Bourbon Barrel Quad Barrel-Aged Ale (BBQ)
Boulevard Brewing Co.

Warmed to the mid-50s, this pours a somewhat murky brown with a small, coarse head that dissipates quickly, leaving little to no retention on the rim. The nose is pleasant, offering dark fruit, light spice, and a restrained barrel presence. The initial visual impression is slightly off-putting, as I expect a Belgian quad to maintain at least some lacing or ring. That said, the flavor quickly redeems it. The palate delivers a classic quad backbone—apricot, plum, fig, and a touch of orange peel—layered with a well-balanced barrel character that never overwhelms. Mouthfeel is solid, with moderate carbonation supporting the weight of the beer. The high ABV makes itself known, lending a slightly breathless warmth. It’s likely that both the elevated alcohol and barrel aging contribute to the lack of head retention. Despite that shortcoming, this is a flavorful and satisfying beer, finishing with a subtle bittersweet citrus note. A well-crafted high-gravity offering.

Delicious beer. One of my very few 5 star beers.

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle marked enjoy by 9-2-28 into a snifter at 53.8 degrees F.

Appearance- Amber-brown, translucent, tan sudsy head, slightly above average head retention, above average lacing.

Aroma- Cherry, oak, toffee, bourbon, vanilla, medium strength of scent.

Flavor- Cherry, oak, toffee, vanilla, nutmeg, biscuit, slight bourbon, moderately sweet, medium strength of flavor.

Mouthfeel- Between thin and medium body, average carbonation, moderately creamy, moderately sweet, mildly bitter, moderately mouth warming, mildly mouth coating, moderately dry finish.

Overall- Amber-brown and translucent with slightly above average head retention and above average lacing. The bouquet was a mix of cherry, oak, toffee, bourbon and vanilla with a medium strength. The nose was a slightly more complex mix of the same flavors with the addition of biscuit and nutmeg, but the added complexity resulted in a less enjoyable flavor profile. The mouthfeel consisted of between thin and medium body with moderate sweetness and creaminess. The finish was slightly drier than desired. Overall, this was a solid beer that delivered a complex and interesting drinking experience. The barrel characteristics were lower than expected. This beer is a blend of multiple batches aged for different time periods, but it would have benefited from more overall time in the barrel.

My bad for not drinking this fresh; or maybe I’m destined never to have a good beer from Boulevard.
Bottled in late ‘22 and I opened it in mid February 2026.
The pour started promising; I had hopes that this would be better than most of my Boulevard beers. Sadly, the dregs were prominent and when backlit, horribly obvious. The light brown head was short but lived on in suspiciously island like clumps.
The taste was much more apple juice than the complex combination of dark fruits that I expected. Not even the banana or cloves.
The feel is light, if I thought it was a good beer I’d have gulped it down.
OA, other people obviously think this is quite good, apparently they drank it fresh.
Oh well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RB transfer

 

 

 

The pour is mahogany colored. On the taste, I'm getting brown bread, bourbon barrel, caramel, fig, vanilla, cherry flavored pipe tobacco. Moreover, the 12% abv drinks more like a 9% abv beer. Cheers! A-

 

 

Appearance: Pours a clear, dark bronzed to dark brown color with a slight reddish hue. A large off-white head. SRM of 20. (4.00)

Aroma: Strong aromas of sweet caramel, bread, bourbon with some sweet dark fruits. Hints of vanilla and hazelnut. (4.00)

Flavor: Strong flavors of rich bread, brown bread and sugar, caramel upfront. Then some bourbon and sweet dark fruit in the middle. Sweet cherry, dark citrus, berries, plums and caramel off the end. (4.25)

Feel: Medium to heavier bodied, appropriate carbonation. Some booze warmth and sweetness linger. (4.00)

Overall: First try at this. Surprised I hadn't tried it until today. This is their BBA Quad so expected some interesting and complex flavors. Pours nicely. Aromas are there, but a little bourbon forward. Improves on the flavor with more of the same aromas, but a sweet dark fruit presence to balance some of the bourbon heat. Finishes sweet and fruity, complex. The complex flavors make this beer. It overall holds the bourbon nicely. It would be interesting to see the difference if this were not a BBA beer. Either way, for a Belgian Quad, this is outstanding. (Rating: 4.15)