KC Pils - Boulevard Brewing Co.

MickeyD

Kansas

3.38/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured this from a 12oz bottle into a small, clean pilsner glass

Appearance: a very translucent, almost clear yellow. I could not get a good head. It was very thin and dissipated quickly. No lacing to speak of.

Smell: Light hops not much else on the initial aroma.

Taste: Light hop taste with a nice malt tone toward the end.

Mouth feel: Very light with mild hop after taste however it does leave a mild malt taste as well. This beer is very “thin” tasting.

Overall: This beer according to the bottle is in the tradition of the George Muehlebach brewing co., And is considered to be a classic American lager according to Boulevard. The bottle reminds me of an old beer bottle my Dad used to drink and the taste reminds me of a Budwiser or Coors. So for this reason I will give it good marks for style.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 22:55:59 | More by MickeyD

pweis909

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This comes across to me more as a premium all-malt American lager, rather than a German Pils. The hops seem low to me for a pils. The beer had almost no head and was golden in color. Malt sweetness came across in the smell and taste, but was still sufficiently balanced by hop. I'd think the malt is an American variety, which is fine for an American lager but not for a German Pils. It's a solid offering that is quite drinkable owing to the low ABV and mild flavors, but it is not especially distinguished, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 03:19:10 | More by pweis909

mmva321

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Clear and bubbly with an orangish-yellow color. It's your normal pilsner look. Very temporary lacing and quickly dissolving head.

S: Very faint smell. Hops and a slight tone of citrus and banana. A bit of funk, but nothing offensive.

T: Some funk, especially in the aftertaste. Hops are accented with a hint of citrus.

M: Quite bubbly and thin. Par for the course, but a dryness really sets this apart.

O: An average and easily-drinkable pilsner that is certainly a step above the rest in the style, but doesn't try anything unique and isn't bold enough to be anything too memorable.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 00:11:26 | More by mmva321

MatthewBuchholz

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is by far the best pilsner I've ever had. The color was your typical pilsner, light yellow and very clear, crystal clear. The aroma was a slight bitterness with floral notes from the hops. The taste was a light, refreshing taste that at first was the hop bitterness and followed closely by a graininess. I'm not a huge fan of pilsners but this was a good offering.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 17:56:52 | More by MatthewBuchholz

scratch69

Missouri

3.4/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured a bottle into a pilsner glass.

Appearance- Clear golden color with a half a fingers worth of head. The head disappeared quickly though. Fair amount of lacing.

Smell- Very faint aroma of hops and banana.

Taste- Some hop bitterness at first with notes of banana and honey at the finish.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied and crisp. Average amount of carbonation.

Overall- Not bad but I would prefer Boulevard's Boss Tom's Golden Bock over this.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 18:19:28 | More by scratch69

TheCondor

Missouri

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this brew on tap at the BrewTop (Northland) in Kansas City. Don’t recommend the bar on a Friday or Saturday night, but maybe that’s because I’m not looking for a live band playing cheesy 90’s covers and chicks who are overdone with makeup and perfume. Some of the dudes didn’t look much different, but whatever….

Appearance – Poured a nice golden orange with a decent head and lacing. The Head didn’t stick around for long, but the lacing kinda made up for it.

Smell – Biscuity bread, a slap of fruit essence, very simple and clean smell. Nothing too fancy, not trying to overpower you or cover anything up.

Taste – There is certainly a lemony taste at the front, followed by a nice malt background.
Mouthfeel – This is probably what I liked best about the brew, one of my favorite things about pilsners in general. Finished clean and crisp, medium bodied, not too full but certainly not an adjunct lager either.

Overall – I’m more of a dark beer fan during the cold months, and it was cold when I had this beer, but I can tell it is a pretty good one. I am looking forward to the summer when I can put some more of this down, as it suits the warmer weather a little better (IMO). A good example of the style, Boulevard does it well again. I would recommend this beer, drink it again, and buy it again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2012 05:42:45 | More by TheCondor

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

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

Poured into a standard pint glass. The beer is a deep golden color, the stereotypical color of beer worldwide. A white foamy head dissipates to a wisp of white bubbles eventually. Foamy lacing sticks to the glass. The beer smells bright and metallic. A sharpness is in the aroma, perhaps from the hops. The taste is evenly balanced between hops and malts; Not too grassy or bright, yet not too rich either. The mouthfeel is medium to light.

