Dark Truth Stout - Boulevard Brewing Co.

ikantspel

California

3.55/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a hangar 24 snifter

pours a motor oil black with a reddish khaki head. sweet lacing is showing near the rim

belgian yeast, dark ripened fruit, dark cocoa, and light coffee bean nose

taste is a slightly bitter belgian yeast mixed in with some smokey roast coffee. alcohol is barely noticeable.

can be a very dangerous beer as the ABV is deceiving. great offering from boulevard.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 05:31:14 | More by ikantspel

flayedandskinned

California

4.16/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best before 5/12/2014 date.
Poured into a Duvel tulip.

Appearance: (4)
Pours a pitch black that is impenetrable. An absolutely massive, 4 fingers tall, light cocoa head spurts out of the abyss like beer rather and sticks around forever, leaving plenty of lacing behind in its wake.

Aroma: (4.25)
Huge, smoke tinged Belgian yeast phenols shoot out of the glass immediately; a big plum note, raisins, light fig. There is strong, creamy, dark chocolate tucked nicely underneath the yeast with some roasted coffee impression in tow. On the outside edges of the nose, there is a leafy, herbal hoppiness. The alcohol is masked very well.

Taste: (4.25)
Herbal, grassy hops upfront with more those Belgian yeast tones that were present in the nose; Plums, fig, raisins. On the yeast's heels is a very smooth and creamy, dark baker's chocolate note which coats your palate quite nicely. The stout finishes dry and slightly bitter with lingering notes of chocolate, freshly roasted coffee, light nuttiness, smoked malt and more of those stone fruits from the yeast. Very low alcohol presence.

Mouthfeel: (4)
Robust and full bodied, with moderate carbonation.

Overall: (4)
A very unique take on a classic style. The Belgian yeast that is used in conjunction with the dark, roast malts, really kicks out a lot of sweet, juicy plum and fig characteristics, but the roasted malts really help balanced everything out. Really interesting stuff, but I am left wishing that there was a bit more of that classic stout roasted character in the back end of the beer. I'd definitely recommend this for some one who digs both stouts and Trappist style Belgian beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 00:50:01 | More by flayedandskinned

KSfrost

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

05-19-2013 21:46:37 | More by KSfrost

bkrbdan

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

05-19-2013 19:24:27 | More by bkrbdan

drgonzo2k2

California

4/5  rDev +1.3%

05-19-2013 18:15:26 | More by drgonzo2k2

IRONRakkasan

California

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

05-19-2013 06:18:06 | More by IRONRakkasan

GrantBrennan

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

05-19-2013 01:22:20 | More by GrantBrennan

Photekut

Azerbaijan

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

05-19-2013 00:05:31 | More by Photekut

aLenwell

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%

05-18-2013 18:51:41 | More by aLenwell

StroppyMare

California

4.39/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Deep, dark, and thick, just the way I like it. Nice tan head that left copious lacing.

Smell: Curious. Summer fruit. Not what I expected for an imperial stout, but tempting.

Taste: Wow. This is an immensely complex beer. Tastes range from fruity hops to tobacco. Finish is dry and roasty with a bit of warming. Alcohol is well-hidden under layers of flavor. There is simply so much going on it's difficult to record it all. Quite the experience.

Mouthfeel: Full, chewy with medium carbonation. Turns syrupy as it warms.

Overall: I'd definitely drink again for the fullness of the experience. You won't be knocking these back, that's for sure. Drink when you want to nurse a lovely brew over conversation and a card game.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:44:19 | More by StroppyMare

JoshFrierson86

Arkansas

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%

05-17-2013 00:54:54 | More by JoshFrierson86

HawkeyeJosh

Arkansas

4/5  rDev +1.3%

05-16-2013 21:41:34 | More by HawkeyeJosh

MinorThreat

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.3%

05-16-2013 13:14:12 | More by MinorThreat

Zbeetleman

California

3.25/5  rDev -17.7%

05-16-2013 03:17:42 | More by Zbeetleman

Mcvs1507

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

05-16-2013 02:50:15 | More by Mcvs1507

MtOrion

Nebraska

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%

05-15-2013 20:35:26 | More by MtOrion

OregonGrown7

Nebraska

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%

05-15-2013 20:33:42 | More by OregonGrown7

fdig23

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

From the bottle.

Appearance: deep opaque black, brown edges, nice medium sized sticky khaki head.

Nose: Green apple, but more like green apple flavored tobacco than fresh fruit. Balanced with bitter roasted coffee beans, and some sweet milk chocolate.

Taste: Lots of bitter coffee and dark chocolate. There's a bit of earthy dirt, a whisp of smoke, and a touch of milky sweetness. The bitterness overpowers a bit.

Mouthfeel: Astringent, slightly sticky, but a bit too thin.

Overall: Really interesting beer. The Belgian yeast gives it a unique quality that makes it stand apart from other big American stouts. A bit one dimensional in flavor, but solid nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 01:36:31 | More by fdig23

SNA_A_PLUS

Korea (South)

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

05-14-2013 16:26:11 | More by SNA_A_PLUS

jayhunter357

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

05-14-2013 16:24:20 | More by jayhunter357

BigLittleHokis

California

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%

05-14-2013 06:35:19 | More by BigLittleHokis

MNBeer1017

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -24.1%

05-14-2013 00:04:06 | More by MNBeer1017

ADTaber

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

05-13-2013 23:34:08 | More by ADTaber

huddyball

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +1.3%

05-11-2013 18:09:00 | More by huddyball

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.99/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Small 12oz bottle purchased from K&L Wine Merchants in Redwood City, CA.

Pours a deep black, browning at the edges with a fine mild brown head that sticks around as a decent fine ring. Minimal lacing, looking a little like it's too heavy to stick. Carbonation is fine but the body looks surprisingly light when tilted. Overall, it's a beer of contrasts, thankyou.

Nose is dark, but mild, without a big boozy quality, a true sharpness, or a really sweet richness. There's toasty characters, a little dried fruit, a touch of spice, and perhaps a suggestion of whisky and a darker, roastier note. But no more: this is a particularly mellow now for an Imperial stout. I'm not sure that's a good thing.

Taste is also mellow, but here that's quite a boon: it mingles with a very pleasantly done smoothness on the palate, to create a supple and seductive body. There is indeed roastiness here, especially on the back: it develops from an almond nuttiness mid-palate into a true stout richness on the finish. It's dark, but sweet and full. Otherwise, there's a dancing spice above everything, but it's quite separate from the main event, which is that richness, morphing into that oh-so-subtle roast on the finish. Good stuff.

By the end, this was a very decent beer. It still didn't excite me so much as to make me effusive in my praise, but it had won me over by the end. I'm impressed that a beer that didn't start off looking or smelling particularly dark ended up being fully impressive on that score.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 03:25:47 | More by lacqueredmouse