Maple Mood
Boulevard Brewing Co.

 

 

Poured from 12-ounce bottle into a snifter. Black body, with a reddish-tinged tan head that settled to a thin ring. Notes of blackstrap molasses and maple syrup, with overtones of black cherry and licorice. Syrupy and sweet, with quite a bit of barrel astringency. Great dessert beer in small doses.

I had this beer on a cold, rainy, mid-December day. It was the perfect warmer for the dismal day. It is a thick, oil-like, black liquid. A brown head quickly fades. The aroma has a woody, bourbon quality along with maple scents. The alcohol comes out in the aroma as well. You almost get the warmth from the smell. The taste is thick, sweet, and intense. Maple, roasted notes, wood, and a little smokiness. Complex and engaging, although I thought that the sweetness was a little too much.

Black in color with no light penetration. There’s a fingernail of brown around the rim. The aroma is of sweet maple syrup and barley. I’m tasting plenty of sweetness maple syrup and dark roasted barley. The mouth is thick and chewy.

Talk about booze-forward...

If I can summarize this beer it's its booze-forward facing face. It stings your nose, it smacks your tongue, and it bruises your brain. I have to say, it's decent but maybe not the best barrel-aged brew out there. Yet, it was tasty...

December 2023. Des Plaines. A little thick and a little sweet it was good but I probably wouldn’t buy it again. There are better selections out there but I do love Boulevard brewing.

 

Excellent barrel aged imperial desert stout. The maple/bourbon combination is perfect and complimentary to one another. I'm not a big fan of bourbon/whiskey barrel aged beers. But this is one of the few exceptions. Get it while you can. I would suggest aging/cellaring a few.

 

 

 

 

Not very good at reviewing bourbon barrel aged beers and in fact, this is the first one I've had where I was able to get past the bourbon to find any other flavors at all. Besides, of course, bourbon, I was able to pick up notes of chocolate and maple after the beer warmed up. I did get some maple on the nose along with bourbon. Mouthfeel was slick.

Aroma is soaked with bourbon-soaked maple goodness. Flavor is a stout classic, with chocolatey maple goodness with a bit of bourbon caramel on the back-end. Nothing to complain about at all!

 

Best by 10/13/24

It’s been a minute since I’ve had anything from Boulevard. I’m not sure why that is, but I’m always happy to try the new beers they release. And if you know me, you know I’m a sucker for maple in a Stout, so this sounds perfect for this chilly night. Let’s crack it open

Pours a very dark brown with 2 fingers of tightly packed dark tan head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

It’s not super maple-forward in the nose and it leans a bit sweet, but I still dig it. I’m picking up on aromas of burnt sugar, caramel, smooth oak, milk chocolate, vanilla, black cherry, and a touch of maple

It’s unfortunately even sweeter in taste, and still really not much maple to be found. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting milk chocolate, smooth oak, black cherry, vanilla, maple syrup, molasses, light brown sugar, and caramel. The swallow brings notes of burnt caramel, sweet bourbon, vanilla frosting, milk chocolate, molasses, toasted oak, and light maple

A medium full body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a sticky and slightly boozy beer. Finishes a tad sticky and overly sweet

While it is too sweet, I can’t say I hate it. Probably one of my least favorite Boulevard beers so far unfortunately. Oh well

 

L: Pours a dark chocolate brew that slowly forms a dark caramel head that fades slowly. Tons of lacing and a nice foamy khaki retention on top. Held to the light, this beer has a fudge complexion, a near-black hue.

S: Bourbon barrels, roasted malts, some burnt sugar or molasses. Boozy. Some dark fruits towards the finish. Aromas become better with time...

T: Terrific flavors. Dark fruits (plums, raisins. cherries), bourbon, oak, vanilla, and toffee. Some roasted malts and a smattering of dark chocolate. Not really tasting any maple syrup, but it's certainly sweet and has a decadent flavor profile. Strong work once again by Boulevard.

F: Full-bodied. Syrup-like feel that coats the mouth and lingers well. Thick and complex.

O: This is a great BBA imperial stout which is sweet without being cloying. ABV is well hidden. Great flavors, no real weaknesses. Only wish is that Boulevard made this a year-round beer.