Overall, this is one of the few beers that throws me off with it's ABV. 4.8%? I feel like I get hammered after drinking 2 of these. Either way this is a better alternative to any "light pilsner" hat the macro breweries will offer. Otherwise, this isn't a beer I really want to drink on any occasion other than a Saturday afternoon cookout.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 20:27:34 | More by JuicesFlowing

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a clear orange amber, thin white medium head that dissipated quickly but left light lacing. Aroma is typical pilsner; sweet bready malt, light hops and citrus. Mild flavor of sweet malt, with hints of lemon and grains. Light hops finish. Light bodied. Pleasant and refreshing, but light flavor. A satisfactory pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 04:42:28 | More by LiquidAmber

stewart124

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass. Brilliantly clear with less than a centimeter of white head. Straw color.

European malts in the nose, straw and light bread characters with some spice.

Very light in body with just the right amount of malt backbone to give it some character. Generous portion of noble hops to add bite. Saaz comes to mind. This really pushes this beer away from an American Pilsner over to the German Pils side.

All in all a nice example of a German Pils and one I could definitely turn to.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 20:29:12 | More by stewart124

emerge077

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

BBD clearly printed on the neck of the bottle: 12/19/11
Well within the freshness window, about 7 weeks away.

Poured into a tulip glass, it shines a bright, high clarity orange gold tone. Slow ascending bubbles rising solo here and there. Creamy white foam that hasn't broken after the first few sips, and a collar of lace that crowns the glass nicely.

Grassy hops in the nose, lemony with a hint of biscuity malt in the background. Infinitely clean and simple, a delicate balance that emphasizes subtlety above all else. Simplicity is underrated.

Clean and lightly crackery with pilsner malt in the middle, light grassiness, and lemon herbal tea upfront from the hops that are reminiscent of Sorachi Ace oddly enough. Crisp bone dry finish, effervescent body, creamy feel. Lingering subtle hop bitterness in the aftertaste, just for a few seconds.

As a testament to it's drinkability, last summer I drank a sixer of this (shared a couple) and drank it all before putting down any notes.This is a nearly flawless pilsner, consume as fresh as possible for best results.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 02:21:55 | More by emerge077

FosterJM

California

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

910th Review on BA
Bottle to Pint glass
12 oz

Best by: 12/10/11
Purchased from: On the Rocks, Lawrence, KS

App- A strong golden yellow with a big two finger head that faded to a 1/2 in puck of bubbles and a lot of bubbles in the glass.

Smell- A good bit of malt behind this one with a bit of hop oil essence. Not overly buttery as I have found most pilsners to be.

Taste- I liked this one. Again, Boulevard does a lot of things well even small styles. This was a good full flavor with some malt and a little bit of bitter and a touch of thickness and bubbles to add a certain depth.

Mouth- A medium body and a medium carbonation level. A nice thick malt feel with a earthy and grassy note.

Drink- This was very tasty. I like what Blvd does with more of there beers and this was no exception. A style I normally don't like was very good.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 03:05:02 | More by FosterJM

ch473

Missouri

2.8/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3

I drank this one just below room temperature, where I think may beers taste the best and can really show off their flavors, especially pale beers like this.

In a pint glass this pilsner is a lovely pure gold transparency. A short head of white foam recedes quickly. There's an unusual lack of bubbles just a minute after pouring. There are maybe a dozen big pockets clinging to the sides of the glass and little bubbles rise only one at a time. Nice looking beer, love the bright golden hue.

Smells nice: sweet grains with mild hops. Nothing particularly noteworthy.

Just like the smell there's a good balance between sweetness and bitterness on the tongue. There's a very slight bit of sharp, sour hops but not much else.

Mouthtaste: flat, watery.

I'd compare this to Budweiser; Blvd. wins on color and flavor and aroma are about the same with a little more maltiness to this pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 02:24:23 | More by ch473

Forb

Nebraska

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

Poured from a 12oz bottle dated 11/22/2011...

