Coffee Ale | Boulevard Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Boulevard Brewing Co.
Missouri, United States
boulevard.com
Style: American Strong Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 9.30%
Availability: Limited (brewed once)
Notes / Commercial Description:
Neighbors for nearly twenty years, Boulevard Brewing Company and The Roasterie share a passion for making extraordinary beverages. In Coffee Ale, our two celebrated brewing traditions come together in a long-awaited collaboration. Ethiopian Sidamo from Africa’s Great Rift Valley has been carefully blended with rye, oats, and malted barley, and spiced with Perle and Styrian Golding hops. The delightfully fragrant beer presents a glowing, tawny-amber hue. The clean, crisp acidity of the air-roasted coffee mingles with malt on the palate, lingering faintly in a subtly sweet finish.
26 IBU
Added by SavvyStudent on 03-21-2013
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
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Reviews: 100 | Ratings: 514
3.16/5 rDev -20.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Served in a Local Option cervoise.
If nothing else, it's at least nice to see a coffee-forward beer that doesn't have a stout at its base. This stuff pours a dark garnet-topaz topped by over a finger of wan off-gray foam. The nose is unsurprisingly dominated by coffee, though it's not just the sweet and roasty stuff you sniff whilst meandering through the right aisle at the supermarket, but rather a combination of that with some slightly soapy and briny veins. It's slightly off-putting, especially considering there's nothing buttressing or contrasting it. The taste begins with a decidedly bitter strain of coffee, followed by, in turn, light tobacco, mild caramel, light wheat, and then those strains of soapy and briny coffee. Shit, I never thought I'd write those words about coffees in beer when they're so much more at home in the world of Scotch, but, hey, when the words fit... The body is a straight medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Overall, there's just too much off coffee in this coffee ale for my tastes. It'd have been one thing if it was strong with the usual brew, but the soap and the brine just kinda ruined things a bit for me.
★ 1,186 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Served in a Local Option cervoise.
If nothing else, it's at least nice to see a coffee-forward beer that doesn't have a stout at its base. This stuff pours a dark garnet-topaz topped by over a finger of wan off-gray foam. The nose is unsurprisingly dominated by coffee, though it's not just the sweet and roasty stuff you sniff whilst meandering through the right aisle at the supermarket, but rather a combination of that with some slightly soapy and briny veins. It's slightly off-putting, especially considering there's nothing buttressing or contrasting it. The taste begins with a decidedly bitter strain of coffee, followed by, in turn, light tobacco, mild caramel, light wheat, and then those strains of soapy and briny coffee. Shit, I never thought I'd write those words about coffees in beer when they're so much more at home in the world of Scotch, but, hey, when the words fit... The body is a straight medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Overall, there's just too much off coffee in this coffee ale for my tastes. It'd have been one thing if it was strong with the usual brew, but the soap and the brine just kinda ruined things a bit for me.
★ 1,186 characters
3.27/5 rDev -17.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
Thanks to angrybabboon for sharing the bottle.
Appearance:Slightly hazed brick reddish brown. Starts with a massive tan head. Creamy with ok retention. Leaves a small cap and small bubbly collar. No lacing. Moderate carbonation.
Smell: Tons of coffee. Roasted beans with some fresh mildly acidic coffee base. Some cocoa and a mildly sweet malt base. Slightly roasted malts.as well. Cocoa and some chocolate. Coffee dominates. Roasted toffee, almost caramel corn type thing. Nice.
Taste: Some citrus laced coffee beans. Deeply roasted malts with even more fresh roasted coffee beans. Some mild acidic coffee as well. Bright and clean up front. Pushes chocolate and cocoa as well. Slight push of caramel malt along with some bready notes. Coffee everywhere.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with a slightly above average carbonation. A touch dry.
Overall: What should we call it...Coffee Ale. Brilliant.
It is exactly what it says. Nice fusion of coffee at all levels.
★ 968 characters
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
Thanks to angrybabboon for sharing the bottle.
Appearance:Slightly hazed brick reddish brown. Starts with a massive tan head. Creamy with ok retention. Leaves a small cap and small bubbly collar. No lacing. Moderate carbonation.
Smell: Tons of coffee. Roasted beans with some fresh mildly acidic coffee base. Some cocoa and a mildly sweet malt base. Slightly roasted malts.as well. Cocoa and some chocolate. Coffee dominates. Roasted toffee, almost caramel corn type thing. Nice.
Taste: Some citrus laced coffee beans. Deeply roasted malts with even more fresh roasted coffee beans. Some mild acidic coffee as well. Bright and clean up front. Pushes chocolate and cocoa as well. Slight push of caramel malt along with some bready notes. Coffee everywhere.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with a slightly above average carbonation. A touch dry.
Overall: What should we call it...Coffee Ale. Brilliant.
It is exactly what it says. Nice fusion of coffee at all levels.
★ 968 characters
3.36/5 rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Poured from the bottle into a large snifter glass.
Huge head. Massive. Very swiss cheese and foamy on appearance, but no matter how you slice it, it just comes up large and dominating. Ochre light brown, with lots of retention it will just not go away. Body is a nice muted reddish brown, kind of dull slightly. Opaque. Aggressive but way too much head, still waiting to smell and drink this thing.
Nose though is pretty solid, if a little muted. Muted coffee with some fruit like strawberry esters it seems. Some light cream and vanilla, just very downplayed though. Pretty solid though and also nicely balanced. A little bit of cola sweetness and flatness though.
Mouthfeel is a little wet, and just moderately carbonated in feel it seems, it's the first thing I notice and it's not the palate. The palate does come out with some light roast, more like a brown ale, and slightly toasty and nutty. Muted coffee but only on the swallow and hardly detectable. Nice fruity ester quality on the finish and some chewy character a bit.
