80 Acre Hoppy Wheat - Boulevard Brewing Co.

flagmantho

Washington

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

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Best by 1/21/13.

Appearance: light silvery-golden hue with a moderate haze and a strong effervescence. Head is a thick finger of frothy white foam. This has the appearance of a good witbier; I like it.

Smell: big blast of funky, earthy, citrusy hops. They smell fresh and work well in this light and refreshing context.

Taste: an interesting combination of citrusy, earthy hops with the creamy and smooth wheat flavor. Bitterness is quite low considering the hop content. I tend to be a fan of the hoppy, smooth wheat beer, and this example is pretty well executed.

Mouthfeel: light body with a strong carbonation and a smooth and creamy texture. I like it.

Overall: a very refreshing and drinkable beer. This could make a pretty great session beer; good hop flavor without being overwhelming. I would definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 21:55:46 | More by flagmantho

acelin

Kansas

4.3/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

This beer really deserves it's own style, as do many normally called APWAs. How about Hoppy Wheat Ales? Or Hopped Wheat Ales? Naming conventions aside, this is a very tasty beer. Has a great haze, great nose that implies it's far more bitter than it is. Instead, it has all those great floral aromas as tastes without the bitterness. What a gold mine of taste, and a knock out brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 23:35:07 | More by acelin

Zorro

California

3.55/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy yellow colored beer with a small white head.

Smell is light honeysuckle malt with a citrus hop aroma. Herbal scented with a good dose of grapefruit to it.

Starts out with the taste of hard water and grapefruit. Fairly dry in the mouth. Mild bitterness, pretty much a mild mannered wheat beer with a little hop kick.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall a nice wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 19:57:37 | More by Zorro

zhanson88

Montana

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a pale, hazy straw color with about 1/2" of white head. Head retention is just okay. Lacing is non-existent. Just about your typical looking wheat beer.

Smell: The nose on this is very good. A hint of pale, wheaty malt up front, but quickly overshadowed by orange rind, citrus, florals, and hint of pine. By far one of the best noses on a wheat beer I have had.

Taste: A hint of wheaty malts, followed by some great hop notes. Citrus, florals, orange rind, followed by slight pine on the back end. Pretty nice. About the only beef I have is that it is not quite balanced; the pale malts do not really stand up to the hops. Still, nice.

Mouthfeel/Overall: Light bodied with surprising little carbonation. Okay though. Overall, by far one of the best wheats I've had. Great session beer too. Pretty impressed by this.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 21:26:04 | More by zhanson88

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Finger of head. Cloudy, pale straw color.
Smells like spruce and citrus. Like a Christmas tree with lemons on it.
Interesting taste. I like it. Lots of citrus bitterness with an underlying soft wheat flavor.
Low carbonation, medium and crisp body.
The taste is pretty amazing.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 19:21:50 | More by Fatehunter

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

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

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A- Pours hazy light straw yellow. A one finger of a white head. A very light looking beer.

S- Pine, citrus, lemon, wheat, very floral. Nice stuff.

T- A perfect 50/50 of a wheat beer and a hopped up pale ale. The wheat comes at frist and adds that nice taste but the hops come though and add a variety of citrus. A lot of lemon and pineapple. A touch of lemongrass and some floral notes.

M- This beer is a little bit light on feel nut makes up for it in drinkability and its well rounded nature.

O- This is a pretty darn good beer. Perfect session ale or summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 23:31:54 | More by TwelveOunces

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From: Beertopia, Omaha, NE
Date: "Best by 11/28/12" stamped on bottle
Glass: Standard US pint glass

I don't find this terribly different from a very sessionable IPA, though the body is slightly smoother and more complex than the malt bill in most session IPAs. 80-acre was very drinkable for those who enjoy hops, and one I will definitely revisit.

Pours a 2cm head of eggshell white foam, which descends rather quickly to a thin ring around the glass. Lacing is minimal, with just a few small lines and dots along the glass' edges. The body itself is a pale yellow color, semi-hazy, with light bringing out primarily the same tones. Carbonation is visible from the bottom of the glass, streaming upwards throughout.

