Dark Truth Stout - Boulevard Brewing Co.

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Boulevard is a very coool beer company, and the Truth is another very coool unique beer. Very heady, dark beer. I couldn't get much aroma off it, but the flavor was very dark fruity and Belgian stout style. Now like a good Belgian brew this is a unique product. Maybe not the world's best but damn unique.

I loved the sweet maltiness and some smokiness too. The texture was not too thick but very rich and creamy. Very nice.

Well this pairs with the greats of the KC music scene. If you are into bebop get Charlie Parker's Quintet Jazz at Massey Hall. But if you swing Count Basie

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 03:30:42 | More by frankiepop

oline73

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a goblet.

Pours almost black with a half finger of creamy tan head that sticks around nicely. The nose of just a little sweet with some roast and dark fruit. The flavor is a bit more interesting. I'm getting mildly bitter roasted malt and dark chocolate notes. There is enough sweetness to balance things out, but the sweetness doesn't dominate by any means. The body is just on the thick side of medium and the beer coats the mouth for a while after finishing the sip.

This bottle had some age on it and the beer was quite smooth. Everything worked well together.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 13:40:44 | More by oline73

jsanford

Georgia

3.71/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours dark black with a thin ivory head that fades to a very slight ring. Dark malt, molasses, chocolate, and a fruity Belgian yeast. Nice, but nothing new. Taste is similar, more roasty malt, molasses, dark fruit, and cocoa. Mouthfeel is smooth, with a medium-full body and ample carbonation. Tasty stout, nice bitterness and roasted quality.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 02:57:57 | More by jsanford

MaximalC

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours seal-brown with a respectable mocha head that settles but never quite goes away. Swaths of lacing cling to the glass in streaks and blotches. Aroma smells mildly of plum, cocoa, and clean, floral hops. Flavor is a balanced blend of the elements featured in the aroma, with the hops lending a bright, spicy character that's just a shade high for my tastes. The roasted malt steps up on the back end en route to a nice, roasty, bittersweet chocolate finish. Alcoholic warmth is noticeably present as well, playing off the hops to lend a bit of fierceness. Mouthfeel is just about right for the style--smooth, substantive, and slightly sticky.

This brew really benefits from a little warming, so I'd advise being patient until the temperature reaches the sweet spot. Once it does, the dark fruit and chocolate become more evident on the front end, offering some needed depth. The Belgian yeast becomes more noticeable as well. Overall, this is a nicely balanced stout with a very palatable consistency. Not remarkable, but very solid. I'd love to try it on tap.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 02:12:00 | More by MaximalC

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.01/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 bottle

dark black pour, 3 fingers of dark brown head, lots of visible carbonation, lots of patchy sticky lacing.
smells of figs, chocolate, raisins, oak.. very sweet vanilla/brown sugar smell.
a very subtle vanilla flavor up front with hints of oak, dark grains, roasted coffee beans, sweet milk chocolate.. a slight amount of oxidation is present which i think makes this beer a bit more subtle.
a full bodied, creamy/silky smooth stout. moderate amount of carbonation, and a nice alcohol warmth in the chest which you can't taste OR smell.

not a bad imperial stout, but a bit lighter tasting that i'd imagine DARK truth to be like. lots of subtle and sweet flavors. i'll have to get a fresh bottle to compare.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 06:35:04 | More by facundoCNB

nUgZ

North Carolina

3.56/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a very dark brown color with a one finger head and barely any lacing.

S: Dark fruits, dark chocolate, and roasted malts. Maybe a hint of coffee. Alcohol as it warms.

T: Again with some dark fruits, bready malts, and surprisingly some nice bitter hops. Unlike most Imperial Stouts though, this gets worse as it warms.

M: Medium bodied with decent carbonation.

O: I started off enjoying this beer, but the more it warmed the less I liked it. Not one I'll be buying again.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 00:51:24 | More by nUgZ

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Pours very dark brown, nearly black, with a big and foamy light brown head that has strong retention and lacing. Looks nice but suggestive of aggressive carbonation for this style.

Aroma is somewhat muted; has aspects of roastiness, bitter chocolate, some dark fruits, anise. I’m kind of surprised I’m not getting much more, or all that much of what is discernible. The flavor is a little better, very balanced, a little bland, not a big monster of an imperial stout by any means, just a blend of moderate roastiness, some anise, raisins, light tannins, bittersweet chocolate, hints of herbal hops in the finish.

Medium-full bodied with medium to slightly high carbonation for the style. Not as pleasingly creamy and mouth-coating as I look for in an imperial stout.

I’m usually pretty impressed with Boulevard beers but this one was just okay for me; somewhat forgettable, with little to distinguish itself from others in a pretty wide field.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 13:13:54 | More by tobelerone

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle with a best by date of 4-16-14.

