Chocolate Ale - Boulevard Brewing Co.

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BA SCORE
85
good
-
445 Ratings

rAvg: 3.79
pDev: 17.41%
Reviews: 202
Hads: 243

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Brewed by:
Boulevard Brewing Co.

Missouri, United States

Style | ABV
American Strong Ale | 9.10% ABV

Availability: Spring. bottle (177), on-tap (25).

Notes:
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.

One of the brightest stars in a city filled with culinary treasures, Christopher Elbow has been handcrafting masterpieces in chocolate for more than ten years. In that time the reputation of his artistic delicacies has spread around the globe. Elbow’s sweets are distinguished by their use of unusual and sometimes surprising flavors and ingredients; in that adventurous spirit we joined forces to bring you a very special Chocolate Ale.

In developing this beer, Elbow and Boulevard brewmaster Steven Pauwels sought to harmonize the interplay of chocolate and malt, with each supporting and enhancing, but not overwhelming, the other. Just the right chocolate was essential. Elbow recommended a rare variety from the Dominican Republic, prized for its robust flavor and aroma, and a personal favorite. More than a mere flavoring, the chocolate — in the form of nibs, or crushed, roasted beans – was incorporated into the brewing process itself.

24 IBU

View: Beers (37) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by Blargimus:

Blargimus

Colorado

2.9/5 rDev -23.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

750 ml bottle poured into tulip.

Pours a brownish-orange, slightly hazy. Initially quite a bit of head, but it fades rapidly, and leaves almost no lacing. Very few carbonation bubbles after the initial burst. It just kind of sits there like it's flat. Not an enticing look.

Yeasty smell that starts off with a bitter cocoa powder, then gets sweeter as you take longer whiffs. A bit of alcohol, too. It seems like the bitterness comes from the chocolate rather than hops, but maybe they're melding in my nose. It's very interesting, but not amazing.

Starts off with a sort of roasted/burnt chocolate malt flavor without any sweetness. The middle is almost pure bitterness - and again, the bitterness seems to come from the chocolate. Whenever I think I start to taste some hops or malt, it turns into bitter chocolate. The aftertaste is where the sweet milk chocolate hides. There's malt and cocoa powder and a bit of yeast. It's a warm taste that's helped by the alcohol, and I enjoy it. Speaking of the alcohol, it seems a bit strong for the rest of the beer (9%!). I like the flavors here, but there's so much bitterness beforehand it's almost like a chore getting to the desirable tastes at the end.

The alcohol gives this a fairly thin mouthfeel, and there's not much carbonation to give it creaminess. What carbonation there is adds to the bitterness of the rest of it. It's not a very pleasant feeling.

I'm not displeased that I tried this beer - It's a very interesting brew, especially since you only seem to get chocolate incorporated into stouts. Unfortunately, "interesting" doesn't equal "good." I'd only recommend this for novelty, but sometimes novelty can go a long way.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 04:05:12 | More by Blargimus

More User Reviews:

Bandi

New Jersey

4/5 rDev +5.5%

05-18-2013 13:39:56 | More by Bandi

metter98

New York

3.8/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: The beer is very hazy amber orange in color. It poured with a quarter finger high off white head that died down a bit, leaving a thin layer of bubbles on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light aromas of chunky yeast (the kind of yeast you taste at the bottom of a large bottle) are present in the nose.
T: Unlike the smell, the taste has flavors of cocoa nibs.
M: It feels medium-bodied but a little thin on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: Considering its strength, this beer isn't that difficult to drink because it hides its alcohol very well from the taste.

Note: February 2010 vintage

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:52:46 | More by metter98

lernerlift

Kansas

4/5 rDev +5.5%

05-05-2013 22:00:20 | More by lernerlift

Crash_the_Dog

Kansas

3.25/5 rDev -14.2%

03-31-2013 02:42:08 | More by Crash_the_Dog

Sparky44

Illinois

3.75/5 rDev -1.1%

03-24-2013 02:49:28 | More by Sparky44

benjamincarter

Minnesota

4.5/5 rDev +18.7%

03-16-2013 14:20:15 | More by benjamincarter

wmobley

Wisconsin

4.5/5 rDev +18.7%

03-13-2013 20:04:11 | More by wmobley

spycow

Illinois

3.75/5 rDev -1.1%

03-09-2013 23:57:23 | More by spycow

tdmccarthy

Illinois

4/5 rDev +5.5%

03-04-2013 19:30:04 | More by tdmccarthy

match1112

Illinois

3.75/5 rDev -1.1%

03-03-2013 00:34:47 | More by match1112

CaptainNomihodai

Illinois

3.5/5 rDev -7.7%

02-26-2013 06:34:21 | More by CaptainNomihodai

UCLABrewN84

California

3.7/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to jmgrub for sharing this one at his birthday tasting.

Batch 2010-2. Best by 9/2011.

Pours a hazy orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, cocoa, and a nutty aroma. Taste is much the same with cocoa and spice flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with some interesting aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 03:11:01 | More by UCLABrewN84