Grainstorm Black Rye IPA - Boulevard Brewing Co.

JimKal

North Carolina

3.91/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: served in a Shaker pint. It has a nice one inch tan head. Very nice lacing left behind as the beer level dropped.

S: Not a lot of aroma but this may have been impacted by the frozen glass it was served in (why do they do that?)

T: I am not a big fan black IPA but am willing to give them a try when I see a new one on tap. I liked this one more than most. The roasted notes were muted and the rye gave it a nice hit of spice.

M: Medium bodied, very smooth.

O: I would order this again if I saw it on tap. I probably would not buy a six pact as this isn't my favorite style. But, again, I liked this more than most of the black IPAs I've tried.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2013 21:11:04 | More by JimKal

claytri

Maryland

4.55/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a rich mahogoney with a tan head. The atoma is the expected strong mixture of rye and hops. The taste is a combination of the two bitters at work there is an undercurrent of mslt in the closr thst lingers nicely the feelvis medium and oily a very interesting rye and a bit different. All in all a solid and enjoyable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2013 18:04:41 | More by claytri

estlinska

Arkansas

4.26/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served in a tulip at The Saucer on 4/3/13. Pours a deep, light devouring black into the glass with not many other hues to it. It has a good tannish head with tons of tiny bubbles that leaves good, sticky, thick lacing all over the glass. The smell was full of powerful hops. There was tons of oily, resinous citrus on the nose, which I absolutely love, but I felt like the malt was a little overpowered. I pick up a bit of roasted coffee and maybe some charred cookie in the background, but it is totally eaten alive by the hops. As I taste the beer it starts with the bitter malt and some roasted coffee and brown sugar. This flavor flows seemlessly into the spicy character of the rye malt. Then at the peak of the performance is the flavorful hops: there is mango and oranges especially there. It's a very fluid expression of several very good flavors that just work well together. Mouthfeel is characterized by good carbonation levels and a nice body overall. As usual, I am very impressed overall with the quality of the Smokestack series by Boulevard, even while largely disliking most of their regular offerings. This beer was a good strong offering. The only detriment I placed was in the nose because I feel like a Black IPA should have a little more of the dark malts present (as this is what "separates" it from a regular IPA/DIPA). That is simply a "style" thing, but overall I loved this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2013 17:58:31 | More by estlinska

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.95/5  rDev +21%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow....one of the best beers I've had...very happy to have had the chance to have it on tap. The beer poured an opaque black with thick ecru head that laced like a vicki secret catalog all the way down the brady sniffer glass. The scent was fresh hop with pine being a bit most potent than the citrus which tied in nicely with the burnt malt backdrop. The taste was a beautiful balance between the hops and roasty rye with kept the pallat clear after the pull. The mouthfeel was medium to full in body with smooth carbonation. The best thing about this beer was that it was under 8%...making it sessionable!!! I could have sat at that table all night long!

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2013 22:58:08 | More by WoodBrew

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours a modest brown with some light penetration and a thin tan head.

S-Roasty and well hopped with a pleasant addition of super-dirty/soily rye. Has a potting soil element. Hops are spicy, with citrus and pine.

T-Again, the roasted malt is there , then the respectable hop flavors. It then finishes with some zesty and dirty rye. The flavors mesh together great.

M-A hint of booze. Goes down quick and easy.

O/D-Boulevard made this assortment of flavors come together with fluidity. I thought this was a pretty fun BRIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2013 01:15:59 | More by VelvetExtract

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.51/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a snifter at Firkin.

Something tells me a grainstorm would be terrible to try to live through... Anyway, this stuff pours a clear brown-garnet topped by a finger of khaki foam. The nose comprises dark greens, light roasted malts, light toasted rye bread, and mild grass. The taste brings in more of the same, with the greens coming in all salad strong and whatnot. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, a good black rye IPA, one that certainly is a black rye IPA, but nothing exciting.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2013 22:37:44 | More by TMoney2591

tdm168

North Carolina

4.26/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On tap at Busy Bee

A - black with a large, brown head that has great retention

S - peppery rye, bouquet of flowers

T - peppery, spicy, floral, chocolaty

M - medium bodied, well carbonated, smooth

This is a really nice beer. It's very intricate and showcases each and every flavor well. This is a really solid black IPA but the rye is a tremendous compliment to the superb hop character. This is has good drinkibility and flavor profile. One of the better black IPAs that I've had.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2013 23:00:32 | More by tdm168

Anker13

District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2/15/13 Boulevard Brewing Co | Grainstorm Black Rye IPA | Draft

Appearance- Deep brown almost black, creamy off white persistent head

Aroma- Great aroma, a lot hoppier than I expected. Citrusy and earthy hops, nice roasted malt character as well, definitive rye spiciness

Mouthfeel- moderate co2, medium bodied, goes down smooth, the rye is slightly drying

Taste- Interesting progression. The rye spice is up front followed by some bitter chocolate flavors. Then you get a wave of earthy and somewhat citrusy hops, rounds out with that rye spice again. Pretty cool.