A- Pours a deep brown to black with a thick, chocolate-brown head. Head is medium, with about 2 fingers in the snifter. Lacing is good, but retention is pretty terrific.

S- Deep malts with prominent chocolate sweet tones. Hints of coffee and dark chocolate bitterness. Hints of brown sugar in the background. Not much else; it's fairly complex with just a few flavors.

T- Starts with a somewhat bitter bang of coffee and dark chocolate. These flavors persist throughout the drink, but more in the background. After the initial flavor, it moves toward a dark fruit flavor, most likely brought on by the Belgian yeast. The fruit fades toward the end after being prominent, and the roasty malt flavors return. Ends with a slight bite of dark roasts and a bit of smoky flavor.

M- Fairly highly carbonated for the style, but still pretty smooth. Creamy, dense head promotes an overall creamy quality in the drink. Slight alcohol burn is detectable, and when combined with the dark fruit and heavy roast flavors, this beer is definitely a sipper.

Overall, a very good beer. A slightly different take on an impy stout that brings some new, dark fruit flavors to the table. Definitely one to try, especially since it is always readily available.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 00:56:37 | More by boilermakerbrew

LinusBohman

Sweden

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks adrock7309 for adding this one as an extra in a trade!

Served into a snifter from a bottle at room temperature.

A: Big fluffy crown, worthy a noble ale! The colour of the head reminds me of the kind of black/brown you see in salmiak and it holds it's fluffiness. The body of the beer is pitch black as gazing into the void. No apparent bubbles and with some nice lacing on the sides of the glass. This is good lookers that's for sure!

S: The first thing that hits my nose is roasted notes with coffee and some faint smoke. The classic smells are also here, raisins, soy sauce and chocalate allthough they are more subtle.

T: Again it's the hard roasted darks malts that dance upon my taste buds. With this also comes some smoky flavour. The other big taste in this one is the hops witch are bitter and spicy. I also get salt liquorice and chocolates. The aftertaste is a bit sweeter and leaves you with the taste of dark chocolate.

M: Medium body, a bit more carbonation than I would prefer. Dry on the palate and leaves with a warming sensation.

O: This is by no doubt a quality brew, allthough in my opinion it could gain some complexity with a little more sweetness. I believe it could benefit form aging and become even more interesting over the years.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 15:36:29 | More by LinusBohman

Joshualvsjenny

4.24/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: opaque black, I can't see any light though it. has a beautiful tan fluffy head. everything I want a stout to look like.

S: Roasted malt, chocolate, coffee

T: Roasted malt, dark Chocolate , coffee, maybe a little smokie on the finish, coats the mouth very well.

O: Very good brew. well balanced , good aroma, I wouldnt guess this is a 9% ABV. leaves beautiful lacing on the glass as well. This will become a regular in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 13:29:25 | More by Joshualvsjenny

ikantspel

California

3.55/5  rDev -10.4%
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

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Served from the bottle into a snifter

A- Poured black with a thick frothy mocha colored head(nice thick froth stuck around for a long time) that left amazing glass coating lace

S- Big plum, raisin, some bubblegum/belgian yeast aromas, and a lot of alcohol

T- Big raisin, plum, and phenolic belgian yeast character, quite a bit of burnt coffee bitterness, dark cherry, and big alcohol presence.

M- Big full mouthfeel, unbelievably silky,creamy, and smooth. Very soft and sexy mouthfeel. Nice warming on the finish. The perfect mouthfeel for a big stout.

O- The mouthfeel and appearance on this beer are world class. Definitely much more along the lines of a belgian strong dark ale in flavor and aroma, but with the mouthfeel and appearance of a stout. It has a lot going for it, but the flavor profile is not really jiving with me enough to seek this out again.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 03:20:07 | More by Hoptometrist

CommanderOfAwesome

California

3.58/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle 2012 poured into a snifter.

A: Motor Oil, black as night with no head. A caramel/deep brown 3 finger head that slowly dissipated looks mouthwatering. Some alcohol legs showing on the glass as well.

S: Chocolate, very rich, roasted coffee, and dark malts. I wish I had given myself more time to allow this beer to warm up, perhaps I'll edit my review on my next one.

T: Smooth milk chocolate right away. Strong bitterness thrown in there as well. Some muted dark fruits are present. Some of the traditional Belgian yeast characteristics come through as well. Esp on the sweetness after taste. As it warmed up, became very sweet, almost too sweet for me.

M: Full bodied, sticky and thick. Leaving it on the palate reveals strong bitter dry finish with Belgian fruit after taste.

O: A very nice addition to Blvd's line up. The chocolate is strong initially with hops coming in and finishing it off. Belgian yeast leaves a strong after taste that's quite nice. Overall solid beer that comes in a 4 pack and priced to move. Nothing to complain about here.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 06:37:06 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

Zorro

California

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black near lightproof beer with a medium sized brown colored head.