Aroma is blatantly, unabashedly hoppy, with strong grapefruit, lemon, an orange tones accompanied by a bit of wet pine mulch, as would fit a combination of Cascade and Nelson Sauvin hops (though I'd accept Simcoe as well). Delicious, with a subtle malt base underpinning all these hops.

The flavor is simultaneously a fairly notable, sugary sweetness from the combination of pale barley and wheat malts and the strongly citric-bitter from usage of fruity, lightly citrus hops. Opens with sweet malts coalescing cleanly with grapefruit an orange-like hops, leading to a mid-palate of marginally sweet malts and lemon-orange-grapefruit flavors. Back of palate picks up modest bitterness along with continued grapefruit and orange flavors. Aftertaste of mild bitterness, some orange, and sweetness from wheat an barley malts.

Beer is medium to medium-light bodied, with mid-level carbonation, creating a slightly fizzy, foamy, but smooth mouthfeel. Closes semi-dry, as expected from the substantial hop usage.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 09:00:34 | More by falloutsnow

rundocrun

Iowa

3.08/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Body is straw yellow and cloudy. A rough pour yields 4 (count 'em) 4 fingers of fluffy white head. Good retention.

S - Hops steal the show in the nose. Lots of pine, bitter grapefruit peel, and lemongrass. Subtler notes of orange and bright tropical fruit.

T - Up front, dry wheat flavor and mild malt sweetness. Some lemon, lemongrass, and orange peel through the middle, but very little bitterness. Finish is fruity, but otherwise bland. Overall, taste is a bit of a disappointment after the promise of the aroma.

M- Thin body with good carbonation. Very clean finish and quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 02:43:31 | More by rundocrun

rlee1390

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Cloudy yellow orange, some carbonation, two finger head.

S-Hops with a metallic orange, lemon, wheat and grass.

T-Balance of grass, wheat, lemon with hop flavors. Some bitterness finishes it off.

M-Medium bodied, nice carbonation, crisp.

O-They were pushing this beer as a Gumball Head substitute, haven't had Gumball Head but this beer wasn't extraordinary.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 22:06:26 | More by rlee1390

SavvyStudent

Texas

3.48/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: It pours lighter than the Boulevard Wheat with a smaller head.

S: Strong Pine and Citrus hops.

T: Faint wheat, pine, citrus.

M: It leaves a little body with a wheat after taste that coats the palate.

O: A step away from what they originally tested at the brewery but unique in the market nonetheless

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 19:10:45 | More by SavvyStudent

morimech

Minnesota

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

Pours a hazy pale golden color with around one finger of head that quickly settled to a thin cap. A lot of sticky lacing is left down the glass.

Hoppy aroma of pineapple and grapefruit. Grainy with rustic wheat notes.

They got a lot of hop flavor into this beer with a rather modest IBU level. Pineapple and lemon upfront to compliment the neutral malt bill. Wheat is not as pronounced as expected.

Light body and superbly carbonated. Smooth texture with enough lift to liven the palate.

The beer is quite refreshing and easy to drink. Nice hop flavor without all the bitterness of an IPA. Another good Boulevard beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 20:33:05 | More by morimech

UnkleFester

Kansas

3.83/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A: Pours a hazy yellow with about a fingers worth of white head that doesn't stay around leaving behind a decent lacing.

S: Pine and Earthy hops are dominant on the nose with a faint amount of wheat.

T: Wheat, pine, citrus notes with a nice sweet malt toward the finish.

M: A medium body with a moderate amount of carbonation.

O: A very interesting brew unlike any other pale wheat I have had. If you can get I recommend trying it.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 22:27:50 | More by UnkleFester

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

Okay, so where's my mule, then!? This stuff pours a pale lemon-straw topped by over a finger of white foam. The nose comprises grapefruit zest, lightly funky wheat, grass, pine resin, and a touch of biscuit. The taste brings in more of the same, along with a slightly sweet bit of lemon zest, sort of along the lines of a Lemonhead. Everything works together very well. The body is a hefty light, with a light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, a tasty APWA, one not afraid to hop it up a bit. Boulevard continues to impress.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 02:22:49 | More by TMoney2591

Ryan011235

Ohio

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

Poured into a Delirium snifter on 10/21/12

Best By 12/10/12

Light, pale golden color. Quite hazy and a little cloudy. Two finger bone white head starts to dissipate quickly, but leaves raised webs of lace.