Residual- dryness from the rye, slight coating

Overall- A real interesting black rye ipa. The rye isn't too sharp and the hops are not too aggressive. well balanced and quite tasty, I would recommend giving this one a try

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2013 14:41:21 | More by Anker13

acelin

Kansas

4.78/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I had this beer as a "test batch" brew at the brewery following a brewery tour. They said they were announcing it's release soon, so when I heard the official name, I decided to be the first to review it here.

Poured from the tap fresh at the brewery into a 5 oz. tasting glass.

This beer pours black. Start black. It's neat, because you can see bits of carbonation carrying the yeast particles to the head, which is a small, cream/tan color. This beer left a moderate amount of lacing on the glass as it was slowly consumed.

The color is deceiving. This brew doesn't smell like coffee, doesn't smell like chocolate. It smells like a fine IPA, with great floral hops, with one difference: it's made with rye. Rye is spicy, yet sweet, and really hardy, or I guess husky smelling. It smells boastful, very full. The Rye smells a bit toasted, and not very sweet.

This beer tastes very much how it looks. Great rye spice, yet very sweet and full bodied. No rye barrels here- this is nothing like the Rye-on-Rye Smokestack Boulevard previously released. It's hoppy, with a good malt backbone that's certainly not too thick. Perfectly balanced.

Mouthfeel was superb for an IPA, perhaps aided by the rye. Despite being a hefty 7.7%, and rye, and hoppy, I found this beer fairly drinkable.

Boulevard has a hit on their hands.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2012 20:53:59 | More by acelin

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a globe glass)
Batch 2012-3
A- This beer pours a jet black body with a pale tan head that is thick and creamy lasting or a bit.

S- The dark earthy malt has some cream notes and a green herbal hop hint in the finish.

T- The pungent dark hops have a roasted malt bitterness that gently comes through with a pungent hops linger on the back of the tongue. There is a hint of coffee roasted malt in the bitterness as it opens.

M- The medium mouthfeel has a tight fizz finish that boost the bitterness.

O- There are lots of dark bittern notes in this beer that overpower any malt or hop flavor and not much other character. The big bitterness makes it a bit hard to get through a full bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 16:54:01 | More by rhoadsrage

brentk56

North Carolina

3.91/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Pours an opaque chocolate color with a very impressive head (three fingers) that just sticks and stays leaving copious amounts of lacing behind

Smell: Piney aromatics, with pumpernickel and rye underneath

Taste: Hop forward, like the aroma, with the pine joined by the dark and spicy malts, in the middle; after the swallow, the hops win out, leaving the malt somewhat understated in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body but a little bit overcarbonated

Overall: I was expecting a bit more from Boulevard as I am quite a fan but the lack of balance and the overcarbonation left me a little bit disappointed; still a pretty good beer but not quite what I was expecting

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 22:20:44 | More by brentk56

hardy008

Minnesota

4.16/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark black with a 2 finger foamy tan head with good retention and lacing. The aroma has grapefruit, citrus zest, pine, rye, and roasted malt.

Tastes like it smells with grapefruit, citrus zest, pine, rye, and roasted malt. Has a nice combination of sweetness and bitterness. Very nice list of hops in this beer with Simcoe, Bravo, Amarillo, and Citra.

Medium to full bodied with above average carbonation. Smooth and easy to drink. A very well made beer, which I would gladly buy gain. I continue to be impressed by the beers in the Smokestack Series. Keep them coming.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 02:01:01 | More by hardy008

cvm4

Mississippi

3.86/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Pours black as rootbeer with a light khaki head.

S - Seems rather muted here. Light earth & pine hops with a good roasted malt bill.

T - That rye spice is kicking through with a good amount of roasted malts. Light pine hop once the first flavors subside.

M - Medium bodied, really meaty, and medium to high carbonation.

