Grainstorm Black Rye IPA - Boulevard Brewing Co.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.91/5  rDev -4.2%
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

oberon

North Carolina

3.94/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a deep roasted chesnut brown with a large blooming light beige colored head atop that takes forever to settle leaving a nice full ring behind.Resiny hops stand out most in the nose along with a shot of spicy rye,not much roast.Quite dry on the palate with a healthy dose of citric/resiny hops,there is a sharpness from the rye but it's not in your face,somewhat grainy and earthy but not a whole lot of roast.A well hopped ABA that doesn't have alot of the "black" components,still a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 20:56:18 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.51/5  rDev -14%
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

drabmuh

Maryland

3.81/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a Boulevard smokestack series glass, cause I can. Beer is dark brown to black with a nice big head of small bubbles, lots of lacing, nice retention, moderate carbonation, looks good.

Aroma is hoppy, sweet, smells like cascade hops if you ask me.

Beer is medium to light in body, hoppy, mildly to moderately bitter on the finish, I dn't get a lot of rye in there but it is a nice beer overall. Probably not a repeat but there's nothing wrong with it, it is a fine beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 01:10:41 | More by drabmuh

zeff80

Missouri

3.96/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out an opaque, jet dark brown color with a two-finger, khaki colored head of foam. It left sticky rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of pine and roasted malt.

T - Piney hop bitterness with roasted malt and dark chocolate flavors. Light citrus notes, too.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry, clean finish.

O - This is yet another fine Smokestack beer from Boulevard.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 20:24:47 | More by zeff80

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.24/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

BBD of 08-13

Pours caramel with 3+ fingers of tan head. Insane head retention & lacing

S: Grassy, lemongrass, a little bit of pear, big-time peppery notes & lemon zest, carob & wet grain

T: Follows the nose, some roastynesss & a smidge of grainyness up front. More grassyness, a touch of grapefruit & roastyness, orange rind. Finshes with dryness, slight roastyness, graperfruit acidity & a firly prounounced crispness

MF: Medium body , firm carbonation, nice balance, skews a touch watery as this warmed up

Very drinkable, no mattter how you slice it. I like this one a lot

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 06:23:05 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

3.86/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown pour, black in the glass. Copious foam, billowing head that quickly threaten to spill over. Healthy lasting skim, and good head retention on display.

Aroma is fairly subdued, swirling releases some volatiles that is momentarily unpleasant. Fusel, green grass, and odd bread dough yeast notes. Later its more typical mellow roast malt and dried fruit hop notes.

Dry roasted malt backbone, hops are subdued but lend some dry bitterness in the aftertaste and some vague dried citrus peel in the middle. Slightly watery feel. Not one of the more successful beers in the smokestack series, but not bad overall.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 02:41:52 | More by emerge077

barleywinefiend

Washington

2.49/5  rDev -39%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

A: Poured dark brown with a nice tan cap, some moderate lacing present as was a nice tan collar after a few moments of settling and sipping

S: Very faint and unimpressive for this style. Muted citrus and roast.

T: This beer just seemed off from the first sip. Muted flavors of roast, coffee and chocolate with citrus and pine and thats a stretch. There is something unpleasant lurking in the background, like a gassy, bubbly like taste/feel, a young beer perhaps not fermented completely

M: Medium bodied and uncomfortable, off, gassy, had me belching, it tasted and felt young. flavors were mute, carbonation was a miss

O: My first quality issue I have experienced with a Smokestack series beer. I did not finish, just passed it around the bar and let the uneducated palates delight in their ignorant bliss.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 17:13:07 | More by barleywinefiend

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Huge 2/3 of the glass head. Settles into a definitive beige sugar loaf. Leaves some chunky spots on the glass. The liquid is dark brown where no light passes.

Floral hop is the first impression. I can detect some darker malts and the dryness of the Rye. Very attractive and well balanced.

