Nutcracker Ale
Boulevard Brewing Co.

Nutcracker AleNutcracker Ale
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From:
Boulevard Brewing Co.
 
Missouri, United States
Style:
Winter Warmer
Ranked #87
ABV:
7.8%
Score:
84
Ranked #22,477
Avg:
3.73 | pDev: 11.53%
Reviews:
388
Ratings:
992
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 30, 2023
Added:
Oct 11, 2002
Wants:
  39
Gots:
  156
Nutcracker Ale is Boulevard’s holiday gift for real beer lovers. This hearty, warming brew is a classic winter ale, deep amber in color, with hints of molasses balanced by the “spiciness” of freshly harvested Chinook hops.

38 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of damndirtyape
Reviewed by damndirtyape from Ohio

3.83/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle served in a D'Achouffe tulip glass. Enjoy by 10 April 2024.

Appearance: Mostly clear dark copper-amber color with a nicely thick 1/4" tan head. Persistent strands and islands of lacing.

Smell: Pine and citrus hops. Not getting much else.

Taste: Hops again, with a hint of molasses and toasted malt. Pine/citrus hops at start and finish.

Mouthfeel: Nicely thick and quite smooth. Light carbonation, a little bit sticky on the teeth.

Overall / Drinkability: I'm struggling to call this one a winter warmer. It's more like a IPA in character. Enjoyable, but not quite hitting the style. One is enough.
Dec 30, 2023
Photo of MissouriMule
Reviewed by MissouriMule from Missouri

4.56/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours a hazy amber. The beer is probably a lighter shade than perceived because the pervasive sediment limits light passthrough. Head is modest and quickly gives way to a persistent ring. There is a fair amount of lacing.

The nose is sweet, almost cloying. Oddly, though, I am not sure how much of the aroma is malt and how much the Chinook hops.

Taste is the best part of the experience with this beer. There is a toffee sweetness to the malt. The hops translate some of that sweetness into a raisin flavor. The bitterness of the hops and the raisin quality they impart make this taste like a light barleywine. The mouthfeel is also on the lighter side.

All in all, this is a very nice winter warmer. Plus, the when you want a barleywine you can enjoy serially and still have room for Christmas cookies, this is your beer.
Dec 20, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by MattDecker from Texas

Dec 13, 2023
Photo of Danimal522
Reviewed by Danimal522 from Indiana

3.54/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A deep cloudy amber color with a brown head that lingers and leaves some nice lacing. Has a strong malty aroma with roasted pecans and a subtle sweetness like dried orange peel. Taste is similar but with the additional sweetness of currant and dark cherry undertones. There a slight bitterness on the finish that brings out the floral flavors in the hops. I don’t get the spiciness others have until I go in a second time but it’s limited at best. The mouthfeel is lighter than I anticipated and the beer is very easy to drink because of it. Warming thanks to the high alcohol content this is a decent beer that is worth trying if you can find it but could easily get lost in the Christmas ale seasonal space.
Nov 29, 2023
 
Rated: 3.54 by RalphStanley34 from French Polynesia

Nov 27, 2023
Photo of bbtkd
Reviewed by bbtkd from South Dakota

3.71/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Boulevard Nut Cracker Winter Warmer, 7.8% ABV. Pours dark brown with a 4+ finger tan head that left some lacing. Aroma is malty, nutty, with light fruit. Taste follows, plus spice, faint sweetness moderate bitterness, like a hoppy nut-brown ale. Decent mouthfeel, overall very good.
Nov 09, 2023
 
Rated: 3.74 by dd53grif from Michigan

Nov 08, 2023
Photo of Kiiz
Reviewed by Kiiz

3.64/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
A little peppermint would’ve taken this brewski to the next level. Instead, we’re left with a solid Christmas brew that has too much competition and is too hard to find (in the Midwest) to justify ever getting. It nicely combines a spicy (nutmeg) amber with a fruitier (cranberry) brew so if that’s your thing it’s for you but personally I’d rather drink a gulden draak after a Breckenridge and get the best of both worlds separately. Worth a try though.
Nov 08, 2023
 
Rated: 3.74 by TwilightBeerCareer from Illinois

Jul 14, 2023
 
Rated: 3.5 by Noelito76 from New York

Mar 20, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Lobina from Arizona

Feb 16, 2023
 
Rated: 3.47 by Cal4403 from Oklahoma

Jan 22, 2023
 
Rated: 3.78 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Jan 05, 2023
 
Rated: 3.5 by Dovers from Wisconsin

Dec 26, 2022
 
Rated: 4.01 by Tcsox from Massachusetts

Dec 25, 2022
 
Rated: 4.17 by Bogdawg from Massachusetts

Dec 25, 2022
Photo of hman43
Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Look: It pours copper with a brilliant clarity to it. The head is tan, fluffy, and has excellent head retention.

Smell: It has a toffee aroma with some molasses, citrus, and cherry. There is also a bit of spiciness to it.

Taste: It has toffee flavor with a strong spicy backbone and citrus notes. There is a bit of sweetness to it with very low cherry.

Feel: There is some nice alcohol warming. It has a medium body with a bittersweet aftertaste.

Overall, nice combination of flavors with a warming finish.
Dec 25, 2022
 
Rated: 3.75 by MonkeyPilates from Minnesota

Dec 20, 2022
Photo of DarkPassport
Reviewed by DarkPassport

4.41/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Boss amber with pronounced head that took a while to shrink. The foam lingered persistently on the inside of a clean tulip glass but didn’t write its own biography.

Aroma: Dark fruits being juiced very, very lightly into a drinkable beer. Use your imagination. When you smell this beer, you think, “These are memories I don’t cherish. But they are too good to forget.”

Taste: There is a bite which corresponds with its redheadedness. Is it sweet? Or is it sassy? Perhaps both. Little bit of caramel. Certainly doesn’t taste boozy. There is a light nuttiness (cashew?) which is in the background.

Feel: It’s light, but insistent! Dare I say it’s a refreshing winter beer? I know that is a term normally reserved for other seasons, but hey, it has a place (and Boulevard found it). The carbonation is perfectly strong.

Pairing: You don’t normally go for pumpkin pie. Or apple pie, for that matter. Which is why this beer is your friend. If someone is forcing a spiced fall or winter pastry onto your plate, make this beer your partner. It provides nothing but balance.
Dec 04, 2022
Nutcracker Ale from Boulevard Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 992 ratings