Dark Truth Stout - Boulevard Brewing Co.

Flounder57

Massachusetts

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

12 oz bottle was poured into a snifter.

The beer poured a one finger mocha head that has reduced slightly and left some nice lacing. It is pitch black with no clarity or signs of carbonation coming up through the glass.

It smells of roasted coffee, burnt caramel, toasted malts, chocolate, dark fruits, boozy alcohol, vanilla, and some leather too. Taste is very similar to the most, but the spiciness is really up front from the hops and a bit of lingering bitterness too. Nice warming alcohol to compliment everything going on too.

Mouthfeel for the beer was full bodied, dry, medium carbonation, a bit of boozy warmth, and very delicious. I was overall impressed with this beer. Got it from volunteering from the BBF last month and could of held it till 5/18/14. Of well, still a solid beer and can't wait for another.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 05:58:12 | More by Flounder57

TheJollyHop

California

3.6/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Best by 05/18/14, poured into a red wine glass.

Pours an opaque black, deep tan head, very small bubbles.

Very roasty on the nose, tobacco, leather, port wine, soy sauce, dark fruit undercurrents.

Surprisingly more fruit flavor in the taste. Raspberries and plums make themselves known underneath a layer of roasted barley, wisps of smoke, again soy sauce, burnt coffee, finishes bittersweet, acidic, with a noticeable level alcohol heat. A little too much roasted barley as it comes across burnt in the taste and a bit too bitter in the finish.

Medium bodied with full carbonation; a little too effervescent in my opinion. Feels lighter on the tongue than it should.

Overall with a little less roasted barley and some more body this beer would have been a knockout.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 20:44:25 | More by TheJollyHop

Curtis

Utah

3.78/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this in a multi-small bottle gift pack. Usually not my style of beer, but I was pleasantly surprised. Poured well, nice dark coffe with cream colored head, good retention. Mounthfeel was comforting, without the bite or buzz some stouts leave. Initial taste was smooth, much more so than expected. Dark chocolate, espresso flavors were clean and clear but not overwhelming. Finished well with off flavors. Aroma was mild, maybe a little light, but nothing of concern. The glass down easy and was a little dissapointed when it was gone.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 03:44:55 | More by Curtis

argock

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz brown bottle into a clear slightly tapered stemmed goblet. No freshness date noted. Purchased as a 4-pack at Binny's Liquors (Near North Side, Chicago, IL) for $10.99.

A: Black with medium-beige 1+-fingers of beige, big-bubbled head with decent retention and random lines of lace.

S: The aroma is light with a slight Belgian yeast ester nose and heavy roasted dark malt notes. The hoppiness is herbal, earthy, and in the background.

T: THe flavor is very plummy with a blast of dark roasted malts and not a lot else. The yeast component does poke through here and there but overall this is a pretty bland beer except for the heat which is moderate.

M: THis brew lays thick on the tongue with a fair amount of heat with overly active carbonation.

O: After sampling other Boulevard offerings on trips to Chicago (Long Strange Tripel, Tank 7) this was a disappointment. Maybe some time would help the heat and allow some conditioning. Not great and many other better stouts out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 03:24:58 | More by argock

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

appearance: Very dark with some cola highlights showing when held to light. Dark mocha head.
smell: Chocolate and roasty espresso with a distinct dark fruit, presumably from the Belgian yeast. Very nice mix.
taste: More of the same. Very nice. Chocolate, espresso, fruit and spice. As the Boulevard site reads, "rich, velvety mouthfeel mellows to a dry, smoky finish".
mouthfeel: Carbonated and "velvety".
overall: The "Belgian Stout" is getting more and more appealing in my book.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 23:14:56 | More by cindyjeffsmith

Phobos

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Nice and dark with a decent amount of mocha-colored head

S - Smell is initially strong, but has a very pleasant chocolately undercurrent

T - Like the smell, the taste is initially strong but with a sweet aftertaste, heavy on the maltiness. There was an underlying chocolate and coffee note, a little more bitter than I like but not unpleasantly so.

M - Not too thick but nice and full, slightly bitter initially but much nicer once it settled. It lingers in a good way.

