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

This bottle has a best by date in July of this year.

The hazy dark cherry wood colored beer pours out into a snifter glass with a 1” tan head that briefly leaves some patches of lacing on the sides of the glass as it soon recedes to a thin irregular island of foam that then disappears entirely, as do the initial patches of lacing. At first sipping creates scattered patches of lacing on the sides of the glass but well before midway through the beer there’s no lacing or foam left at all.

The aromas are rich, smooth and well integrated. They include some bourbon, some malt and some dark cherries. There’s also a good bit of vanilla and, in the background, there are some other dark fruits along with a light touch of oak.

The flavors are much as expected from the nose with the bourbon, some rich malt sweetness and some dark cherries up front along with some vanilla. In the background there are also other dark fruits (plums, prunes) and an almost hidden bit of oak. There’s no bitterness showing but there does seem to be a bit of very light grassy, earthy character.

The mouthfeel is on the full side of medium bodied and smooth with virtually no carbonation. The finish begins as the bourbon and the dark cherries start to recede, to be followed by the malt sweetness and the dark fruit. There’s a light tartness from the cherries that persists through to the semi-dry, slightly earthy ending that also still shows vanilla and some very light oak.

On the whole I am enjoying this beer and would be happy to have it again. The cherries make a nice contribution to the overall complex aroma/flavor profile created by the Quad and the Barrel aging. It’s a perfect beer for sipping by the fire side on a cold winter night.

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.

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.

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-