Good aroma - pineapple, tangerine, orange, grapefruit, lemon, toasted wheat and dusty wheat. Overtones of pine-sol as it warms. The flavor has a liberal amount of juicy citrus; kicks right nicely. Pine, lemon, orange. Kind of prickly, too. The wheat is actually tame; I figured there would be a more robust backing, but I'm not complaining,. Clean finish. The feel is crisp and carbonation feisty. Again, very juicy.

Overall, this is really enjoyable and right easy to drink. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 04:47:40 | More by Ryan011235

rwhitmore

Kansas

3.88/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First sampled from a 12 oz shorty, with a stamped on "best by" date. I live the in the KC metro, and this was a much anticipated release, and I wasn't disappointed. A pretty big nose of fruity and citrus hops. It definitely drinks like a wheat, with a mouthfeel much like their Unfiltered Wheat. Very refreshing, and it will certainly be a staple, especially when the Midwest summer heat cranks up.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 20:58:57 | More by rwhitmore

Jason

Massachusetts

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

12oz brown bottle with a freshness date.

LOOK: Slightly hazed pale yellow, big chunky head

SMELL: Fresh wheat, orangey hop, grassy, lemon oil, mild spice, vague mint, leafy

TASTE: Fresh, crisp, lighter bodied, snappy, hoppy, slightly bitter, fresh grass, bready, grainy, mild citrus character, drying finish, lightly hoppy after taste

No doubt about it, I could quaff this one back on the regular basis. Love beers with wheat, love hops, etc. A win all around for me so a respectful nod to the brewery for this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 02:38:36 | More by Jason

barnzy78

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle, pours a hazy yellow with a tall, bubbly, white head, decent retention, excellent lacing as the head fades. Citric hop, lemon rind, grapefruit, and orange permeate the nose. Tastes are fresh with citrus, lemon, grapefruit, grape, moderately bitter, finishes dry with faint pine. Not much for malt character; faint wheat. Mouth-feel is thinner than expected for a wheat ale, moderate carbonation. Overall, not bad, but comes across as drinking some sort of a lemon cleaner at times. I was hoping for some of the wheat and malt characteristics to come through, but hops prevail here.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 02:15:03 | More by barnzy78

Beaver13

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle. Pours very hazy straw yellow with a huge rocky white head that retains well and laces the glass.

The aroma is wheaty malts, tropical fruits and some piney, lightly resiny, hops.

The flavor is slightly sweet wheaty malts and some tropical fruits with decent piney / resiny bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with smooth carbonation.

Overall, an interesting hoppy wheat.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 02:38:01 | More by Beaver13

tronester

Oklahoma

3.7/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy yellow with a medium white head that has great retention and lacing. Aromas of a freshly mowed lawn. Taste begins with a huge lemon peel component, followed by a bit of saltine cracker, then a massive grassy, herbal flavor. Citrus aftertaste. Mouthfeel is good. Overall a quite good beer, but a little bit grassier tasting than I typically would like.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 23:36:56 | More by tronester

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Getting it a little late in the season - actually didn't see it around much until lately. Am missing the best by date by about 10 days.
Poured into Boulevard tulip, of course.
Both attractive and fragrant. Cloudy pale straw and big full white head. Especially with a little warm on the liquid a sweet and light fruity hop aroma.
Even a little fruit in the taste. Tangy and tingly mouthfeel and fully carbonated. Soft wheat flavors. Noticeable drying on the finish and soft bitterness laying on the tongue. Flavors fade out quickly.
Nice beer and certainly an enjoyable summer addition.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 02:53:53 | More by garymuchow

Mdog

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pale yellow, slightly hazy, big head.