Smooth and dry, the taste starts with a darkly toasted malt (and just a hint of bitter chocolate). The body is modestly rich. The carbonation is below average. The finish is black pepper bitterness. The aftertaste of dark cocoa and hop is quite short for what one would expect.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 02:00:25 | More by smcolw

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.09/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

maybe the most appropriately named beer to come out in awhile. the malt bill on this is colossal, and the rye malt is so intense, huge body, super yum. the pour is thick and dark. milkshakey with a deep fain red brown depth, pushing up on black, with a mocha colored soft head maybe four inches high and long lasting. amazing. the nose is grainy as hell, spicy roasty rye and barley, a good alcohol kick, and tons of hops. pine and straight English bitter varieties, just a massive nose. the taste is really heavy malt with very little sweetness. some german and English doughy flavors, but mostly just roasted American two row and brutally intense rye, black as black can be. hopped well, bitter in the finish but bittersweet cocoay throughout. long finish of beautiful complexity and some surly attitude. a well hidden abv, but you could hide anthrax, your girlfriend's rolodex, and a shorty of cheap vodka in this one without affecting the flavor. no joke. full as a body can be, but made mild my the carbonation which is really active and creamy, almost akin to a nitro dispense. drinkable on your own, but a good bottle to share too. overall an impressive beer, the smokestack series kills it. I also found this on my roof after an enjoyable scavenger hunt for valentines day, which only sweetened the pot...

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 03:11:14 | More by StonedTrippin

champ103

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a dark brown, nearly black color with some ruby highlights. A dense, rocky beige head forms that rises to the brim of the glass immediately. It would have kept on rising had this been a bigger snifter. Lace coats the glass all the way down.
S: Very piny and resiny. Tons of hops in the nose. Then a faint toasted, bready aroma linger just a touch. Though the piny, tree sap like hops are the show.
T: Again huge pine flavors. Sticky, resiny, oily tree sap as well. Just as the bitterness shows up, the malts and rye kick in at the same time. Bread/biscuit, kind of a burnt toast, and a lingering spicy fruitiness.
M/D: A full body and moderate carbonation. Viscous, oily, and slick. Not a huge alcohol presents, and I am not having a problem sipping on this. Though not the most enjoyable beer to work through for me. To resiny and oily for me.

I am not a fan of the "Black IPA" style. If any brewery and beer series could change my mind it would be Boulevard Smokestack. While not bad by any means. I have just never been a fan of how the hops and malts intermingle. This one is particularly resinous and oily for my tastes with a bready, burnt toast flavor that does not mesh for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 22:44:46 | More by champ103

tdm168

North Carolina

4.26/5  rDev +4.4%
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

maximum12

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Yes, I did indeed buy this bottle because somewhere on the label were the letters r y e. In a row. That's enough reason for me. 750 ML bottle split with my wife, best by date of 08/2013.

The pour is true to the copy, dense black. Carbonation spills out like a mushroom cloud, to the tune of a roughly 50/50 split of head & beer in the pint glass...settle down there, bucky. Nose is confused: roast, grain, earthy pine hops. Though not much of any of those. Very much like damp forest in the wilderness. I like that smell when I'm in a tent, not sure about having it in a glass.

Grainstorm, I find you difficult to describe; no ingredient or taste really stands out above the others. There's a fair amount of nice roast, backing strip of nice bittering hops with a bit of pine to them, spare earthiness that might be the rye, field grains, touch of spice. As noted, the carbonation is on the edge of too much, but the strength here is the ease which is slips from glass to tongue to stomach. To toilet. Eventually.

This beer has the privilege of being so well balanced that it almost turns invisible. It's like bland without being bland. Pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 02:14:53 | More by maximum12

superspak

Michigan

4/5  rDev -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

tigg924

Massachusetts

2.96/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Appearance: dark brown in color, clear, 1 inch head, high carbonation

Smell: roasted malt and citrus hops

Taste: coffee grounds, char, citrus and earthly hops, light rye bread

Mouthfeel: medium-high body, medium-high carbonation, sweet start that becomes bitter and dry

Overall: I love Boulevard and the style, but this one just did not do it for me. The char is heavy on this one and sometimes the rye added a slightly medicinal quality to it. Not a horrible beer by any stretch but there are several others in the style I would go to first. This one was a miss for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 15:58:03 | More by tigg924

Pencible

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
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