Overall though I am just not feeling this one from a brewery that I really enjoy a good portion of their lineup from. It has very little coffee presence and just feels a little lifeless.
★ 1,221 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Poured from the bottle into a large snifter glass.
Huge head. Massive. Very swiss cheese and foamy on appearance, but no matter how you slice it, it just comes up large and dominating. Ochre light brown, with lots of retention it will just not go away. Body is a nice muted reddish brown, kind of dull slightly. Opaque. Aggressive but way too much head, still waiting to smell and drink this thing.
Nose though is pretty solid, if a little muted. Muted coffee with some fruit like strawberry esters it seems. Some light cream and vanilla, just very downplayed though. Pretty solid though and also nicely balanced. A little bit of cola sweetness and flatness though.
Mouthfeel is a little wet, and just moderately carbonated in feel it seems, it's the first thing I notice and it's not the palate. The palate does come out with some light roast, more like a brown ale, and slightly toasty and nutty. Muted coffee but only on the swallow and hardly detectable. Nice fruity ester quality on the finish and some chewy character a bit.
Overall though I am just not feeling this one from a brewery that I really enjoy a good portion of their lineup from. It has very little coffee presence and just feels a little lifeless.
★ 1,221 characters
3.38/5 rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
750 mL bottle poured into a snifter.
Appearance - Deep brown. Slight reddish tint. Big khaki head. Nice collar and retention.
Smell - All coffee. Maybe a bit of milk chocolate. Creamy smell, if that makes sense.
Taste - Coffee, slightly fruity flavor. Milk chocolate again and a slight spiciness.
Mouthfeel - High carbonation and a kick of booze. Medium body.
Overall - It's decent. Lots of coffee, but I'm not sure how much I really enjoy it.
★ 451 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
750 mL bottle poured into a snifter.
Appearance - Deep brown. Slight reddish tint. Big khaki head. Nice collar and retention.
Smell - All coffee. Maybe a bit of milk chocolate. Creamy smell, if that makes sense.
Taste - Coffee, slightly fruity flavor. Milk chocolate again and a slight spiciness.
Mouthfeel - High carbonation and a kick of booze. Medium body.
Overall - It's decent. Lots of coffee, but I'm not sure how much I really enjoy it.
★ 451 characters
3.43/5 rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Bottle poured into snifter at cellar temperature.
A: Pours a creamy brown with a 3 finger head. As it settles down, tons of little bubbles in the head, that cling to the sides of the glass and leaves some nice lacing on the glass.
S: Nice chocolate coffee aroma, though not over powering or super noticeable like some Imperial Stouts on the market. More subtle. Slight sweetness on the aroma and perhaps even some cinnamon.
T: I went in thinking this was a Stout, it is not. Much closer to a creamy porter. BA has it as a strong ale, I would disagree with that. It's a spiced porter brewed with coffee IMO. Creamy, slight coffee, esp on the after taste. Caramel is also present. Getting some fig ntoes which I think is odd.
M: Medium bodied, though over carbonated. This makes it a bit harsh to drink, which I'm trying to remove by agitating the beer through out the drinking. Nice coffee bitter finish.
O: This is a alright beer, though not what I expected. I was expecting a stout, it's a porter brewed with coffee. Mouthfeel is a bit thinner than I'd like, and got some fig notes which I didn't care for. Glad to have tried it, though its nothing special. Glad I only picked up one bottle.
★ 1,202 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Bottle poured into snifter at cellar temperature.
A: Pours a creamy brown with a 3 finger head. As it settles down, tons of little bubbles in the head, that cling to the sides of the glass and leaves some nice lacing on the glass.
S: Nice chocolate coffee aroma, though not over powering or super noticeable like some Imperial Stouts on the market. More subtle. Slight sweetness on the aroma and perhaps even some cinnamon.
T: I went in thinking this was a Stout, it is not. Much closer to a creamy porter. BA has it as a strong ale, I would disagree with that. It's a spiced porter brewed with coffee IMO. Creamy, slight coffee, esp on the after taste. Caramel is also present. Getting some fig ntoes which I think is odd.
M: Medium bodied, though over carbonated. This makes it a bit harsh to drink, which I'm trying to remove by agitating the beer through out the drinking. Nice coffee bitter finish.
O: This is a alright beer, though not what I expected. I was expecting a stout, it's a porter brewed with coffee. Mouthfeel is a bit thinner than I'd like, and got some fig notes which I didn't care for. Glad to have tried it, though its nothing special. Glad I only picked up one bottle.
★ 1,202 characters
3.47/5 rDev -12.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
On tap at Cottonwood in Houston
A: Pours a slightly hazed light brown/hazelnut color. A two finger white head forms that sticks around for a minute and eventually recedes. Not much lace is left behind.
S: Coffee grounds right up front and center. Coffee creamer, and lightly sweet in the nose. That is about it.
T: Again, big on the coffee and creamer. Maybe some toasted and sweet malt, though hard to tell. Pretty much everything is covered up by coffee grounds.
M/D: A medium body and a bit light on the carbonation. Silky smooth, but also a bit on the thin side for me. The alcohol is not very apparent, but with the huge coffee grounds character, this is more of a one and done for me.
Like everything from the Smokestack series, this is worth a try. Though not nearly as good as some of the other beers in series. More of a novelty, and something to try once for me.
★ 874 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
On tap at Cottonwood in Houston
A: Pours a slightly hazed light brown/hazelnut color. A two finger white head forms that sticks around for a minute and eventually recedes. Not much lace is left behind.
S: Coffee grounds right up front and center. Coffee creamer, and lightly sweet in the nose. That is about it.
T: Again, big on the coffee and creamer. Maybe some toasted and sweet malt, though hard to tell. Pretty much everything is covered up by coffee grounds.
