Amber Ale - Boulevard Brewing Co.

Jayhawk

Missouri

4.83/5  rDev +41.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is a new offering from Boulevard. Available only in my area in the Boulevard variety 12 pack (allegedly available as a 6 pack in Nebraska...yet I live in Boulevard's home town - shame on you Boulevard for letting us locals down).

Beer pours a nice copper color. Minimal head, not overly carbonated. Minimal lacing.

Slightly malty aroma, balanced by the wheat malt and hops (not too hoppy). Definitely agree with the the slight hint of almond noted by the first reviewer.

Very smooth - good session beer.

I'm not a big fan of amber ales, but I really like this one...maybe because it seems a bit more like a brown ale than an amber ale (despite the coloration). I'm not sure if this is the wheat malt or the nice balance of malt and hops or simply the lack of the grassy taste many amber ales (can you say Fat Tire?) you find in America today.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2010 04:14:57 | More by Jayhawk

brewdoc75

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a lighter amber color with some orange highlights. A nice, 1 inch white head sits on top at first. This dies down to a very small head (~1/8 inch), but lasts for the whole beer. Not much lace evident.

S: Beautiful malty aromas with a strong munich malt aroma at first. This is followed up by some nice dark fruit aromas with plum and red grape there at first. It is followed up by a slight dark cherry aroma and even a hint of tartness. The hops provide some floral aromas and some touches of lemon peel. Definitely a more malt forward amber ale.

T: The malts come out even stronger in the flavor. The munich malts provide ample maltiness in the background. Definitely not as caramel forward as some amber ales, which is refreshing. The malt flavors are highlighted by the dark fruits that were previously mentioned in the aroma review. I still get a slight dark cherry note and a faint bit of tart bitterness. This seems to add from the beer rather than overpower it. The hops are bitter enough to balance out all the sweet malts. The flavoring hops provide some hints of lemon grass. The yeast seems to add some English character with some fruitiness and even some earthiness. Very malt forward with some interesting yeast flavors. A little more hop flavor might not hurt though.

M: Light-medium bodied. Crisp on the tongue and finishes reasonably dry for the style.

D: Overall, this is a really solid American Amber. It brings some British character to the table in the yeast flavors and some of the crystal malts. Not as caramel heavy as some ambers which is refreshing. Very easy to drink which makes this a beer you must by in larger quantities. If there were any improvements to add, it may be just a touch more flavoring/aroma hops, but not too much. This is definitely a more interesting American Amber than most. Great job Boulevard.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2010 19:31:45 | More by brewdoc75

wmtxbb

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into pint glass

Appearance: Layer of lacing atop a cloudy amber haze.

Scent: Fruit esters; Very light scent.

Taste: Amber malts with a mixture of: burnt, crisp and bitter flavors. Nice grainy texture that complements the other flavors.

Drinkability: The first couple of beers that I had from boulevard were not 'up to par', but this brew definitely surpasses others of the same style.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 03:53:57 | More by wmtxbb

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.15/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Part of a mixed 12 pack. Best by Oct 3, 2010.

A slightly hazy brownish red colour with a good 1 finger head of foam and good sticky lacing.

The smell is nice and malty with some notable sweet notes and light bread. I couldn't pick out any bitterness at all and, for the style, that works for me.

The taste is as good as the smell. Not as sweet as in the smell but it's still plenty malty with lightly done notes of bread and a light, balancing, taste of some citrus. I see as the beer warms up, the malty sweetness comes through more and I'm digging it. This is an excellent tasting malty Amber Ale.

The mouthfeel doesn't hurt the beer as it's very smooth and drinkabilty, me thinks, is also excellent.

Man, Boulevard, I guess, just started this puppy up recently and my hat's off to them for this most excellent example of the style. Grab yourself a 12 packer if you see some...

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2010 20:13:27 | More by Bitterbill

mvforegonian

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Boulevard Brewing Co. has done it again! As a KU alumni I think I'm a little biased about boulevard but this is my favorite amber.

A: A little thin on color. Light amber. Nearly no head or lacing.

S: Caramel and malts

T: Very drinkable! Caramel and sweetness all the way through. Maybe a little more hops would have been nice but super easy to drink lots of this beer.