O - One of the better black IPA's I've had. Just needs a bit more nose to add to the character of the beer. To me, it's like a porter knocked up a by an ipa, good combo.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 00:08:34 | More by cvm4

u2carew

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle.
A) Pours with a big beige head with great retention and takes a while for it to settle. Opaque body. Sticky lacing on the drink down.
S) Pleasant aromatics. Spruce. Earthy sweetness. Black Pepper.
T) Spicy. Black pepper. Bready. Mellow malts help to balance out the hops
M) Medium body. Quite smooth. Hop tannins linger it the finish. Subtle heat from the alcohol.
O) A delicious Black IPA/Cascadian pale ale. I'll be finishing the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 01:01:24 | More by u2carew

zachary80

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750ml Cork&Cage. Loud pop of the cork. Printing on the label leads me to think it falls into the category of an IPA that is black, rather than falling towards the other angles of

Pours a dark chocolate brown, approaching black. Huge beige head, over half the glass on an initial careful pour. As its settling down its leaving 100% lacing, only missing spots where there were bubbles.

Aroma is somewhat muted, light earthy hop/malt combination. Cascade? Could be much much stronger.

The flavor, on the other hand, is great. Different from every other Black IPA I've had, but very much a good representative of the style (ABA, CDA, BIPA- I tend to lean towards the last).

Mouthfeel would be thin for a stout or porter but fine in a single IPA, and appropriate for the style. Don't notice anything here from the rye however.

Overall this is a great Black Rye IPA. I would love to see it in four or six packs, and would be excited to try an imperial take on the same beer. Aroma is really the only thing holding it back, which is a pretty big component of my appreaciation of IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 02:01:09 | More by zachary80

JeffreyJDavis

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

For me, the dividing lines between Black IPA's, Cascadian Ales and Rye Ales are pretty blurry. None of these are my favorite styles, and Honestly it's a little tough to figure where to place this one, but seeing as it's Boulevard Smokestack Series, I knew my risk of exploration was low.

A: Looks great, pours a very very deep dark brown. Not cloudy but only the slightest bit of ruby light gets in around the edges. Lovely big thick explosive light cocoa / khaki head that clings to the edge of the glass like thick sticky frosting.

N: I really didn't get as much out of the nose as I was expecting. Relatively thin and hop forward, with very little roastiness or rye notes. Grapefruit and some piney hoppiness were the main elements.

T: Relatively similar to the nose. Citrus, Evergreen and pine hops make up the bulk of the flavors, with a bit of rye spice and roasted malts, but only in the finish. Blindfolded, I could imagine myself calling this out as an American Pale Ale or IPA.

MF: Quite nice, with a creamy feel, coating the mouth and tongue well. Very well carbonated, keeping refreshment high.

O: A nice beer, definitely enjoyable, not quite to the same level as what I've come to expect from Boulevard. I would buy it again, but only if I was jonesing for a Black IPA for some reason.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 15:57:01 | More by JeffreyJDavis

JohnnyMc

Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Weird style!

Pours out a very deep, dark brown with tons of ruby highlights and a huge, khaki/tan head.

The aroma is more hop forward than I have come to expect from Black IPAs/American Black Ales. There is a decent amount of citrus, pine, grapefruit and a hint of mango. There are some very lightly toasted malt notes coming through and some rye notes too.

The taste is also very hop forward; grapefruit, orange peel, pine and some mango and apricot. This is followed by the very lightly roasted/toasted malt notes with a hint of chocolate. There is some rye spiciness in there and some bready notes.

The body is medium and the mouthfeel is creamy. The ABV is nicely hidden.

This is one of the better Black IPAs/American Black Ales I have tried. It stays hoppy without throwing in a ton of huge roasted notes and the rye gives it some nice complexity. If you're usually turned off of these beers because of the huge Stout notes, try this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 23:50:29 | More by JohnnyMc

Bung

North Carolina

4.06/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml. Dark cola black pour. Big bright white head. Retained forever.

Aroma, quite piney, some minimal citrus. Faint roast malt.

Taste, piney, leafy hops up front. Spicy toasted malt. Anise, very light coffee. Moderately resiny and roast bitter finish.