M/D: A medium body and a bit light on the carbonation. Silky smooth, but also a bit on the thin side for me. The alcohol is not very apparent, but with the huge coffee grounds character, this is more of a one and done for me.
Like everything from the Smokestack series, this is worth a try. Though not nearly as good as some of the other beers in series. More of a novelty, and something to try once for me.
★ 874 characters
3.48/5 rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
P: Pours a dark brown with red tint and a massive crown of dense cappuccino froth.
S: Robust roasted coffee, mocha, resinous barley, chocolate malt balls, nutmeg, soy sauce and sweet booze.
T/M: Roasted coffee drizzled with amaretto syrup, smoldered wood, chocolate covered espresso beans, non dairy creamer and a big booze presence. Taste is rough and artificial. Moderate carbonation in a creamy body and dry spicy barley laced with creamer sweetness.
O: I love the smokestack series but this is the only one I've had that missed the mark. This tastes similar to an iced amaretto coffee with too much non dairy creamer. It's coffee forward for sure but wasn't a fan of the completed concoction.
★ 702 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
P: Pours a dark brown with red tint and a massive crown of dense cappuccino froth.
S: Robust roasted coffee, mocha, resinous barley, chocolate malt balls, nutmeg, soy sauce and sweet booze.
T/M: Roasted coffee drizzled with amaretto syrup, smoldered wood, chocolate covered espresso beans, non dairy creamer and a big booze presence. Taste is rough and artificial. Moderate carbonation in a creamy body and dry spicy barley laced with creamer sweetness.
O: I love the smokestack series but this is the only one I've had that missed the mark. This tastes similar to an iced amaretto coffee with too much non dairy creamer. It's coffee forward for sure but wasn't a fan of the completed concoction.
★ 702 characters
3.49/5 rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
9.3% ABV. 1 pint 9.4 fl oz brown glass bottle with hood and wire cap/cage over a cork acquired at a local SoCal beer store for $8.99 and served into a Mitchells of Lancaster flared stemtulip glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high; Boulevard is really growing on me. Smokestack Series. Brewed with rye, oats, malted barley, Perle hops, and Styrian Golding hops. Batch Number 2013-3. Best by 10/2013.
Served chilled and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.
A: Pours a two finger khaki colour head of fair cream, pretty decent thickness, and pretty good (~4+ minute) retention for the high ABV. Light even lacing as the head slowly recedes. Body colour is a dark amber-brown. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Glowing, but not vibrant. Nontransparent; opaque. It's in that indistinct strong ale zone all right; there's nothing telling about the appearance. I don't often see amber hued beers brewed with coffee, but I'm looking forward to trying it.
Sm: Lovely delightful coffee notes - including the rich roasty backbone I always look for in a good coffee stout or porter. No coffee bitterness, just lovely aromatic java. Some caramel and biscuit malt fill out the body nicely. I do pick up the oats - and to a lesser extent the rye - which adds just a touch of nearly imperceptible spice. Hops are floral and un-emphasized; they're here as preservatives and hopefully for a subtle hop flavour. Hints of espresso. Some light hazelnut coffee. Lightly earthy. Hints of unrefined brown sugar. A lovely aroma with a unique spin on the use of coffee; this isn't just another stout - it comes off like a brown ale with heavy wondrous coffee and a touch of oatmeal stout. Very inviting. No yeast character or alcohol is detectable.
T/Mf: Lovely coffee roast is great up front but gets a bit too earthy as it goes into the second act. Some hazelnut, caramel, and brown malts comprise the bulk of the body with sprinklings of light minimized floral hop character on the fringes. Some biscuit malt. Lightly creamy; I could use a bit more of that to suit the coffee. What I like about the coffee notes is their lack of perceptible bitterness - which is often a problem in coffee beers. The oats smooth it out somewhat but not too much; there's still a bit of coarseness to bring out the flavours and keep the coffee texture enjoyable. It's nicely thick - a good thickness for the high ABV, actually. Not too filling or overwhelming. Nice presence on the palate. Wet but short of refreshing. Pretty good depth of flavour; though the coffee is the only truly refined note it really fills out on the palate. I like the interplay between the subtle hazelnut and the dominant coffee, but I could use more complexity here. No yeast character or alcohol comes through. Balanced if overly simple. Well built.
Dr: Not an easy one to categorize. It's quite drinkable for the ABV, but I don't feel comfortable calling it a Strong Ale. Judging it as a "Coffee Ale" per Boulevard's descriptor, it's pretty good but far from great. The price point could be better. I might get it again on-draught, but it's not blowing me away. Still, it'll be rather easy to finish the whole bottle by meself. Well executed for its aims, Boulevard Coffee Ale is worth a try for those coffee stout fans who are in the mood for something a little more approachable and a bit less intricate.
High B-
★ 3,531 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
9.3% ABV. 1 pint 9.4 fl oz brown glass bottle with hood and wire cap/cage over a cork acquired at a local SoCal beer store for $8.99 and served into a Mitchells of Lancaster flared stemtulip glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high; Boulevard is really growing on me. Smokestack Series. Brewed with rye, oats, malted barley, Perle hops, and Styrian Golding hops. Batch Number 2013-3. Best by 10/2013.
Served chilled and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.
A: Pours a two finger khaki colour head of fair cream, pretty decent thickness, and pretty good (~4+ minute) retention for the high ABV. Light even lacing as the head slowly recedes. Body colour is a dark amber-brown. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Glowing, but not vibrant. Nontransparent; opaque. It's in that indistinct strong ale zone all right; there's nothing telling about the appearance. I don't often see amber hued beers brewed with coffee, but I'm looking forward to trying it.