Smells sweet and fruity with berry, chocolate and brown sugar all in there. Over ripe fruit and pepper in the ethanol fumes. Slight coconut and caramel scents.

Starts out sweet and yeasty with a charred grain after taste but no harshness. Smooth flavor, mostly chocolate and a little boozy in the mouth. Little bit of berry but this is very much a chocolate biased stout. Not bad but a little lacking in complexity.

Mouthfeel is thick.

Overall a good stout. There are better ones but I can say I would not hesitate to try again.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 02:54:52 | More by Zorro

guityler83

Wisconsin

3.43/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Black as norwegian metal. no light shines through even when held up to a light bulb. The small head that formed when poured into a tulip glass was a milk chocolate brown color.

S: Sweetness hits me first in the aroma, maybe the belgian yeast?. A slight bit of roast and alchohol is aparent also. As it warmed up the roastyness was combined with some coffee and the sweetness edged off.

T: The dark chocolate malty flavor combined with the belgian yeast charecter makes for a unique experience. It's like a dark chocolate candy at first but then as it lingers on your pallet it becomes slightly fruity (plums?) Let this beer warm up and it gets much better. Not much of the alcohol warmth I'd expect from a beer nearing 10% abv.

M: I'd expect a stout this dark to be very smooth and with lots of body, however i get a chalky like texture. yeast again?

O: While I like the idea of a belgian stout, Dark Truth doesn't really do it for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 02:25:08 | More by guityler83

Bernerdawg

Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours obsidian with a colossal tan head

Chocolate, molasses, cake batter, fruity yeast, alcohol

Pretty complex. Starts off bittersweet chocolate, moves to roasted coffee, licorice and spiced fruit. Boozy finish

Smooth and creamy. Excellent.

First product from Boulevard and didn't know what to expect. Complexity is finely tuned, as no one element overpowers another; malt and coffee are duly represented and know how to share the couch with licorice and hops. A dank, interesting stout I plan to buy again.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 21:08:36 | More by Bernerdawg

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Inky black, oily pour. Creamy tan head, three fingers high. Lacing is very good.

Dark chocolate, burnt coffee, vanilla, black licorice, black strap molasses, brown sugar with a slight hop profile. Chocolate syrup with a touch of alcohol in the back.

Burnt coffee, bittersweet chocolate, definite peat smoke, black licorice and molasses.

Medium body, decent carbonation and slightly sticky on the lips.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 21:41:54 | More by korguy123

Winston_Smith

Kentucky

4.73/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

http://i.imgur.com/TAQkw.jpg

Serving type: Bottle with "Best by May 18, 2014." It was cold, but I let it warm a bit.

Appearance: Black. Deep space black. A finger of tan head follows a standard pour. Thick lacing in layers.

Smell: This is a super complex beer, and my nose isn't yet educated enough to do it justice. See the Bros.' opinion for that one. Rich, rich, rich.

Taste: Shit's earthy as hell! "Taste explosion" comes to mind. Bitter, but not overly, and boozy enough. Obvious bit of smoke too. The high ABV doesn't overpower this one. This is probably my second imperial stout ever, and the first one, I was too drunk to remember. Again, I've had lots of beer, and know what I like and don't, what's good and what isn't, but I'm still working on flavor education. Hell of a stout flavor...

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and creamy, as it should be.

Overall: I am very happy I picked up this four pack at the grocery today. I'd been eyeing them every time I came in, and no one in my little town drinks the craft stuff, so there's dust all over that section. Stout fans should absolutely give this one a try. Very nice, warming winter beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 05:13:20 | More by Winston_Smith

rapidsequence

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Four pack from Total Wine in NOVA was 10 or 12 bucks.

Appearance: Black as hell. Like, really black and opaque with no highlights. Dark brown head with good retention and sheets of lace.

Smell: Pretty incredible combination of Belgian dark fruits and rich, roasted dark chocolate and coffee aromas. Smells heavy, cakelike, but doesn't reek of alcohol. Very well done.

Taste: While its quite good, the flavors don't mesh nearly as well as the aromas do. Plum and date flavors seem to sit in a pool of alcohol on top of a very roasty, slightly smoky stout base, and the flavors don't seem to integrate. The alcohol burn is nice, but the bitterness it imparts accentuates the roasted bitterness, and that doesn't complement the Belgian flavors well.

Mouthfeel: Full and creamy in the mouth, but finishes with an almost astringent roast flavor that makes it seem too dry.