Appearance: Pours a translucent golden honey hue with a minor finger head. Lacing and retention is very minimal.

Smell: Nose is mostly earthy hop aromas presenting a standard scent characteristic of a better pilsner aside minor sweet notes to balance out the bitter.

Taste: Similar to smell in the sense that the hop bitterness is received aside the sweet honey-like contradiction that balances very well. Although this is where I notice the grainier influence.

Mouthfeel: A standard crisp and refreshing carbonation and body is presented here.

Overall: A clean, refreshing, light yet flavorful pilsner. Will definitely buy again.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 02:40:48 | More by Forb

Mississipping

Mississippi

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear golden-yellow color with a medium white head that doesn't last long and leaves minimal lacing on the glass. 

S: Grainy up front with a slight earthy/grassy hoppiness and very subtle honey.  Pretty typical pilsner aroma, although the earthiness is somewhat more substantial than traditional pilsners. 

T: Taste follows the smell almost exactly.  Grainy and slightly hoppy giving it some earthy characteristics.  Subtle sweetness of honey and possibly apple.  Just a bit of a spiciness at the finish, but again, very subtle.

M: Light bodied and well carbonated, giving it a very crisp and spritzy feel on the tongue.  Slightly tingly and quite refreshing.

D: This is very drinkable.  A very well balanced pilsner that is traditional but has some very nice subtle qualities that set it apart and make it tasty and refreshing.  Absolutely perfect beer after mowing the lawn or sitting in the summer heat.  

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 19:53:45 | More by Mississipping

harrymel

Washington

2.73/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Best by: 25AUG11

A: Pours a light honey ale with less than a single finger of white foam which falls to a broken sheet of the same. No lace.

S: Smells of honey, grain, maize, hints of tea-like hops.

T: Slightly bitter, slightly sweet. Doesn't have the grain profile of a really nice German Pils IMO. A little too sweet without any sharpness.

M: Medium bodied (a little heavy for the style), sharp and high carb (good for the style).

O: No better than avg IMO.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 09:44:37 | More by harrymel

BretSikkink

Mexico

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours orange gold, clear with streaming bubbles. Head is quite tn and barely sticks around. The burnished color bumps it over average, but the poor head keeps it under 4.

The nose is skunky, with pale pils grain notes and a hint of wheat or chaff in the aroma. Light but in line for style.

The flavor is similarly skunky. Carbonation is in check, medicinal notes alongside grass and hint of citrus. Body is medium, not too light, and the low abv leads to an easy session.

As expected, Boulevard's take on the retro lager is solid but unspectacular. Enjoyable with an avocado salad and salsa.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 23:27:57 | More by BretSikkink

K9AleingPiss

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer stays alive after its poured,lots of bubbles and nice frothy head. Clean smell,floral wheat,honey,aroma,again clean crispness that continues from the nose to the palate.No after taste. Has a good malt and hop combinations,no "tug of war". Definitely worth keepin in stock at home. Great after mowing the grass!

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 02:38:41 | More by K9AleingPiss

mdcrouser

Missouri

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Frothy white head piles atop this clear, golden beer. It soon fades to nearly nothing.

Grains dominate the nose, but are underscored by hints of lemon and grass. Very fresh on the nose.

Fairly robust for a pilsner - big undercurrents of grainy malt sit on the tongue. Though their sweetness is subtle, the malts are a sturdy foundation here, with hops almost percolating on top, nearly revealing bits of citrus.

Crisp is the best way to describe it, sparkling for just a bit, closing dryly.

What a great beer for the summer season - exceptionally enjoyable to drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 03:23:40 | More by mdcrouser

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Notes for recent beer tasting club.

The Boulevard Pilsner is a smooth drinking pilsner. The color was golden clear in color with not much head. There was no smell other than hints of grain. The beer was a very solid pilsner with great taste, it was not over powered by grain. The mouthfeel was very nice, this beer is easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 19:59:01 | More by WoodBrew

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a clear golden amber with a fizzy 1 finger white head.

S - Wet grain, lemon, grassy hops, sweet perfume.