Sm: Lovely delightful coffee notes - including the rich roasty backbone I always look for in a good coffee stout or porter. No coffee bitterness, just lovely aromatic java. Some caramel and biscuit malt fill out the body nicely. I do pick up the oats - and to a lesser extent the rye - which adds just a touch of nearly imperceptible spice. Hops are floral and un-emphasized; they're here as preservatives and hopefully for a subtle hop flavour. Hints of espresso. Some light hazelnut coffee. Lightly earthy. Hints of unrefined brown sugar. A lovely aroma with a unique spin on the use of coffee; this isn't just another stout - it comes off like a brown ale with heavy wondrous coffee and a touch of oatmeal stout. Very inviting. No yeast character or alcohol is detectable.
T/Mf: Lovely coffee roast is great up front but gets a bit too earthy as it goes into the second act. Some hazelnut, caramel, and brown malts comprise the bulk of the body with sprinklings of light minimized floral hop character on the fringes. Some biscuit malt. Lightly creamy; I could use a bit more of that to suit the coffee. What I like about the coffee notes is their lack of perceptible bitterness - which is often a problem in coffee beers. The oats smooth it out somewhat but not too much; there's still a bit of coarseness to bring out the flavours and keep the coffee texture enjoyable. It's nicely thick - a good thickness for the high ABV, actually. Not too filling or overwhelming. Nice presence on the palate. Wet but short of refreshing. Pretty good depth of flavour; though the coffee is the only truly refined note it really fills out on the palate. I like the interplay between the subtle hazelnut and the dominant coffee, but I could use more complexity here. No yeast character or alcohol comes through. Balanced if overly simple. Well built.
Dr: Not an easy one to categorize. It's quite drinkable for the ABV, but I don't feel comfortable calling it a Strong Ale. Judging it as a "Coffee Ale" per Boulevard's descriptor, it's pretty good but far from great. The price point could be better. I might get it again on-draught, but it's not blowing me away. Still, it'll be rather easy to finish the whole bottle by meself. Well executed for its aims, Boulevard Coffee Ale is worth a try for those coffee stout fans who are in the mood for something a little more approachable and a bit less intricate.
High B-
★ 3,531 characters
3.55/5 rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Bottle someone brought to share at drewone's tasting.
Batch 2013-3. Best before 10/2013.
Pours a hazy brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, coffee, and jalapeno-like aromas. Taste is much the same with cocoa and coffee flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the pepper smell I am getting from this one is odd.
★ 608 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Bottle someone brought to share at drewone's tasting.
Batch 2013-3. Best before 10/2013.
Pours a hazy brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, coffee, and jalapeno-like aromas. Taste is much the same with cocoa and coffee flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the pepper smell I am getting from this one is odd.
★ 608 characters
3.58/5 rDev -10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Reddish brown color with a massive head that was slow to settle. The head settles to a thick cap. Moderate amount of sticky lacing is left down the glass.
Coffee is not the strongest player in the aroma. Get a lot of malt aromas of caramel and cake batter. Then comes the coffee.
I find the flavor quite unusual for a coffee beer. Very sweet. It is like when you ask that coffee drinker, "You want some coffee with your sugar?" Cloying and distracting. There is some good coffee flavor to be found, but not enough. A little alcohol warmth in the finish.
Big body and nicely carbonated. Overall a good mouthfeel for a big beer.
Far too sweet for this drinker. More for those drinkers that put sugar in their cup of joe. Hard for me to drink. Boulevard claims subtly sweet, not in my opinion.
★ 794 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Reddish brown color with a massive head that was slow to settle. The head settles to a thick cap. Moderate amount of sticky lacing is left down the glass.
Coffee is not the strongest player in the aroma. Get a lot of malt aromas of caramel and cake batter. Then comes the coffee.
I find the flavor quite unusual for a coffee beer. Very sweet. It is like when you ask that coffee drinker, "You want some coffee with your sugar?" Cloying and distracting. There is some good coffee flavor to be found, but not enough. A little alcohol warmth in the finish.
Big body and nicely carbonated. Overall a good mouthfeel for a big beer.
Far too sweet for this drinker. More for those drinkers that put sugar in their cup of joe. Hard for me to drink. Boulevard claims subtly sweet, not in my opinion.
★ 794 characters
3.62/5 rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Consumed 9/14/13
Split with Goblinmunkey7
Appearance: Medium to dark brown, with some light brown around the edges - pours with a light tan head, big if poured aggressively, fades to a solid, creamy cap - leaves some nice streaks of lacing
Smell: Yup, that's coffee - iced coffee with some sweetness - the base kind of smells like a brown ale (or maybe this just reminds me of Surly Coffee Bender) - caramel, cooked malts, caramelized malts, and some crystal malts - lightly toasty, and definitely roasty - touch of alcohol
Taste: The vague "coffee strong ale" label is rather accurate - some nice, but not particularly exceptional, coffee flavor - nice coffee bean flavor, roasty and lightly burnt - caramel and brown ale malts - touch of molasses and malty sweetness - some brown bread toast - some dark fruit - alcohol is somewhat obvious, borderline unnecessarily obvious
Mouthfeel: Medium body, nicely smooth, finishes with some acidity, not unlike coffee
Overall: Coffee? Yes! Ale? Yes!
This is a tasty coffee beer. There are some nice coffee aromas and flavors here with a nice malt base. The alcohol is a bit more obvious that I would have expected, but whatever. I wasn't plan on drinking this for breakfast anyway.