Maybe medium body, ample carbonation. Fills and coats the mouth nicely. Drinks very well. Would gladly have again. Can satisfy the roasty dark fans and the hop heads alike.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 02:09:11 | More by Bung

superspak

Michigan

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 3/2013. Pours clear very dark brown color with a nice 2 finger dense light khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of grapefruit, orange zest, orange rind, tangerine, floral, pine, grass, toast, spicy rye, light roasted malt, and floral earthiness. Very nice aromas with big presence of citrus hop notes with some moderate malt presence. Taste of grapefruit, orange zest, orange rind, lemon zest, tangerine, floral, pine, grass, toast, roasted malt, spicy rye, and floral earthiness. Moderate floral pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, citrus zest, pine, floral, toast, spicy rye, and floral earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of citrus hop flavors; with a moderate roast/rye malt balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a moderately creamy, crisp, and sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice black IPA. Nice balance of hop complexity and malt; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 03:58:54 | More by superspak

rlee1390

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Clear brown when pouring, black in the glass, two finger light fluffy head.

S-Roasted malt, grass, hop and some rye spiciness.

T-Not sure if the roasted malt and rye are balanced or fighting with each other. Mild bitterness.

M-Medium bodied, slightly carbonated with some carbonation.

O-An interesting take on Rye IPA and the Black IPA, still not sure if the flavors mesh well together.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 23:00:45 | More by rlee1390

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.91/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Americo’s bottle. Brown with a big head, lacy, and a hoppy aroma. meets the style with emphasis on hops rather than roastiness. Tasty and good drinkability. Satisfying. This brewery continues to bring out quality new releases. A tad above average mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 12:31:36 | More by northyorksammy

abrethanson

California

4.49/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pulled a corked and caged 750 bottle from the local spirit shop in my Kansas hometown. Split with my Dad while introducing him to better beer.

A: Wow, this baby is a pitch black abyss. Pours a thick foamy tan 2-finger head with good lacing. Head retention is good and carries nice bubbles. The bottom portion of the pour held a lighter coffee brown tint.

S: Piney from what I could sense. (I cannot smell and did not have a nose around)

T: Again, wow. Seemed like it took forever to figure out all the flavors. Spicy rye and a lot of complexity. Cloves, bready undertones, dark fruit, and burnt coffee bitterness up front. A hell of a lot of pine / evergreen on the finish. Really had to pay attention to each sip. The burnt coffee lingers for quiet a while. Hop bomb indeed but toes the line on wrecking your palette. Well balanced between the hops, malt, and carbonation. The booziness was not overly apparent until the last glass.

O: I am not overly familiar with the black rye IPA style but came away thinking this was a great take. Complex, smooth, well-balanced, and unique. Not sesssionable but good beer to split a 750 with. Dad enjoyed it too!

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 03:56:23 | More by abrethanson

NWer

Washington

4.21/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Explosive pour into a tulip from 750 ml corked & caged bottle.
Massive four finger head in spite of my best efforts to pour carefully.
Dark appearance brown foam holds nicely for a long time
Very smooth malty feel up front. Full hop flavors don't appear until after way into the mouthfeel phase.
Very enjoyable beer. Very easy to sip through an entire bottle without realizing it.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 21:55:42 | More by NWer

Pencible

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: This poured a nearly opaque black mahogany with lots of thick tan head.
S: It smelled like metallic hops and citrus zest, with some spicy rye and roasted coffee.
T: It tasted like bitter citrus and resin hops, with some roasted coffee and semisweet chocolate and spicy rye. It had a clean and bitter aftertaste.
M: It was fairly thick with moderated smooth natural carbonation. Nice slick body.
D: This was a nice IPA, but not so much black (aside from the looks) or rye. The scent and taste were good but simple. The body was excellent, and the finish was pretty smooth, so it was easy to drink. Nice brew, but not as unique as I wished.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 02:38:11 | More by Pencible

barnzy78

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

750mL, Batch Number 2012-2, Best By 08-2013
The cork pops loudly as it's removed. A near-black colored ale is revealed with a towering, beige head that holds excellent retention, that leaves tons of lacing as it eventually fades. Aromas are earthy, spicy rye malt, roasted barley, dank piny hops, grapefruity citrus comes through more as it warms. Bold notes of spicy rye, roasted barley, sweet caramel, and earthy, dank, bitter, piny hops battle on the palate, creating a nice meld of flavors with excellent complexity and balance. Mouth-feel is exceptionally smooth and creamy, while being full bodied. Overall, I really enjoyed this, but in my opinion it falls short in comparison to another beer similar to this one (FWWJ).

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 01:06:47 | More by barnzy78