M: Good mouthfeel! Smooth and carbonation was low.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 20:22:20 | More by mvforegonian

Mississipping

Mississippi

4.05/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a completely clear amber color with golden highlights at the edges when held to light.  A medium off-white head forms atop the liquid body that lingers forever as a half-finger foam.  Moderate lacing and legs on the edge of the glass.

S: Malty sweetness right up front with a good amount of honey.  Subtle pear and apple emerge from time to time in the background, accompanied by an even subtler hops and earthiness.  Although typical for the style, slightly sweeter than expected.

T: Starts out sweet with the maltiness coming to the fore.  A touch of caramel, apple, pear, and honey mingle around one another to give it a somewhat complex character.  Transitions to a finish that is very slightly hoppy and earthy with just a bit of bitterness linger well after each sip.  

M: Medium bodied with a lower level of carbonation that creates a nice creaminess on the palate.  I think the mouthfeel is really pretty spot on.  Starts out sweet and transitions to a minimally bitter/drying finish.  

D: Not at all among my favorite amber ales, but it's tasty for what it is.  Nice balance between maltiness and hoppiness, sweet and bitter.  Not overly complex, but just enough there to keep you interested.  Another tasty brew from Boulevard. 

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 06:01:32 | More by Mississipping

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up in the 12 mixer. Poured from the bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a reddish brown amber. Heavy white foam that settles out with foam sticking around the sides. Clean smell with no distinct notes. Sharp caramel/toffee taste. Carbonation pop that balances into a sweet malty finish. Sweet aftertaste. Very drinkable. Solid.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 21:58:36 | More by KTCamm

zeff80

Missouri

4/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a slightly hazy, amber color with a good deal of carbonation. It had a two-finger, off white head that was long lasting and left behind a little lace.

S - It smelled very malty with a roasty presence. There was a mild floral aroma, too.

T - A malty amber ale with hints of chocolate flavor. I also tasted a grassy hop bite that added balance.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied beer with a dry finish.

D - This is a really nice amber ale. It was nice to see Boulevard go back to a sessionable style and do it really well.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2010 03:11:38 | More by zeff80

secondtooth

Indiana

4/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Attractive and clear amber as promised, with substantial foam and fine lacing.

Nose is biscuity and grainy. Well-done representation of the style.

Taste is tangy and breadlike. A smooth and highly enjoyable example of an amber ale, this is an easy-drinking session ale with class.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 05:12:39 | More by secondtooth

Tone

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy, copper/brown color. 1/3 inch head of an off-white color. Good retention and decent lacing. Smells of hops, sweet malt, hint of wheat, hint of earthy malt, and slight citrus. Fits the style of an American Amber / Red Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, hops, slight citrus, slight yeast, hint of wheat, and a hint of pale malt. Overall, a very refreshing and easy to drink beer. This might just become one of my go-to beers for recreational drinking.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 02:33:38 | More by Tone

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a sixer on special for $6 at Princeton's Liquors. The bottle says best by January 2011. Overall, I thought this was a nice malty session beer that reminded me of a Vienna lager. The description mentions noble hops, but I don't get must more than a hint of peppery spice in the finish mixing with the caramel malts. The beer opens with a toffee and bread mixture and is followed by cherry and strawberry juice (not to sweet), and then that mild herbal bitterness. The aroma is a bit simpler with more of the bready malts coming forward. All in all, a good session beer for folks that can appreciate malt without a lot of hops.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2010 00:43:25 | More by tempest

jmbranum

Oklahoma

3.98/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Most of the time I wind up being disappointed by "amber ales." They tend to be so middle-of-the-road that they are boring. Despite this reputation, I took a chance on this beer and I'm glad I did.

Nice, slightly fruity malt aroma.

Pours a clear amber liquid with only a slight haze. Nice head but disappears quickly.

Flavor is of good wheat bread. A nice balance of hops. A tiny bit of caramel. A little bit of spices.

Too much carbonation. Medium mouthfeel.

Overall, a slightly better than average amber.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 18:18:39 | More by jmbranum

brownbeer

Missouri

3.95/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Brought down to Springfield by the generous folks at Boulevard for a beer dinner. Pours a chestnut-amber with a frothy head on top. The beer is somewhat nondescript aroma and taste-wise. Faint notes of almond and grapfruit come to mind. Malt-forward with a delicate touch of hops late. The medium body is velvety smooth. A super session beer, or probably a great transition beer for people looking to move away from our pale, watery friends next door.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 21:08:33 | More by brownbeer

Nesued

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Purchased on a road-trip to the mid-west (i.e. Kansas City/St. Louis area). Part of a Boulevard 12-pack variety offering.