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Black Raven pint glass. Pours a very dark, opaque brown with a massive light brown half glass head that slowly dissipates to a half finger head with pillowy lacing. Aroma of light toasted malt, citrus hops and slight rye sourness. Unusual flavor of toasted and caramel malt, some nuttiness; transitions to dark malt and sweet fruit juice then finishes with piney, citrus hops and slight rye sourness. A fun roller coaster of a flavor progression, with the sweet fruit part a unique component. Medium bodied. This is an unusual, but completely enjoyable rye / black ale; IPA hoppiness is subdued, but the balanced, interesting flavors more than hold interest. Hope to see this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 04:17:57 | More by LiquidAmber

Boto

Connecticut

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

750ml bottle: This one pours a fairly opaque, dark brown color. There was about a finger of fairly dense tan head on it. It leaves a bit of lacing. Nice nose to this one. Pine, some citrus and rye are predominate. Getting some other fruits hiding in the background. Nice taste. A good citrus and pine bitter bite to it, followed by some roasted malt. Some rye, maybe some of the fruits hiding in there. Very nicely balance body. This is very good and worth searching out!

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 22:33:51 | More by Boto

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Presently, this is the #20 ranked "American Black Ale" here on BA.

Served in a Port City tulip.

A: Poured pretty much a pitch black color, no light passing whatsoever, and with a mocha colored, 4-finger head. Hell, the head was bigger than the brew.

S: Melted grape popsicle, with some grilled pineapple and dark malt mixed in. Not in-your-face, but still effective.

T: Almost the perfect melding of IPA and Porter. Neither won out over the other, which I found astounding. Not a hophead paradise by any stretch, still the overall "fresh" taste of this was astounding.

M: Spritzy carbonation and smooth as silk: This is a quality I find so often with these Smokestack Series brews. Delectable in this area.

O: This is totally not a style I'm fond of overall, but this is not the standard Black IPA fare. Will have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:22:55 | More by Chaney

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.95/5  rDev +21.3%
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

Bung

North Carolina

4.06/5  rDev -0.5%
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

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.89/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mostly black pour, some brown edges on the bottom. Light brown head. Epic retention. Spicy, floral hop notes in the aroma, some pine too, with subtle notes of roast and chocolate. Big spicy rye zest up front in the taste, some pine resins, backing roasted notes with an astute bitterness. Lighter, but creamy body, carbonation is good.

Super solid ABA.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 00:16:13 | More by EgadBananas

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
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

GilGarp

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Batch #2012-1. Best before 08-20013. 750 ml bottle with cork and cage.

Served cold into an imperial pint glass, Grainstorm is a very drk brown color with thick which head that nearly overflows the glass. It has very good retention and leaves some nice sticky lacing as it settles.

Aroma is hoppy, malty, spicy, and roasty.

Flavor is strong but well balanced with a big roasty malt body and good spice from the rye. It also incorportates a healthy dose of hop flavor and bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and nicely carbonated. It's balanced and enjoyable. I only wish it came in 6-packs.

Overall a really nice rye IPA. Worth getting and probably more than once.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 01:59:08 | More by GilGarp

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.19/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a pint glass form a 750ml bottle with one of the coolest Blvd. labels out there.

Pours a nice mahogany brown color with a huge 1.5 inch light tan head. The retention is awesome. The head recedes very very slowly and leaves some nice lacing as it goes down. The head is also pretty dense.

Aroma is so nice. Some grassy and herbal hop notes that provide some slight pine and mild citrus notes. Very NW like. There is about a ton of different grain notes in the nose. Nice rye spice wit some earthiness and some good bready wheat notes. There are some slight chocolate notes in the nose as well.

Flavor is very delicious. Herbal grassy notes are present along with some nice pine. The grain profile is very nice. There are some nice rye spice notes that compliment the hops very well and linger till the last drop is down. There is some slight roast to the malt notes and some mild cocoa sweetness especially on the back end. All the flavors are very well crafted and work together very well. The brew is one of the more balanced Black Ales out there. Quite delicious. The body is a bit on the lighter side. I would like a bit more of a body.

Overall. This style is quickly becoming one of may favorites and brewers are doing a great job with it. This is a great example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 03:06:03 | More by JoEBoBpr