O - 4.0: more on the malty side than is ideal, but a great aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 05:13:54 | More by Phobos

jtd1969

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A – Dark black with heavy carbonation for an imperial stout, some cascading

S – Dark fruit, sweet dark bourboning tone(No bourbon though(Maybe they should bourbon barrel it!))

T – Smooth sweet dark malts, some toffee, light "dark" coffee (more on the back end) a distinct hop finish

M- Full bodied with a big hop finish

O – An excellent stout. I really like this beer... I recommend it if you enjoy Big Imp Stouts!!

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 03:48:06 | More by jtd1969

andylipp

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle with 5/18/2014 best by date. Poured into a Corsendonk tulip (my standard taster).

A – Pours black as midnight with 2 inches of mocha-colored head that receded slowly. Moderate lacing. Beautiful!

S – Dark fruits, dark candi sugar, roasted malts, brown bread, baker’s chocolate, black coffee.

T – Strong coffee, dates, roasted grain, fruitiness from the Belgian yeast. A sweet start, a cocoa/coffee middle and a long roasty finish. The nearly 10% ABV is not apparent. Yum.

M –Medium body, with ample carbonation. Coats the palate.

O – A quality brew from Boulevard. Other reviews that say “I hate Belgian beers so I didn’t like this one” are missing the boat (and the point). I will seek this one out again.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 23:31:42 | More by andylipp

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Initial pour was super carbonated, but now its settled into a nice 3/4 inch caramel head. Body is pitch black. Poured thick as well.

Nose has loads of dark fruits--plums and raisins. Smell is ever so sweet with a bit of roast laced on the top.

The first thing I notice in the taste is the malt. its a sweet stout for sure, but there is a severely charred roasted malted. Theres an awesome balance going on. The prickly carbonation makes the smoke and roast just pop off the tongue. Theres almost a peaty scotch flavor from the smoked and roasted malt.

I like it.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 21:31:03 | More by VncentLIFE

BobZ

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle poured into my Duvel Tulip.

Appearance: Deep dark brown with a 1” frothy tan head that quickly recedes to a ring. Decent lacing.

Smell: Roasted malt and coffee aromas are noticed first with some chocolate underneath.

Taste: Rich roasted malt flavor dominates, more coffee than chocolate, maybe a few hints of dark fruit. Very nice balance between bitter and sweet with a nod toward the former. The rich coffee flavor makes this a tasty example of the style.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and clean finish.

Overall: Very good example of the style and maybe my favorite beer of the “Smokestack Series” to date.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 21:18:05 | More by BobZ

KarlosT

Massachusetts

2.6/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Had this beer at the Amesbury Beer Festival on Sep 22 2012.

Most of the beers were served from bottles into small 3oz plastic pixie cups.

Although I took notes on the 20+ different beers that I tried, it is difficult to remember all of the details associated with each beer. My apologies to readers of these notes. However, I did pay attention to my overall scores, and noted what I thought were unique positives and negatives w/ each beer.

Note that for me:
< 2.5 = probably would not finish the beer
3.0 = drinkable beer, but likely would not buy again or look for
>3.5 = will try to buy again in the future

Love imperial stouts. But I'm not a fan of belgian beers, and the spice that it tends to add.

Bottle label is very cool. And the description is wonderful:
Belgian yeast provides a plum like fruitiness. with layers of espresso, roasted fig, reme brules, and spicy, herbal notes.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 14:57:26 | More by KarlosT

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass, the beer is almost black in color, with a one and a half finger high, tan creamy head. Little lacing after dissipating.
The smell is of coffee, dark chocolate, dark fruit.
The taste is Coffee and roasted malts up front, followed by dark chocolate and some dark fruit. The finish is some hop bitterness, combined with sweetness of toffee.
Very nice Stout, would definitely recommend., and I will try more from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 03:00:01 | More by Hopfenpeter

bottlequeststeve

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed out of my Portsmouth tulip. Poured out of a 12oz bottle I picked up while vacationing in the Cape Cod area.

This stout pours super dark like oil or molasses. Pours a thin tan head composed of thousands of tiny bubbles. Not much lacing or stickiness here, gradually reduces to a thin tan ring around the circumference of the glass.

On the nose I'm picking up burnt chocolate, French roast coffee, some faint dark fruit and a bit of pepper. Nice nose, not overtly powerful but definitely delicate.