Overall: I think this is a really great Belgian stout. My comments seem negative, but its mostly nitpicking. I do think that a Belgian stout has to carefully balance bitterness, especially roasty flavors, or it doesn't taste right with the Belgian yeast and dark fruit. I think they overshoot that a little.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 02:43:33 | More by rapidsequence

Nugganooch

California

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz single w/ Nonic style taster glass

A: The Dark Truth pours midnight with a shade lighter edge and thin persistent layer of mocha cream head. Micro bubbles in tight formation finally settle out to a sheen. Some quick receding oily lace.

S: Aromas are faint at first and benefitted from a temperature change. Smells of dark roast malts, dark fruits, licorice, and a light Belgian yeast spicing. A bit of roast coffee emerges as well.

T: Taste has a real deep roast character with anise noted and a mild influence of Belgian yeast character. Milk and dark chocolates meet dark fruits of plum and cherry with a bit of acrid roast coffee underneath. Has a burnt toffee sweetness that gives a slight tangy bite to the drink. Banana esters develop mid to late palate and combine with some clovey spiced phenols. Subtle however in combination with the dark roast flavors. There is a modest amount of mineral like bitterness and some warming alcohol that is to be expected. Of all the different flavors about they do come together in a somewhat decent manner.

M: Moderate to heavy body that is a little dense at first but with a nice silky texture. Plenty of carbonation to carry this one through with a drying towards the finish. Overall feel is very clean and dry leaving little to no lingering effects.

D: A very unique specialty stout and not something I would typically go for. I do think Boulevard did a fair job of bringing the rich dark roasty flavors together with that distinct Belgian yeast twist. A nice sipper that I recommend you allow to warm up a bit to develop some of the complexities of this brew.

Good beer to try but not something I am going to be stocking up on.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 19:41:34 | More by Nugganooch

SHODriver

California

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

A: poured into a sinfter to a beer black as night with a large tan head that is slow to fade to a small mat and large collar around the edge of the glass, moderate lacing
S: smells of dark chocolate and roast malt with a bit of charred wood
T: oily hop up front along with some oak char and chocolate. there's a bit of coffee but the bitter hops are quite a standout. swallow brings a nice huge bit of roasted malt, burnt sugar and more charred wood. alcohol in the finish as well
M: very smooth and full bodied with soft but adequate carbonation
O: a very tasty imperial stout with good flavors and a surprising amount of hop flavor. High marks all around on this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 05:00:16 | More by SHODriver

Infamous7100

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours pitch black with a thick, cookie like head. A beauty.
S: complex. I get whiffs of dark fruit, roasted barley a tad of coffee as well. A nice blend of earthiness and vinous-fruits.
T: This packs a punch. Big time notes of roasted malt, coffee and dark fruit. The Belgian influence really comes through here. The hops peek through at the end and provide a bittnerness that pulls everything together. A nice, hot, spicy and boozy finish.
M: fantastically smooth and velvety. A slightly bitter and smoky hang that warms as it goes down. Nice carbonation at the start but it mellows nicely. A nice body, but drinks well.
O: This is an interesting and damn tasty stout. I love the Belgian overtones and the fact that this brew doesn't try to hide its 9.7%. Let this warm a bit and its complexities really show.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 01:48:12 | More by Infamous7100

ChrisH1024

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle to a glass. Pours a beautiful black with a full creamy yet that retains carbonation. The smell left a little to be desired, but tasted of roasted malt and coffee. To me the mouthfeel was fantastic. First drink retained enough carbonation to leave me coming back and mellowed out after the subsequent drinks. Finished creamy and delicious. Overall a great Stout that is easily drinkable, especially on those cold fall nights.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 01:45:10 | More by ChrisH1024

tdm168

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - pitch black with a large, thick, dense, brown head that has good retention

S - roasted malts, coffee, dark fruit, anise

T - chocolate, coffee, anise, roasted malts, some dark fruit, alcohol

M - crisp, a bit overcarbonated, full bodied

This is a rich, complex, smooth, highly enjoyable stout. There are notes of dark fruit and licorice in addition to the huge roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. I thoroughly enjoyed this offering, and I'll definitely be having it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 01:43:59 | More by tdm168

SouljaSaia17

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Have had this for a little while and found it in the way back of the cooler while I was stocking my mix a six. Comes from a 12 oz bottle and poured into a stout glass!

A: Beer pours very dark black with a huge creamy, tan colored head that recedes very slowly.

S: Aroma just flows right out of the glass with dark roasted malts, some dark fruit like plum and some smokiness.

T: sweet roasted malts and dark chocolate make up the flavor of this stout, with hints of plum and spice towards the back end with a smoky finish.

M: Creamy and smooth, the alcohol is present in the taste to a degree, but its not really that bad.

O: Good stout, got it for a steal of a price and would definitely buy this again, if I can get it for the same price ;)

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 04:29:00 | More by SouljaSaia17