Appearance - The color is a light red/amber hue, slighly cloudy with a small head that retains after a lively pour. Some slight lacing exists as the head retracts. Some fine carbonation continues to feed the lasting ring.

Smell - Nice malty aroma. Hints of figs and roasty notes as well. Some toffee rounds out the mose as well.

Taste - Big bready and malty presence from the opening notes to the middle. Lots of sweet malt and roasted tones as well. The finish has a bit of a hop bite to cleans the tongue in preparation for the next sip. Some nice finishing qualities here.

Mouthfeel - light to medium body here. The carbonation is present but the backbone doesn't stand up to a lasting presence. Refreshing, without a heavy feel to weigh you down. Take another sip and let it wander. Note how

Drinkability - Hard category to be in. When you are compared to Nugget Nectar and Big Hoppy Monster, how to you judge? Well, I judge by malt character with the mild hop presence as being to my liking. A nice easy-drinking beer. I've had far worse.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 01:27:14 | More by Nesued

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.94/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12oz bottle best by 6/23, poured into mug

great golden amber look, small film of head. smell is sweet malted grain, dry herbal hops, some dusty amber 'leaf' scent. taste is grainy with some sweet malt up front, then grain elevator taste complete with metal. finishes with some roasted grain/malt and a touch of dry leaves.

good amber, almost like a low-rent 90 shilling

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 08:28:15 | More by jimmah120

Buebie

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

poured semi rigorously producing about an inch of tan head. Settling quickly and leaving a cap of retention and moderate lace webs.
Deep redish amber color, a touch of orange, but mostly a caramel red.
Aroma is malt forward, some mild roasted character, fruity too with vinous likeness.
Mouthfeel is solid, decent carbonation and a touch of slick feel.
Crisp hop flavors upfront with fruit and mild charred caramel. Malt shines midway through as well as some mild figs. Mild hops across the finish, lingering just enough to be detected, but as little as to maybe be missed.

Terrific brew, sessionable and plenty of flavor. I might have to grab a six pack, as this one was purchased as a single.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2010 02:23:46 | More by Buebie

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a dimple mug)
best by 4/28/11 (it was)
A- This beer has a slightly hazy brown body with an orange hue to it and strong carbonation of big bubbles gliding to the surface. There is a bubbly creamy head that last a good while.

S- The soft aroma of brown malt finish with a soft fruity yeast notes.

T- The toasted brown malt fades to a soft green note and a slightly dry finish.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel and a tight fizz in the finish.

O- The smooth amber ale is nice but it is pretty light and not much character to make it worth another glass.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 22:04:28 | More by rhoadsrage

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.9/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Boulevard Amber Ale has a thin, cream-colored head and a hazy amber appearance, with lots of streaming bubbles. The aroma is of roasted malt, clean water, and slight hops. Taste is not unlike Budweiser American Ale, with caramel, lightly-roasted barley malts, sweetness, some fruit (plum?), and a mild hop back-flavor. Mouthfeel is fluffy and slick, and the finish is clean and semi-dry. Overall, this is good. Try it.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 01:16:43 | More by RonaldTheriot

FanofHefe

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a tulip; date stamped on the bottle neck says best by 9/30/11, so this one is close, but still fresh according to their date. Pours a slightly hazy light amber in color for the body. Aggressive pour yields a 4-finger light tan head. Good retention, but only a little lacing.

The aroma surprises me with a hint of lightly tart citrus notes up front with caramel malt in the background.

The flavor does tend more toward the sweet, caramel malt as the dominant flavor. But, I still get a good light citrus hop flavor that provides a good balance overall. Not terribly complex but enjoyable.

Medium to light consistency in the mouthfeel. Easy to drink and a nice take on the amber style.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 00:00:46 | More by FanofHefe

bnes09

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice deep amber in color, a bit hazy with a creamy white head. Nice piney hop aroma with some bready malt. Thick malt flavor with a caramel-like sweetness. Solid hop character that provides a mild bitterness to contrast the malty sweetness. Also, just a faint touch of creamy yeast flavor. Medium-bodied and well carbonated. Creamy texture throughout the drink with a crisp finish from the hops. Flavors are well balanced. Very refresing and quite drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 23:21:48 | More by bnes09

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3.88/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a standard pint glass. The beer is a copper/amber color. A foamy off-white head dissipates to a thin film, light sticky lacing is on the glass. The beer smells of slightly sweet malts and caramel. The taste is well balanced with slightly sweet roasted malts, caramel, and maybe toffee. A faint tea/hop profile hits in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium to light bodied.

