Boulevard Smokestack Series - Chocolate Ale

Brewed by Boulevard Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Kansas City, Missouri USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tumbler

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(750ml bottle, courtesy of thirdeye11) Pours a lightly hazy orange with a spare off-white head. Aroma of chocolate protein powder, light roastiness, glazed donuts, and nuts. Flavor of caramel, chocolate, vanilla, frosting, and nuts.

750ml Bottle. Pours a rich mahogany with a red hue in the light. A cloudy, medium body with just the slightest amount of carbonation but a generous head of off white bubbles. The nose is delightful. The smooth texture of milk chocolate and vanilla are complimented by just the slightest aroma of hops and yeast. A light and fluffy mouth feel is emphasized by flavors of cinnamon and vanilla with a pleasant lingering finish that boasts oak and creamy milk chocolate. Excellent.

Bottle... Poured a vibrant golden with a white head. Sorta mind blowing what chocolate beers can be like. A lighter beer with a big, viscous chocolate presence. Lightly sweet, mild fruit, and nice yeast tones. Notes of sweet malts and toasted, burnt, candied sweetness.

Probably the least chocolatey of the chocolate beers, but in a good way. Only a medium essence of the cocoa shines through.

Strykzone with another awesome hookup. I ask and he delivers...in lightning speed! Pours a surprising brown color. Aroma of cocoa nibs, hershey bars, chocolate frozen yogurt. Flavor of chocolate, rich toffee...and more chocolate. What a cool ass beer. Thanks Dave. Now I want more! more I tell you!!

On tap at the Fort Worth Gingerman. Clear orange pour with a small white head. This beer is Nesquick.

Uh....I’m confused. Looks like pale ale, but feels and tastes COMPLETELY different. Absolutely blows my mind. And it’s amazing.

Bottle:   Dirty caramel, a bit like pond water with its cloudiness and sediment floating about, huge foamy off-white head, rather sticky lacing.   That is certainly one chocolate and cocoa infused nose.   It actually reminds me of Nestle Quik.   Not surprisingly, its rather like cocoa and chocolate on the tongue.   I don’t think I have had anything like this before.   Many beers advertise chocolate and cocoa, but this seems to trump them all.   As it warms I get a very minor shrub brush like tinge in the aroma.   Underlying beer seems like an very light Pale Ale without much hops, or an Amber without too much malt.   Body and mouthfeel are moderate to full.   The 9.1% ABV is there, warming, but well within check.   I am enjoying this more than I thought I would.   Very faint earth on the backside, otherwise loads of cocoa and chocolate with a bit of hazelnut mixed in.   I gotta hand it to them, they did a great job with this one me thinks!

Hmm. Not quite what I expected. Fruity cocoa nose with a surprising brownish-copper color. Flavors of sweet caramel and a strong, dry alcohol-laden cocoa taste. This would be better as an imperial stout or porter, but as is, it is just not rich enough. This makes the beer taste like fake chocolate ale.

An interesting premise here - use a much lighter base beer in order to showcase the character of the raw cocoa bean - in this respect, the beer is a major success - hazy amber - nose is dominated by cocoa, with some vanilla, earthiness, doughy/nutty malt, a bit of spicy alcohol - medium body, full but sof carbonation - reminds me just a tiny bit of what Fantome Chocolat pulls off flavor wise, only with alcohol adding the spice - starts off a little dry, peppery, toasty - gets a little nutty through the middle, as the cocoa comes on strong and dominates through the finish - sweetens up a little after the cocoa comes in, bringing some vanilla character and a bit of cherry flavor - quite a bit of alcohol on the tail end, but in this case it works, adding a spiciness to the lingering dark chocolate flavor - artisan chocolate plus beer equals win!