wood brown with redish highlights. The head, which is thick and towering to start, settles pretty quickly and doesn't leave much behind on the glass.

The aroma is sweet and yeasty. Actually, the yeast smell seems to dominate this part of the experience. There is a sweet malty base behind it but otherwise it's almost like sniffing a starter.

Flavor is surprisingly strong on the first sip. It comes across almost as overpowering. The flavors seem right for the style but lacking in subtlety. Strong dark fruits, big spice notes, and alcohol to spare. As it warms, I get more leather and smoke, strangely.

Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied and a little high in carbonation considering the strength of flavors and alcohol.

Overall not at all what I was expecting or hoping for. What I enjoy about Belgian styles is the subtle nuances and depth of flavors. This one just punches you in the face.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2010 01:50:09 | More by GilGarp

Arbitrator

California

3.38/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Chilled 750mL bottle into a glass. It's never a good idea to tackle these on my own, but then, it wasn't a good idea to go to graduate school, either.

A generous extra from Sideswipe. Thanks, John!

A: Pours a dark reddish brown body, nearly opaque, but revealing a small glow around the edges. It's capped with two fingers of light beige foam. Great retention, and throughout the drink there is a perennial cap on the brew. It leaves wonderful lace during sips, though nothing that sticks.

S: Immediately when I cracked this, I smelled green apples or guavas. In the glass, I pick up cherries, raisins, caramel, brown sugar. A strong scent of cloves that nearly disguises the booziness that radiates off the beer.

T: Green apple, not guava, is what I settled on after tasting the beer. Cherries, plums, and apricots are noticeable. Brown sugar and caramel are also found. I expected to find some candi sugar here, but I don't taste it. Maybe it's all fermented out? No truly dark fruits, either (raisins, figs, dates). I pick up the clove I detected in the aroma, but it's weaker in the taste.

M: Medium-bodied. It is relatively dry, but the high carbonation becomes a drawback then; it disguises the flavor and prevents it from expressing itself. I can swirl it out, but I shouldn't have to. There's a small booziness in the finish that I don't care for, though it's not a major complaint.

D: I put down the 750mL myself. A good beer, but against the true Belgians, this falls a bit short.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 02:38:44 | More by Arbitrator

irish53b

Nebraska

3.35/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle with the obligatory devil caricature on the front label. The back label includes a batch number and glass recommendation.

Poured into and oversize wine glass. The head was quite thick, but it dissipates quickly. The residual foam sticks on the sides.
The smell is intense, nuts, oats, honey, and orange zest. The taste has hints of caramel and wild honey. The alcohol presence does its best to cut through the sweetness but not enough to balance the flavor.

The mouthfeel is thick and creamy and a finer point on this beer. It reminds me of Stewarts country orange and cream soda.

The drink ability is surprisingly good given the alcohol content, but the strong sweet flavors kept me from having more than two glasses at one setting.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2008 03:01:45 | More by irish53b

craytonic

District of Columbia

3.35/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Much more clear than I expected, amber brown with a small head that quickly disappears, no lacing

Smell: Dark, sweet fruits (figs, prunes, raisins), brown sugar, vanilla, booze

Taste: Similar to the aroma, lots of figs, prunes, raisins, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, hint of rum and brandy

Mouthfeel: A bit thin and flat

Overall: Good start, needs some improvement.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 02:55:32 | More by craytonic

MbpBugeye

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Part of an awesome box of Smokestack beers sent to me by Onion.

A- All of these beers have shared one characteristic. A big billowing, superb head. This one spots a big lacy head in my Chimay goblet. The beer is a little light in color in my opinion. Its a really deep red.

S- Lots of fruits, namely raisins. Alcohol is strong and smells like hairspray. There is lots of caramel, toffee and spice.

T- Tobacco, raisins galore, some chocolate, fig and a little touch of citrus hops at the end. Alcohol is better hidden in the taste than the smell, thankfully. This tastes less than stellar in the amazing world of quads.

M- Softly carbonated, slightly warming. In all it finishes clean.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2010 04:02:57 | More by MbpBugeye

twelvsies

Maine

3.33/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Great extra in a trade w/ GCurlow, thanks! Nice robust head atop a reddish brown amber beer - a little lighter for the style I'd say. Nice retention. Aromas of fruit at first, bananas and apple pie, sweet spices, sort of fluffy. Wow, surprised by the palate here which is nothing like I was expecting from the nose. Everything leading up to the first sip was pointing towards a lighter profile for a quad but this is pretty beefy. Very sweet up front, brown sugar and maple candy, caramel. Some bready malt undercurrents but really nothing too out of the ordinary beyond the sweetness. Slick slightly chewy mouthfeel. I gotta say this is the first Blvd beer that I haven't been totally blown away with - still a decent take, maybe just not up my alley.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 02:35:39 | More by twelvsies

gregshead

California

3.28/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: pour with a solid 3 fingers of head. Copper color. Light for a quad

S: lots of vinegar. Some good figs/grapes.

T: strong figs and some red grape taste. Stinger vinegar taste than I like. Not bad but doesn't blow me away.

M: the mouthfeel completely depends on the pour. Can be overly carbonation or too sryupy. Overall the mouthfeel can be done

D: overall not the greatest example of the quad. Still an enjoyable drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 00:13:47 | More by gregshead

Hullabaloo2

Nebraska

3.25/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aroma - Grape like ester. Mild alcohol. Malt sweetness. Almost reminds me of a sweet wine.

Appearance - Light brown with red hue. Small head on pour that dissipated to nothing. No lacing. Nice color.

Flavor - Malt sweetness over alcohol. The pleasant ester aroma doesn't come through in the flavor. Enough bitterness not to be cloying.

Mouth Feel - Medium-light body. High carbonation. Mild alcohol; not overpowering.

Overall Impression - Mediocre Quad. Nice color. Okay aroma. Very drinkable, but with other beers available I probably won't buy again.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 06:46:24 | More by Hullabaloo2