Bourbon Barrel Quad (BBQ) - Boulevard Brewing Co.

dawatts

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a dark stained murky oak color with a creamy head that settles to a 1/8th of an inch with faint lacing. Head is creamier than the sixth glass quad.  

S - Smell is cherries and vanilla with malt and  alcohol in the back.  It is a very inviting aroma.  It smells like care was taken to craft this beer.  

T - Taste is like cherry cola with this malty sourness that really works.  The alcohol definitely has a burn to it but the malt feel in the mouth seems to calm it down.  Finishes with a bit of a burn on the tongue and back of the roof of the mouth.  The cherries taste is slightly sour but a perfect balance with the rest of the flavors.  

M - Perfect carbonation and lightness. Very smooth.

O - A superb beer.  The sixth glass is already one of my favorites (thanks Cory) but this takes it to a different level.  This tastes like art.  Well done Boulevard. I am so glad you are in Massachusetts now.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 02:17:04 | More by dawatts

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -11.3%

05-23-2013 01:24:00 | More by mikeincharleston

cosmonick

Indiana

4/5  rDev -5.4%

05-19-2013 01:35:26 | More by cosmonick

MinorThreat

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

05-16-2013 13:13:18 | More by MinorThreat

baybassboy

California

4/5  rDev -5.4%

05-14-2013 05:24:23 | More by baybassboy

Stinger80OH

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +12.3%

05-11-2013 16:45:10 | More by Stinger80OH

AltBock

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Corked and caged 750ml bottle with a plain Jane brown and tan label of an oval surrounded by 2 crossed barley stocks and 4 hop buds. In this oval is vintage year and bottle number. This was bottle #10552 and from 2011. The back label has the Government warning, a lengthy description of the beer, proper serving glass, and a batch number/best by date. This was from batch 2011-2 and best before 11-2013.

When poured into a CCB Hunahpu Snifter, this Quad was an interesting hazy dirty reddish brown color. When I held it up to the light, this beer appeared to be on the orange side. It was a bit on the weird side. There's nothing wrong with having a weird hue. The head of foam was not as interesting as the color. On top was a short lived fizzy dark beige head of foam. It fizzled away pretty fast, but it did manage to leave behind a string of beige rings and a few miniature spots of lace.

The aroma was a little sour and tart. I have to say that it was more tart than sour. Up front in the aroma was the tart and lightly sour bing cherries. After it got the cherries out of the way, the aroma went Quad aged in Bourbon barrels. This part of the aroma consisted of lightly toasted malts, yeast, a drop a caramel, green apples, oak, and a subtle whiff of alcohol. I guess the alcohol was suppose to be the bourbon. I thought it got the cherries out of the way in the beginning, but they showed up again at the finish line. Interesting aroma, but still not as interesting as the color.

Was the taste as interesting as the color and smell. I have to say yes. The taste wasn't sour or tart like the aroma. The taste started off with the toasted malts, a pinch of caramel, and a splash of cherry. After the cherry, the alcohol swooped in like an eagle. Just when I thought that the alcohol completely took over the taste, the oak, a subtle taste of vanilla, and a tab bit more cherry came in to rescue the taste from the alcohol. No bourbon in the taste. Like the aroma, the bourbon was the slight burn taste of alcohol.

This was a medium to full bodied barrel aged Quad with a nice level of carbonation, and a slight boozy aftertaste. The aftertaste was on the dry side with malts, a small dab of caramel, oak, a big bite of bing cherries, and a lot of alcohol. I got the taste the alcohol, but not the burning sensation that comes with that. After a few sips, the taste of alcohol will start to work on your body.

I'm going to first thank fellow BA BlueOkie for giving me this interesting barrel aged Quad. The alcohol wanted to take over the taste, but the oak and company saved it. However the oak couldn't hold back the alcohol in the mouthfeel. Pick your battles I guess. It's a very good beer. The bourbon barrel aging added some nice characteristics to this beer. I would drink it again if I had the chance.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 04:24:19 | More by AltBock

Rob315

Kentucky

4.75/5  rDev +12.3%

05-10-2013 16:58:44 | More by Rob315

deadliest

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +12.3%

05-08-2013 00:10:28 | More by deadliest

cnbrown313

Illinois

5/5  rDev +18.2%

05-07-2013 18:26:06 | More by cnbrown313

Kelp

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -5.4%

04-26-2013 07:00:24 | More by Kelp

MarkyMOD

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

04-14-2013 03:16:38 | More by MarkyMOD

beernads

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

04-10-2013 09:39:00 | More by beernads

flyingPharmacist

New York

4/5  rDev -5.4%

04-05-2013 12:20:51 | More by flyingPharmacist

Crash_the_Dog

Kansas

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

03-31-2013 02:45:42 | More by Crash_the_Dog

Sparky44

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +12.3%

03-24-2013 02:48:26 | More by Sparky44

Magery

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

03-23-2013 22:45:49 | More by Magery

Ish1

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -11.3%

03-23-2013 03:22:27 | More by Ish1

Eichenlaub

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

03-23-2013 02:49:01 | More by Eichenlaub

jewellrunner

Missouri

4.75/5  rDev +12.3%

03-08-2013 02:29:35 | More by jewellrunner

match1112

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

03-03-2013 00:35:12 | More by match1112

buffs9

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +12.3%

02-26-2013 21:46:48 | More by buffs9

CaptainNomihodai

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +12.3%

02-26-2013 06:33:34 | More by CaptainNomihodai

JustinMatthew

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -5.4%

02-25-2013 23:27:43 | More by JustinMatthew

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.99/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

mildly underwhelmed by this. pours a brassy copper color, a little hazy with some good suds on top and a slow going southern sort of feeling about it. the nose is a touch smoky, a lot alcoholy, and plenty sweet as well, with a huge grain bill and enough woody bourbon notes to bring me down to Kentucky on an imaginary horse. I like this fresh better than aged, as the older version (2010) thins out quite a bit, loses its more tasty sweet elements, and takes on a peculiar cocktail sauce horseradish funk that just doesn't belong in a beer, at least not in a quad. fresh through, the vanilla is large, and the wood is campy and mature. there is a statesman quality about this, formal in a way, but lax enough to kick the shoes off too. a good mix. not arrogant, but certainly not laying low in the background either. this is a robust beer, with just enough carbonation and a little less body than most American made quads. I appreciate it for what it is, but would not that its overpriced and a must share bottle at almost 12% abv. get it while you can, I don't think its being made anymore...

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 01:56:20 | More by StonedTrippin