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

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Reviews

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Reviews by Buebie:

Buebie

Minnesota

4.28/5 rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Managed to snag a couple of these corked and caged bottles for $12.99 a piece.
I did two pours on this...call it an experiment if you will. One went into a tulip, the other into a full pint UK style glass.

Off a medium pour plenty of snap crackle pop head comes rushing towards the top of the glass. Looks like a Belgian head. I was expecting a dark chocolate brown color, but its a murky orange, non filtered.
Head retention is superb, not thin and not thick, but a good coating cap of retention that has now sat for almost 10 minutes while I let the beer warm a bit.
Lace left on the walls from where the head once sat has continued to stick in place leaving a thick coating.

Aroma at first was more beer in smell, with some mild malts and sweetness.
Chocolate at the nose is increasingly impressive. Its not the harsh coffee/ bitter chocolate grain aroma that I was expecting. I thought it would be a combo of RIS-Porter. But this is something else entirely. Its a desert chocolate...Sweat, bit of nuttiness, like a sweat nibs with unfermented sugars mostly.
As it warms this aroma continues to pour through, almost becoming more strong.
Terrific chocolate aroma, better then any other chocolate beer that comes to mind.
With a strong swirl mild earthy hop aroma comes around as does more cereal grains and shelled peanuts.

Taste seems to contain mild Belgian like flavors as well. Mainly from its crisp well carbonated mouthfeel and largely bready flavors. Although its an ale, So I'm confused one the yeast here, as its very carb forward.
As it warmed to nearly room temp, the crisp carbed mouthfeel seemed to drop back quite a bit. Resembling a much more slick and fuller feeling brew. Lactose?
It does begin sweet though, accelerating to a dryer more bitter taste, quite the transition from sweet desert, to dry slightly puckering and almost tart flavors.
Chocolate throughout though, allot of great nib flavor. Its not dark chocolate and its not milk chocolate, its that fine line in between, although resembling a unsweetened bakers chocolate on the finish. No heat or alcohol detected at any point from cold out of the fridge, to warmed to room temp. Very impressive.

This is quite the brew. I'm very impressed and would highly advise in seeking this out before it is all gone until next year.
I am going to hang onto the 2nd bottle and see what some age can do.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 02:20:30 | More by Buebie

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