First sip is a blend of deep roasted malt, dark fruit, and a hint of spicy herbaceousness from the hops. I'm left with black coffee and a touch of toffee. Really really nice, the coffee taste definitely lingers on my palate and begs me to take another sip.

The mouthfeel is smooth and definitely enjoyable. I do wish it was a bit thicker. I would love to try this on cask or nitro.

Overall I'm really happy I picked up a few bottles of this. The ABV is masked very well and the Belgian yeast makes this a tasty treat. Bravo.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 05:57:57 | More by bottlequeststeve

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle received from volunteering at this year's Belgian Beer Fest. It's got a "best by" date of 5/18/14 an after warming up a bit was poured into my Duvel tulip.

Dark Truth stout pours a solid black, with two fingers or so of khaki colored foam sitting atop the beer. Head retention is alright, an a respectable amount of lacing is left clinging to the glass. The nose is on the subtle side, but there are some solid aromas of chocolate and plums present. The flavor is starts off very nicely, calling back to what was present in the aroma. The front half of each sip tastes like plums and raisins covered in dark chocolate. A bit of roasty smoke comes in on the back end. It provides a nice contrast with what came before it, but the almost ashy quality cuts off the chocolate and esters a bit too early for my taste. Were there a style for Belgian stouts, his beer would probably be a textbook example. As is though, the mouthfeel has a bit too much of a Belgian lean t it. The body is a little too dried out and the carbonation a little too bubbly for a near 10% imperial stout. I really enjoyed Boulevard's Dark Truth, one of the finer examples I've had of trying to fuse together a stout and a Belgian ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 04:29:41 | More by axeman9182

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle from Mink's (Marietta, GA). 9.99/ 4pk. Best by 5/17/14 (I assume bottled 5/17/12). Served in a Red Brick snifter. 

Pours black with a frothy two fingers of tan head. A little lacing. 

Smells of roasty malt, cocoa, caramel, creamed coffee and a bit of pitted fruit with faint traces of booze. 

Taste blends dark chocolate, charred malts, bitter coffee, leather, molasses and earthy. A pleasant blend that hides the booze quite well. 

Creamy and tingly- medium to full bodied with moderately high carbonation. 

This is a solid brew with an interesting and unique flavor profile. Nothing earth shattering but certainly worth a try for fans of the style. Boulevard is two for two with me so far. I'm looking forward to trying more from them now that it's available in Georgia.  

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 00:33:49 | More by ThickNStout

vfgccp

New York

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Black with cola highlights. Creamy khaki head with nice retention and great lace.

S - Molasses, light booze, brown sugar, and a touch of smoke.

T - Smooth with a deep caramel, molasses, and date sweetness. Nice birch-wood smoke. Bright booze and woody hops accent a dry roast finish.

M - Full body. Great smoothness. Bright carbonation.

O - Smooth and smokey for the style. Nice drinkability for 10%.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 23:36:07 | More by vfgccp

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle best before 03/16/14 poured in to tulip glass.

A - Pitch black with two fingers of light brown head that reduced to a thin layer. Good lacing.

S - Huge roast and char aromas up front with rich dark chocolate, dark fruit and sweet molasses.

T - Starts off with a robust roast and char profile that gives way to rich semi-sweet cocoa, plum, fig, cherry, molasses and a touch of coffee. Very complex. The flavours come together.

M - Medium body, creamy. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 02:09:36 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours black with a couple fingers of foamy dark mocha head. This retains with a thin ½ finger cap, which leaves back a rich cascade of spotty froth and brown oils down the sides of the glass. The aroma smells of chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, spice, and a touch of brown sugar and burnt molasses across the back. Nice fullness here to the nose.

The taste is similar, with bittersweet chocolate, dark fruit, molasses, a touch of green citrus and some finishing grassy spiciness that lingers in a burnt backend. The mouthfeel is full bodied, with a firm sprightly carbonation in the mouth but there is also a slick creaminess here that undercuts the feel and helps keep this moving. There is a bit of alcohol warmth along the back but this is overall a pretty smooth sipper.