Overall, just a solid, decent amber. Not as carbonated like their other mainline beers. Good session beer here.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 20:03:38 | More by JuicesFlowing

nicdub

Kansas

3.85/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - This beer pours a hazy rust like color. With a one thumb head that retains only for a few minutes.

S - The smell is very nice, not faint, yet not too robust. A nice balance of malt, biscuit, yeast and some maple or syrupy scents.

T - The taste is similar to the smell. mellow at the start then finishing with a dry crispness and a bittersweet aftertaste.

M - Nice mouthfeel, but could retain the carbonation a little better.

D - I could definantly drink this for a short session, and I think it would go great with and typical midwestern dinner.

I think this is a welcome addition to the BLVD family. If they can find a way to kick up the carbonation it would put it over the top. Still one of BLVDs better efforts.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2010 02:32:40 | More by nicdub

alleykatking

Indiana

3.83/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12oz bottle.

A- Poured a rusty amber color. Two finger off white light beige colored head that shows medium retention. Some light streaky lacing that falls back into the glass.

S- Light buttery aroma through the nose. Biscuity toasted malts in there with caramel malts being the dominate malt. Nothing over the top but sweet smelling overall.

T- Caramel malts once again dominate the beer. Some light buttery notes here and there. Biscuity toasted malts toward the middle to ending with a last dose of sweet malts. Alcohol on the tailend is light.

M- Light mouthfeel. Carbonation is good for the style. Caramel malts kill the palate and goes way into the aftertaste. Light alcohol drying on the palate. Sweet malt forward dominates the beer and throws to a over malt presence I think. Clean flavors with just a light buttery off flavor that seems to die down by the middle of the beer.

D- This beer is very drinkable and to be honest a sixer of this would not be a hard thing to drink. I'm not a big amber fan but this one really took me by surprise. A nice easy drinking lower ABV beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 03:30:25 | More by alleykatking

Reaper16

Alabama

3.83/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle served into a pint glass

Pours a fairly opaque tawny brown. A fulvous brown, really. Buttermilk foam rises up to about one finger in size. Iffy lacing (though the head retention is affected somewhat by the temperature of the pint glass that the restaurant gave me). Seems pretty textbook for the style.

Malt forward aroma, as expected. Some aromas of baking bread, of cereal grains, of Cheerios. The hops aren't assertive, but they do lend a likable grassy sort of balance. There is a buttery/nutty sweet scent that peeks through as the beer warms.

This tastes damn good, as far as Amber Ales go. The dry Cheerios cereal flavor hits right up front, but is quickly followed by some honest to goodness pear. The pear is lovely, but let this beer warm up too much and it becomes more of a too-sugary chewing gum (think: Juicy Fruit) fruit taste. Some hop astringency keeps the sugars in check on the finish, but there isn't a lot of hop flavor that figures in on what this beer wants to do.

I couldn't bring myself to think about the mouthfeel much, which is almost always a sign to me that it is doing its job. It achieves an almost neutral weight in the mouth; it doesn't distract but it also doesn't accentuate. Drinkabilty is darn good for the style, if only because of how well it tastes.

I straight-up dislike the Amber Ale style. I never buy it. I hate most Ambers that I tastes. Frankly, I only ordered this because 1.) Boulevard is one of my top 5 favorite breweries, and 2.) Boulevard is the local brewery (I'm home in KC right now), so the beer is fresh. I was surprised, you could say, by the quality of this beer. I enjoyed drinking it, mostly for the pear flavors. Will I buy this again? Nope. Should you buy it if you like Amber Ales? Yup.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 22:36:41 | More by Reaper16

TheSarge

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours nicely with an abundant amount of light tan head, and has an amber colored body that has a slight haze to it.

The aroma is caramel, some herbal notes, and toasted white bread.

In the aroma the caramel is there, along with a slight cola trait. Metallic and herbal hops flavors are evident here too.

Wetting to the palate, perhaps medium in body. Overall a well rounded American Amber Ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 20:56:56 | More by TheSarge