★ 1,231 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Consumed 9/14/13
Split with Goblinmunkey7
Appearance: Medium to dark brown, with some light brown around the edges - pours with a light tan head, big if poured aggressively, fades to a solid, creamy cap - leaves some nice streaks of lacing
Smell: Yup, that's coffee - iced coffee with some sweetness - the base kind of smells like a brown ale (or maybe this just reminds me of Surly Coffee Bender) - caramel, cooked malts, caramelized malts, and some crystal malts - lightly toasty, and definitely roasty - touch of alcohol
Taste: The vague "coffee strong ale" label is rather accurate - some nice, but not particularly exceptional, coffee flavor - nice coffee bean flavor, roasty and lightly burnt - caramel and brown ale malts - touch of molasses and malty sweetness - some brown bread toast - some dark fruit - alcohol is somewhat obvious, borderline unnecessarily obvious
Mouthfeel: Medium body, nicely smooth, finishes with some acidity, not unlike coffee
Overall: Coffee? Yes! Ale? Yes!
This is a tasty coffee beer. There are some nice coffee aromas and flavors here with a nice malt base. The alcohol is a bit more obvious that I would have expected, but whatever. I wasn't plan on drinking this for breakfast anyway.
★ 1,231 characters
3.62/5 rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
750 mL pours a dark amber color with a huge cap of tan head. Retention and lace are both modest.
Nose is vegetal coffee beans, that is pretty much all. Big time coffee aroma without much else.
Its not a coffee stout, per se...more like a cup of joe with some beer on the side. Amber ale? Thats more likely. Maybe a bit too much coffee oriented for me...not bad though.
★ 370 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
750 mL pours a dark amber color with a huge cap of tan head. Retention and lace are both modest.
Nose is vegetal coffee beans, that is pretty much all. Big time coffee aroma without much else.
Its not a coffee stout, per se...more like a cup of joe with some beer on the side. Amber ale? Thats more likely. Maybe a bit too much coffee oriented for me...not bad though.
★ 370 characters
3.63/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
A: Murky mud brown. Not much carbonation to see, although even a smooth pour leads to a head that refuses to stop growing- it overflowed my glass twice now, even with sipping. I think I see some sediment at the bottom, which I never find appetizing. I'll focus on the comically large head instead.
S: Strong scent of semi-sweet coffee, some toasted malts in there too. A small platter of other dark smells, too- milk chocolate, hazelnut, a bit of smoke.
T: Lightly roasted coffee, some sweet cream, and dark malts. Even a bit of bitter hops contributing some resin flavors, which throws me a bit. Some alcohol in the burps. It's a coffee ale for sure, but the flavors just aren't harmonious. Finish is short.
M: Too fluid and too much carbonation for such heavy flavors. I like a thicker body for such strong dark flavors.
O: It provides the coffee, but winds up just not working very well. The flavors seem a bit thin and a bit disjointed, and the body definitely is. A noble attempt to mesh such wonderful drinks, but not a brew I'll consider again.
★ 1,055 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
A: Murky mud brown. Not much carbonation to see, although even a smooth pour leads to a head that refuses to stop growing- it overflowed my glass twice now, even with sipping. I think I see some sediment at the bottom, which I never find appetizing. I'll focus on the comically large head instead.
S: Strong scent of semi-sweet coffee, some toasted malts in there too. A small platter of other dark smells, too- milk chocolate, hazelnut, a bit of smoke.
T: Lightly roasted coffee, some sweet cream, and dark malts. Even a bit of bitter hops contributing some resin flavors, which throws me a bit. Some alcohol in the burps. It's a coffee ale for sure, but the flavors just aren't harmonious. Finish is short.
M: Too fluid and too much carbonation for such heavy flavors. I like a thicker body for such strong dark flavors.
O: It provides the coffee, but winds up just not working very well. The flavors seem a bit thin and a bit disjointed, and the body definitely is. A noble attempt to mesh such wonderful drinks, but not a brew I'll consider again.
★ 1,055 characters
3.63/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured into a pint glass. Pours a mahogany amber with considerable off-white fluffy head that takes a while to dissipate. Not much in the way of lacing. The nose presents prominent maltiness, bready sweetness, caramel malt, and present but not overpowering coffee. Lacking body and viscosity expected for a 9.3% ABV stout, the taste coincides with the nose; muted caramel intertwined with stringent maltiness and underwhelming coffee. I wasn't wildly impressed with the Smokestack Series as a whole, and while this isn't a bad beer, it definitely doesn't hold up to the more exalted coffee stouts.
★ 597 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured into a pint glass. Pours a mahogany amber with considerable off-white fluffy head that takes a while to dissipate. Not much in the way of lacing. The nose presents prominent maltiness, bready sweetness, caramel malt, and present but not overpowering coffee. Lacking body and viscosity expected for a 9.3% ABV stout, the taste coincides with the nose; muted caramel intertwined with stringent maltiness and underwhelming coffee. I wasn't wildly impressed with the Smokestack Series as a whole, and while this isn't a bad beer, it definitely doesn't hold up to the more exalted coffee stouts.
★ 597 characters
3.64/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Huge carbonation during pour. Chocolate brown in appearance. Coffee on the nose and nothing else. Velvety mouthfeel. Dark roasted coffee flavor, slightly alcoholic aftertaste. Similar to Founders Breakfast Stout, but not as intense in flavor and aroma. Very good.
★ 263 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Huge carbonation during pour. Chocolate brown in appearance. Coffee on the nose and nothing else. Velvety mouthfeel. Dark roasted coffee flavor, slightly alcoholic aftertaste. Similar to Founders Breakfast Stout, but not as intense in flavor and aroma. Very good.
★ 263 characters
3.64/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Very clear, dark copper body crowned with a thick, foamy head. Light coffee scent dominates the aroma with underlying tinges of roasted grains in the background. Toffee and coffee grounds are the immediate flavors with a slightly zesty hop bitterness coming through at the finish. Relatively light body; slightly fizzy; dry finish.