This was nice. The Belgian yeast added a ripe dark fruitiness that paired up nicely with those rich American Stout notes of spicy hops, sticky sweetness and roast and the drinkability on this was top notch for the size. I’ve been overlooking this one!

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 14:21:29 | More by Kegatron

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle, best by May 18, 2014. Served at around 45F and allowed to warm in the glass.

Pours black with a three finger brown head that recedes to a light cap and leaves some good patterns of lacing behind.

Aroma is chocolate, cocoa, roasted malts, coffee, caramel, some dark fruits. Moderate strength.

Flavor is rich chocolate, caramel, coffee, toffee, roasted malts, some plums and dark fruit, a bit of peppery spice, fairly sweet, minimal bitterness, alcohol is there but very well hidden.

Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, creamy, smooth carbonation. Nice.

Very complex and very tasty stout. Aroma lacks, but the flavor more than makes up for it. Rich and delicious!

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 04:08:42 | More by elgiacomo

Kromes

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a pitch black with a thin brown head. Dark chocolate and coffee, sweet fig, alcohol. Initial flavor is of dark roasted coffee and then the Belgian yeast kicks in with some sweet fig and plum and a bit of funk. Finishes with a dark chocolate and smoky roasted malt finish. Body is full and silky smooth. Sweet finish with a bit of bitterness and alcohol burn. I really like the addition of the fruit to the stout. It adds another dimension and blends perfectly. Another excellent beer from the Smokestack series....which is one of the best series of beers in the US.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 23:16:07 | More by Kromes

ebrauser

Utah

3.95/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bought a four-pack of this at least a year ago, maybe two. Apparently only wrote a review for the remaining beer!

Appearance: A straight down pour yielded a two-inch biege-green head that settled oh so slowly. Beer is black and totally opaque.

Aroma: Chocolate was noticeable as I poured, with my nose a foot away from the glass. I had thought of using a snifter but disregarded it. As you get past the chocolate malt, it becomes more vinous and lactose

Flavor: Cherries were noticed first but were quickly blown away by the incredible smokiness of the beer, as if it had been held over a fire! This was met with the roast malts and super thick and creamy mouthfeel, but I think I might have waited just a bit too long as I think the bitterness could've been balanced just a touch. I think it still fits just fine in this broad style, but maybe doesn't need to be cellared as much as I did.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 05:03:40 | More by ebrauser

jsulko

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a snifter

Dark blackish color with a decent brown colored foam head.

Smell is roasted malty with a background of a chocolate/coffee hint.

Taste is roasty and smokey with coffee notes. Slight sweetness to it. Suprise bitterness on the finish. Finish also seems a bit thin

A strong stout that just misses the high end for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 02:49:22 | More by jsulko

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-black with a brown head

S-bitter dark roasted grains. Not strong. Slightly creamy and spicy.

T-comes in with a bitter and sour taste of milk chocolate and dark grains. It's a smooth taste with a creamy after-taste strong of the dark grains. It's okay.

M-creamy medium carbonation with a semi dry finish.

O-Definitely more of a RIS than American imperial stout. It's okay. Not terrible for the price.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 02:10:54 | More by AdamBear

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from 5/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a dark brown with an aggressive tan head, leaves moderate lacing. Aroma of malt and sour fruits. Light roasty malts and moderate dark fruits and malt. Dark fruit and malt middle with a mild hop finish. An unusual stout transition with more fruit than malt. Moderate body. Not as complex as some other stouts, but perhaps a more interesting flavor combination

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 18:14:00 | More by LiquidAmber

Momar42

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into New Belgium globe

A - huge, thick, dense light tan head that retreats ever so slowly. Deep dark brown almost black in appearance. Fantastic lacing. Good looking indeed.

S - roasted malt, some char and a hint of smoke. I think I can detect a very mild spiciness. Less than I had anticipated.

T - a sweetness covers the other tastes. The char and malt are there but are subdued. An overwhelming creaminess prevails. Character is weak.

M - Very smooth and creamy...to a flaw. Carbonation is about right and the feel helps carry a moderate beer a little farther.

O - First off, this is a decent stout. Nothing ground breaking or even overly memorable but solid. That said, it is too one dimensional at this price point to warrant a repeat performance. Would have liked to have more body and character to help it stand out amongst a very crowded category.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 03:12:00 | More by Momar42