T - Toasted grains, lager yeast, peppery grass, semi sweet malt, hints floral and white bread. Hints of bright fruit come out as it warms. Finishes with a mellow spice and bitterness.

M - Medium bodied, soft/full carbonation.

Very nice overall. It doesn't have stand out character but does a great job of providing a balanced and easy drinking Pilsener. This a well crafted beer that is a joy to drink with a very good price point. This is my second six pack and plan on buyig more foe the summer months.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 22:04:44 | More by StaveHooks

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.83/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a wide flute. AMAZING. Perfect tall white head on top of golden straw colored lager. I have not seen a pilsner look like this since I left Germany.

Normal smell: faint fruit, banana and honey.

Very smooth throughout. Watery at first, sweeter, touch of bitterness at the end. It does not have the typical pilsner "bitter hop bite," which I do not particularly miss, but others may.

Smooth, easy drinking. Low carbonation and crisp, light body.

A perfect hot day drink or after a run. Crisp and refreshing while having a good flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 02:30:20 | More by Fatehunter

alabencki

Michigan

4.95/5  rDev +37.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Ah! What can I say about this beer? It's very nice, crisp, clean and refreshing. A wonderful pilsner style lager with 4.8% alcohol. I poured the 12oz bottle into a pilsner glass and it poured a beautiful deep gold color with a very nice off white head that recedes partially and leaves very nice lacing on the glass. Smells of pale malts, lager yeast, and some grassy, floral hop aromas.
Taste is a slight malt sweetness up front with some very nice earthy, grassy notes with subtle hop bitterness. Tastes is meant to be reminiscent of a nice vintage, pre-Prohibition, classic American Pale Lager.

I give it a very enthusiastic exceptional rating! (and I don't give that lightly either, it was just that good in my opinion)

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 20:57:38 | More by alabencki

DCon

Missouri

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this beer from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass from Growlers Pub in Sunset Hills, MO.

Appearance- Very clear beer with golden/pale color. Had almost no head and left almost no lace or anything behind as well. Not usual!

Smell- A very grassy smell, average for a pilsner though. Had an extreme amount of malt as a secondary scent.

Taste- Alot of malt, caramel notes possibly, and a the caramel smell came into this tasting also.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied and smooth! Mouth absolutely enjoyed this refreshing Pils.

Drinkability- Great pilsner! But could only enjoy 2 or 3 tops... Had two and moved on. I could see how this won awards though!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 02:44:32 | More by DCon

DelMontiac

Oklahoma

4.08/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12oz bottle poured into an EJ's pilsner glass (of course)...love the old school bottle label.

Looks...like a pils - a paler shade of gold and crystal clear. The two finger snow white head vanishes in a couple of minutes. Looks thirstquenching.

This pilsner has a little more to offer the nose than some, but not much more. An earthy grain with some fruity sweetness (apples or pears) is obvious, but no sign of hops.

I'll admit I was impressed with the flavors in this pils - craked grain and a really sweet honey-like malt that makes me want to chug it. Not really getting much in the way of hops, only slight. Still, great taste.

Not as thin as some pilsners I've had which impressed me as well. Just the right ammount of carbonation. Pleasant is what this is.

Super drinkable. With all the big, bold, thick, and spicey brews I've been drinking lately...man I just needed something clean and light. This was perfect for that. This could be a great gateway beer for the craft beer virgins out there. Also, a perfect hot day post lawnmower goto.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 02:27:26 | More by DelMontiac

JEdmund

Kansas

4.18/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance
Golden and clear, forming a nice white head that subsides to a good cap

Smell
Smell at first seems all too familiar, but then more depth shows itself as a slight fruitiness creeps in, accompanied by notes of pale malt and a hint of earthy hops

Taste & Body
The body is more substantial than your run-of-the-mill pils; it has weight, but it's not heavy; it also has a wonderful softness to it, yet remains a crisp, thirst-quenching beer. Flavor kicks off with pale malt, followed by some grassy/earthy hops, and a lingering honey finish.

Overall
It's a light, well done beer that would do well in a number of situations.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 22:38:55 | More by JEdmund