An interesting beer, especially for fans of coffee-themed beers. Malts and coffee notes dominate the flavor and aroma and pretty nicely balanced throughout. Those flavors do a really nice job of masking the alcohol level although you can pick up on its presence. A nicely done beer/coffee collaboration.
★ 636 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Very clear, dark copper body crowned with a thick, foamy head. Light coffee scent dominates the aroma with underlying tinges of roasted grains in the background. Toffee and coffee grounds are the immediate flavors with a slightly zesty hop bitterness coming through at the finish. Relatively light body; slightly fizzy; dry finish.
An interesting beer, especially for fans of coffee-themed beers. Malts and coffee notes dominate the flavor and aroma and pretty nicely balanced throughout. Those flavors do a really nice job of masking the alcohol level although you can pick up on its presence. A nicely done beer/coffee collaboration.
★ 636 characters
3.65/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
a - poured a one finger thick tan, creamy head into a snifter that left thick lacing and sheeting throughout. the body was a dark mahogany color.
s - strong roasted coffee and chocolate.
t - big coffee flavors with some chocolate sweetness to balance it out. a little boozy.
m - creamy but a little thin for the style.
o - good beer but my least favorite of the smokestacks. i was underwhelmed and was left feeling something was missing.
★ 437 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
a - poured a one finger thick tan, creamy head into a snifter that left thick lacing and sheeting throughout. the body was a dark mahogany color.
s - strong roasted coffee and chocolate.
t - big coffee flavors with some chocolate sweetness to balance it out. a little boozy.
m - creamy but a little thin for the style.
o - good beer but my least favorite of the smokestacks. i was underwhelmed and was left feeling something was missing.
★ 437 characters
3.68/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
From: Binny's, Bloomingdale, IL
Date: Bottled 03/2013, best by 10/2013
Glass: US pint glass
Ultimately, a good, but forgettable coffee with beer: who hasn't had a strongly coffee-forward malt beverage before, where the bean trumps the grain and flower in aroma and flavor? Boulevard shows technical competence here, but doesn't really produce something that's more than a one character beer, which is at once expected and disappointing at the same time. Then again, I suppose the name doesn't lie, either: this is a coffee ale, nothing else. If you like sweetened coffee, you'll enjoy this.
Pours a 1.5cm tall cap of foam, beige to tan in color, made up of small bubbles. Retention is excellent, lasting several minutes, fading gradually to a thin layer of foam atop the body. Lacing is modest, a few spots and lines scattered around the inside of the glass. The body is a dark mahogany-caramel color, with light bringing out brighter shades of brown to the transparent base. Carbonation is visible, fairly active and numerous.
Aroma is primarily of coffee, like smelling inside an empty can of coffee grounds. At times, there's a slight sensation of caramel or roasted malt, but this presence is fleeting and ghostly. Would you expect a coffee ale to smell differently? What is exceptional about this?
The flavor is, primarily, of sweetened coffee, in this case sweetened by residual sugars and yeast byproducts. Tasting open with moderate roast, slightly sweetened coffee, leading to a mid-palate of largely the same, tempered by dark caramel and lightly roasted barleys. Back of palate finds slight astringency from coffee, bitterness from coffee/malt/hops, and continued sweet coffee. Aftertaste is of lingering coffee. I don't detect any characters of the hops that were used to "spice" this beer, other than their bittering properties, nor does it seem possible to detect the variety of grains that went into the mash. I know the beer would be different without them, but it's difficult to imagine what the difference would taste like.
Beer is medium to medium-heavy in body, with carbonation of medium to medium-high intensity, resulting in a pleasantly foamy mouthfeel, perhaps a bit fizzy, yet with time smooth enough to glide across the palate rather effortlessly. No trace of ethanol burn in the nostrils or back of throat, surprising for a 9% ABV beer. Closes rather dry, but with heavy stickiness lingering on the palate.
★ 2,439 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
From: Binny's, Bloomingdale, IL
Date: Bottled 03/2013, best by 10/2013
Glass: US pint glass
Ultimately, a good, but forgettable coffee with beer: who hasn't had a strongly coffee-forward malt beverage before, where the bean trumps the grain and flower in aroma and flavor? Boulevard shows technical competence here, but doesn't really produce something that's more than a one character beer, which is at once expected and disappointing at the same time. Then again, I suppose the name doesn't lie, either: this is a coffee ale, nothing else. If you like sweetened coffee, you'll enjoy this.
Pours a 1.5cm tall cap of foam, beige to tan in color, made up of small bubbles. Retention is excellent, lasting several minutes, fading gradually to a thin layer of foam atop the body. Lacing is modest, a few spots and lines scattered around the inside of the glass. The body is a dark mahogany-caramel color, with light bringing out brighter shades of brown to the transparent base. Carbonation is visible, fairly active and numerous.
Aroma is primarily of coffee, like smelling inside an empty can of coffee grounds. At times, there's a slight sensation of caramel or roasted malt, but this presence is fleeting and ghostly. Would you expect a coffee ale to smell differently? What is exceptional about this?
The flavor is, primarily, of sweetened coffee, in this case sweetened by residual sugars and yeast byproducts. Tasting open with moderate roast, slightly sweetened coffee, leading to a mid-palate of largely the same, tempered by dark caramel and lightly roasted barleys. Back of palate finds slight astringency from coffee, bitterness from coffee/malt/hops, and continued sweet coffee. Aftertaste is of lingering coffee. I don't detect any characters of the hops that were used to "spice" this beer, other than their bittering properties, nor does it seem possible to detect the variety of grains that went into the mash. I know the beer would be different without them, but it's difficult to imagine what the difference would taste like.