Smell: Not much, a little citrus.

Taste: Wheaty, a little sweeter than expected. Mild citrus hops in the middle and finish.

Overall: I think my bottle may have been a little old which knocked down the aroma. The flavor was fine but not as hoppy as I was expecting, considering "hoppy" is in the name of the beer. Seems like a pale ale, just subbing in more wheat flavor instead of the barley. Nowhere near Gumballhead unfortunately.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 00:30:44 | More by Mdog

TheCondor

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Although I had this beer at the Hats off to Homebrewers (Deschutes Base Camp) event at the Amigoni Urban Winery a few months ago, it was not a large enough sample size for me to review it, and I had quite a few beers before that anyway. However, I remembered it being good, so I grabbed a six pack of it recently. Side poured with standard vigor from a bottle into a Boulevard glass.

Appearance - Pours a nice golden wheat color, just what you would expect from the label and beer description. Minimal head and head retention, little to no lacing on the glass. Certainly a hazy golden golden color, not a clear beer at all. Looks tasty.

Smell - Fruity, with a citrus and lemon that originates from the hops. There is a mild wheaty, bread malt undertone, but the big smell is certainly hoppy

Taste - Very good. Balanced, smooth, refreshing, everything you want. You get a hint of standard fare wheat beer up front, which is soon overtaken by more zesty, powerful hops notes of citrus, lemon, and pepper through the rest of the drink.

Mouthfeel - Finishes clean and smooth, well balanced, just an excellent drink overall. Clean and crisp, with a zip. Carbonated medium

Overall - I really like this beer, as did my wife, which is shocking. I think it is well balanced, can be drank at anytime of the year (although fall is best), and is certainly worth the investment. Highly recommended, I may go buy a few more sixers so I have plenty. Good job Boulevard!

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 01:33:35 | More by TheCondor

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer combines the great aspects of a wheat beer with certain elements of a hoppy beer. I sample this beer 09/29/2012 at the Valpo Brewfest. It was certainly one of the highlights for me.

In appearance, this was defintely a wheat beer as it was golden in color with a white head that demonstrated carbonation. The aroma was a mild citrus with the sweetness of wheat in the background. The initial taste was sweet and hoppy. Notes of pineapple, peach and a little pine were evident. The sweetness of the wheat becomes more evident in the aftertaste as the hops fade. The carbonation is a little more potent than I might have expected, causing the fruity hops to be brushed away quickly. This is a smooth and easy drinker that could hit a wide audience. I would to see this beer become a staple in the Boulevard rotation.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 22:52:29 | More by JohnnyHopps

AmitC

Indiana

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

Ok. so wheat and hops. Contradiction. Oxymoron.

Word hop on the label made me buy it.

Appearance: Pours with a huge head which quickly reduces to a thin layer.
A lot of haze. Pale yellow color which is a bit translucent due to haze.
A lot of bubbles throughout.

Smell : Hops are prominent and smell more like a regular IPA. I would assume good use of beta variety here. little tinge of citrus notes.

Taste : Well the taste is what makes it totally different from IPAs. Wheat and a lack of bitterness and alpha hops, make it a mix of sweetness and little on the lips bitterness.Enters all sweet and wheat into the mouth with just a little hint of hops at all afterwards. Bitterness does not stay not for more than 15 secs.

Medium bodied feel. Carbonation appears like its a lot, but it actually does not feel or hurt that much.

Very easy to drink.

Overall a decent effort and a good brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 01:14:27 | More by AmitC

bashiba

Iowa

3.08/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured a cloudy straw yellow with a thin white head, lots of carbonation bubbles running throughout.

The smell is slightly piney with a mineral quality and a touch of copper.

The flavor is a bit bland. It has light traces of fruity wheat and a light coppery flavor with just a touch of juniper bitterness. I find the coppery tin like flavor to be a bit distracting.

The mouthfeel has a nice light creamyness to it.

Overall not a bad wheat, just a bit to bland and a touch flawed to me.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 23:37:51 | More by bashiba