Boulevard Saison

Formerly brewed at Boulevard Brewing Company
Style: Saison
Kansas City, Missouri USA

Serve in Tulip

Bottle 75 cl. Pours yellow with a slight haze and a lacing white head. Spicy, yeasty nose. Medium body, very dry and citrusy with quite some hops - a little fruity sweetness, Dryish and slightly astringent finish. 270310

aroma is bone dry yeast and hint of citrus/funk. appearance is super hazy with creamy foofy head perched atop lemon hard candy body. flavor is big yeast with hint of citrus hops. mouthfeel is creamy yet a touch grainy, much to my delight. world class.

cork came off like a bullet.. . lemon, light blanket, earthy aromas .. . nicely balanced .. . light and fluffy .. . big head .. a great brew .. . wow, faust you did good picking this up .. . womens soccer, whats the point...

Pours a hazy, dark golden ripe banana/yellowish orange color with golden yellow hints when held to a light source and a two finger frothy white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Sporadic chunks of soapy lacing are left behind. Slightly earthy aroma with lots of peppery spice and crisp light fruit. There’s also some bready yeast in the nose with hints of apple, banana and pear. There’s also a slight tart character in the nose. Spicy medium body that is fuller than I expected with lots of peppery spice and clove up front that linger over the slightly creamy body into a very dry finish. Slightly tart and earthy with hints of bready yeast and light fruit, specifically apple, pear and banana. Well balanced and the fruit/bread flavors become more prominent as it warms providing some sweetness. Subtle floral and alcohol presence but the ABV, although not very high, is well masked making it pretty quaffable.

I took that picture for this beer, that was the first time I tried the Saison, a tasting where notalush (Brandon) provided the bottle. I have had this beer a few more times since moving to Kansas. Now it wont be made again, so its time to finally rate this beer. Bottle is stamped S8060, so it was bottled on the 60th day of 2008, so bottled on February 29, 2008, making it just about 2 years old. I think the was the second release of this beer. This was the 4th of the original Smokestack releases (and the best as far as I’m concerned). I think this beer embodies all that makes Boulevard a terrific regional/craft brewer. The cork comes off just right, does not give too much and needs just a little bit of strength. I believe Boulevard filters and then reseeds the bottles, this allows for a wonderful pour. The beer is slightly hazy with a muted golden color. This allows for a wonderful looking beer that has life in its color without murkiness, dirtiness and yet not a sterile, lifeless appearance. Can still see the carbonation bubbles shooting up towards the surface. The head that forms in my glass is not large but it never goes away. Probably the product of the hoping and wheat used in the brew. The aroma is strong with spicy dough and the a sweet yeasty dough. The Belgian-yeast-sweet aspect is central here. The yeast spice is very peppery in this beer. The flavor is a honey-malt centric. The hops seemed to have faded from this beer by now. The yeast dough is present as well. The yeast spice really comes out at the end of the flavor. Its a rather sweet Saison, not sweetness from residual sugars but a sweet presence from the malts combined with a great thicker yet soft body. The body is present but not heavy, leaves its presence on the palate. I am sad to see this go but life moves on. I think the stronger honey character is coming out from the age. Otherwise, there are not other negative signs. There is a light lemony character running throughout the beer, easing the sweeter aspects of the beer. The new Saison that will take over (Tank 7) is definitely more easy for more people to like (hoppy). I think this beer is simple yet right on the money. Definitely carefully structured, not haphazardly thrown together and aging well. The beer gets thicker and thicker as I keep pouring it. This is also my favorite label from the Smokestack Series. Unfortunately, this is the least alcoholic Smokestack and seemingly this is the cause for its poor sales.
750mL cork&wire, Darkness tulip/snifter glass.

Bottle. Tasted this side-by-side with the Saison Brett. poured a slightly hazy pale yellow color. The head was pillowy and white with good retention and lacing. Good looking beer. Pleasant aroma that included the likes of vanilla, baking spices, subdued banana, and light apricot. There was also a whiff of lemon. In contrast, the brett version was much fruitier with lots of tropical aromas. Light to medium bodied and dryish with a hint of bitterness. The mouth feel was a bit chalky and carbonation was moderate. Fruit and spice flavors predominated, but were subdued. Apricot, vanilla, ginger, pale malt. Very nice beer.

75 cL bottle. Pours hazy yellow with a small white head. Aroma is dry and citrusy. Sweet and fruity, towards a light phenolic note. Smooth fruity and light dry malty. Crisp citrusy finish.

Caged cork bottle. Pour is dirty gold- typical looking saison. Aroma is earthy, light hay, grassy, light malt, and lightly floral. Flavor is crisp and lightly spicy with notes of hay, grass, and a light bready component. Solid and refreshing.