Beer is medium to medium-heavy in body, with carbonation of medium to medium-high intensity, resulting in a pleasantly foamy mouthfeel, perhaps a bit fizzy, yet with time smooth enough to glide across the palate rather effortlessly. No trace of ethanol burn in the nostrils or back of throat, surprising for a 9% ABV beer. Closes rather dry, but with heavy stickiness lingering on the palate.
★ 2,439 characters
3.71/5 rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A: Pours a slightly murky brown with three fingers of khaki head that fades into a thin layer with a little lacing.
S: Sweet, creamy coffee dominates the nose with some cocoa and chocolate aromas as well. There are also notes of sweet cream and vanilla.
T: Similar to the aroma, sweet and creamy coffee is prominent with semi-sweet chocolate flavors underneath. There are notes of vanilla throughout and the finish is lightly roasted.
M: Medium-thick body with medium carbonation, this beer is well carbonated, though I would almost prefer a creamier body to go with the creamy coffee flavors.
O: A solid beer overall, though lacking a bit of depth and a bit on the sweet side for me. I love coffee beers, but I think coffee goes best with more bitter flavors like roasted malts, cacao, hops, etc. It needs something more to offset the sweetness.
★ 850 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A: Pours a slightly murky brown with three fingers of khaki head that fades into a thin layer with a little lacing.
S: Sweet, creamy coffee dominates the nose with some cocoa and chocolate aromas as well. There are also notes of sweet cream and vanilla.
T: Similar to the aroma, sweet and creamy coffee is prominent with semi-sweet chocolate flavors underneath. There are notes of vanilla throughout and the finish is lightly roasted.
M: Medium-thick body with medium carbonation, this beer is well carbonated, though I would almost prefer a creamier body to go with the creamy coffee flavors.
O: A solid beer overall, though lacking a bit of depth and a bit on the sweet side for me. I love coffee beers, but I think coffee goes best with more bitter flavors like roasted malts, cacao, hops, etc. It needs something more to offset the sweetness.
★ 850 characters
3.72/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I enjoy it when breweries collaborate with other local businesses, even if the final result ends up like that Rogue-Voodoo Doughnut creation. Good to see Boulevard teaming up with Kansas City’s own Roasterie coffee shop for this one.
Brewed just two months before the date of this tasting, in April, with a best-before date of October 2013.
A: If the cork and cage doesn’t remind you enough of champagne, the foam will – a mountain of effervescent fizz appears from just a gentle pour, subsequently popping and sizzling as it makes it way down from a full five inches to a solid inch of creamy retention. Tawny amber body, hazy and thick.
S: Aromas of sweet vanilla icing and caramel combine with peat, hickory smoke, and burnt toast to create a scent of complex, aromatic coffee quality. Apart from that, there’s a biscuity malt tone, with hints of cinnamon-sugar and dark chocolate scattered throughout. Finishes with a metallic tinge reminiscent of a more acrid cup of coffee.
T: Coffee seems to always add an acidic component to beer, and this is no different; first tastes dry out the palate with a leafy hop and spent coffee ground taste. Together, it’s an astringent initial flavor that reminds me of Coca-Cola’s aftertaste: brightly acidic and kind of artificial. Fortunately, the palate is saved by a balancing flavor of bitter smoke, dark chocolate, walnut, and rye bread, tastes that elevate this beer past a lackluster coffee character. The chewy, well-made porter flavor beneath everything else is what turns it into something worth remembering. The finish is a sesame seed and espresso after-effect, oily and a little burnt. Be warned, though – the acidic character sticks with you like lemon juice.
M: Full-bodied is the operative word here; instead of drinking like a bubbly coffee beer, this one drinks like a thick porter bordering on stout territory (which, in essence, is what it is). Milky texture with a subtle, silky carbonation.
O: This is a prime example of a pretty counterproductive union. Sometimes good+good=great, but sometimes good+good=just alright because the two collaborators don’t blend very well. In this beer, there’s something off, but the final product ends up fulfilling and drinkable; it ends up as a modest attempt at a coffee-porter union, but overall, nothing special.
★ 2,337 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I enjoy it when breweries collaborate with other local businesses, even if the final result ends up like that Rogue-Voodoo Doughnut creation. Good to see Boulevard teaming up with Kansas City’s own Roasterie coffee shop for this one.
Brewed just two months before the date of this tasting, in April, with a best-before date of October 2013.
A: If the cork and cage doesn’t remind you enough of champagne, the foam will – a mountain of effervescent fizz appears from just a gentle pour, subsequently popping and sizzling as it makes it way down from a full five inches to a solid inch of creamy retention. Tawny amber body, hazy and thick.
S: Aromas of sweet vanilla icing and caramel combine with peat, hickory smoke, and burnt toast to create a scent of complex, aromatic coffee quality. Apart from that, there’s a biscuity malt tone, with hints of cinnamon-sugar and dark chocolate scattered throughout. Finishes with a metallic tinge reminiscent of a more acrid cup of coffee.
T: Coffee seems to always add an acidic component to beer, and this is no different; first tastes dry out the palate with a leafy hop and spent coffee ground taste. Together, it’s an astringent initial flavor that reminds me of Coca-Cola’s aftertaste: brightly acidic and kind of artificial. Fortunately, the palate is saved by a balancing flavor of bitter smoke, dark chocolate, walnut, and rye bread, tastes that elevate this beer past a lackluster coffee character. The chewy, well-made porter flavor beneath everything else is what turns it into something worth remembering. The finish is a sesame seed and espresso after-effect, oily and a little burnt. Be warned, though – the acidic character sticks with you like lemon juice.
M: Full-bodied is the operative word here; instead of drinking like a bubbly coffee beer, this one drinks like a thick porter bordering on stout territory (which, in essence, is what it is). Milky texture with a subtle, silky carbonation.
O: This is a prime example of a pretty counterproductive union. Sometimes good+good=great, but sometimes good+good=just alright because the two collaborators don’t blend very well. In this beer, there’s something off, but the final product ends up fulfilling and drinkable; it ends up as a modest attempt at a coffee-porter union, but overall, nothing special.
★ 2,337 characters
3.72/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
750ml served in a snifter
2013-4-10-2013
A - Dark brown with orange/red highlights. 2 fingers of fizzy tan head vanishes, leaving no trace behind.
S - Powerful nose of roasted coffee grinds and brown bread, spicy rye, amaretto, spicy hops, grain husk, alcohol brings notions of hazelnuts.
T - Cold coffee melded with heavy dose of bakers chocolate, roasted grains, toasted rye bread, tobacco, spicy hops show up mid palate along with amaretto, and some nuttiness. There's a tangyness toward the finish, alcohol sneaks in on the finish.
M - Light side of medium smooth carbonation, light to medium feel, thins out as it sets.
It's nice to see coffee in something other than a stout. Plenty of coffee with a spicy chocolate/rye backdrop. The alcohol pushes in a little but is expected. I don't see this aging very well.
★ 822 characters
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
750ml served in a snifter
2013-4-10-2013
A - Dark brown with orange/red highlights. 2 fingers of fizzy tan head vanishes, leaving no trace behind.
S - Powerful nose of roasted coffee grinds and brown bread, spicy rye, amaretto, spicy hops, grain husk, alcohol brings notions of hazelnuts.
T - Cold coffee melded with heavy dose of bakers chocolate, roasted grains, toasted rye bread, tobacco, spicy hops show up mid palate along with amaretto, and some nuttiness. There's a tangyness toward the finish, alcohol sneaks in on the finish.
M - Light side of medium smooth carbonation, light to medium feel, thins out as it sets.
It's nice to see coffee in something other than a stout. Plenty of coffee with a spicy chocolate/rye backdrop. The alcohol pushes in a little but is expected. I don't see this aging very well.
★ 822 characters
3.73/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
750 ml bottle, batch 2013-3, best by 10-2013. Pours copper amber with a huge pillowy light tan head that retains well and laces the glass.
The aroma is strong roast coffee with some sweet lactic chocolate.
The flavor is some sweet malt with a lot of roast coffee and some acidic bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with smooth carbonation.
Overall, pretty one-dimensional, but a nice coffee beer.
★ 428 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
750 ml bottle, batch 2013-3, best by 10-2013. Pours copper amber with a huge pillowy light tan head that retains well and laces the glass.
The aroma is strong roast coffee with some sweet lactic chocolate.
The flavor is some sweet malt with a lot of roast coffee and some acidic bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with smooth carbonation.
Overall, pretty one-dimensional, but a nice coffee beer.
★ 428 characters
3.73/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Solid brew here from Boulevard. Not quite what I was expecting, but it certainly hits the mark.
A lighter version of the coffee stout or coffee porter, this coffee ale has a lovely brown color when poured with a tight 2 finger head. Smells of coffee first and foremost, with hints of hops, some biscuity/toasty notes, and caramel.
Taste follows the nose, with the pronounced coffee and a surprisingly bracing and bitter finish. I like how this finishes as I think it pairs with the coffee nicely.
Mouthfeel was solid, great carbonation for the style.
Overall a well done coffee ale.
★ 586 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Solid brew here from Boulevard. Not quite what I was expecting, but it certainly hits the mark.
A lighter version of the coffee stout or coffee porter, this coffee ale has a lovely brown color when poured with a tight 2 finger head. Smells of coffee first and foremost, with hints of hops, some biscuity/toasty notes, and caramel.
Taste follows the nose, with the pronounced coffee and a surprisingly bracing and bitter finish. I like how this finishes as I think it pairs with the coffee nicely.
Mouthfeel was solid, great carbonation for the style.
Overall a well done coffee ale.
★ 586 characters
3.73/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Coffee Ale was poured into a sampler, appearing a brownish black color with a slight mocha head topping off the glass. By the aroma, it was quite apparent that this was a coffee beer. Most closely, it smelled like used coffee grounds. I make this comparison in a positive manner. In the initial taste, one notes coffee that is sweeter toward the front. Toward the finish, the coffee grows a little more tart. There is a certainly level of creaminess, but it will not overwhelm anybody without keen attention to detail. The mouthfeel would certainly suggest this to be a bubbly ale, as it is fairly thin. This is not my favorite coffee ale, but a good one.
★ 655 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Coffee Ale was poured into a sampler, appearing a brownish black color with a slight mocha head topping off the glass. By the aroma, it was quite apparent that this was a coffee beer. Most closely, it smelled like used coffee grounds. I make this comparison in a positive manner. In the initial taste, one notes coffee that is sweeter toward the front. Toward the finish, the coffee grows a little more tart. There is a certainly level of creaminess, but it will not overwhelm anybody without keen attention to detail. The mouthfeel would certainly suggest this to be a bubbly ale, as it is fairly thin. This is not my favorite coffee ale, but a good one.
★ 655 characters
Coffee Ale from Boulevard Brewing Co.
3.98
out of 5
based on 514 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.75
A bombastic hazelnutty foamy head on top of a folgers colored brew, nice clarity. Where's the lacing, Mr. Coffee?
EEkk. Tons of hazelnut, not my favorite. Caramel, toffee, milky, peppery,.
Light, airy, no bite, heavy carbonation with lots of milky hazelnut. Slight sweet funkyness goes unappreciated by me. Spicy, peppery, chocolate, toffee, messy. A miss.
This beer is a mess and is only considered a "coffee" brew due to it's over indulgence of hazelnut... After a slew of bad brews from Boulevard recently, they need to pull it together. Rye on rye is the only reason I bought this brew. Can't recommend.
★ 610 characters