Boulevard Nutcracker Ale

Brewed by Boulevard Brewing Company
Style: English Strong Ale
Kansas City, Missouri USA

Another fine beer from Missouri’s most consistant brewery. Pours clear dark amber with a dense tan head. The aroma has toasty malts, light sweetness, spiciness and earthy hops. Medium body with a crispness and semi-sharp carbonation. Flavor starts with grainy heavily toasted malt with a nice dose of Chinook hops giving it an earthy feel. The finish focuses more on the hop aspect that turns a bit woodier and well as a cane sugar sweetness showing through. Nice winter warmer.

2007 Release in 12-oz bottle, dated 02.01.08. Dense brown, no head, sprucy aroma, light body, even dark malt flavor, slightly dry, dark malt flavor. 2006 Release in 12-ounce brown twist-off bottles dated "best before 02.01.07". A dense brown color with a lasting tan fine head. Malty aroma with a slight spicy note and floral hops. Full-bodied with an almost chewy character. Soft mouthfeel where the rich, slightly dry though carmely malty flavor is matched to just a hint of hop bitterness. Very filling but very well-balanced.

Pours a nice reddish brown color. Aromas of dark fruits, nut, hops, and a touch of wood. Flavor is smooth caramel malt, wood, and a nice hop.

Wonderful spicy aroma, some alcohol is present, but is very warming, this is kind of a nipper, or sipper whichever you prefer. Rich and slightly sweet malt background, but turn slightly spicy in the aftertaste, but still remains crisp and clean on the palate, is never sticky or overpowering. An enjoyable beer that I would like to try when its fresh.

(12 oz bottle: Obtained 06-May-06 in trade with Otter, thanks Jeremy!) 2005 release. Best by 01-Feb-06. I don’t know the alcohol content on this beer, but for some reason, each sip reminds me of alcohol -- the flavor, that is, not the warming effect. Must just be the moderately assertive piney hops play-acting. Otherwise, it’s malty, sweet, a bit of caramel and toffee, all of which is balanced by a moderate, lingering bitterness. The nose is caramely and malty, hoppy, and again, seemingly alcoholic. Medium-full bodied yet somewhat crisp, and the carbonation is about average. Amber-brown color is fairly hazy and the beige head settles to a wide ring surrounding a somewhat filmy layer. Enjoyable, despite the suggestion of alcohol.

Hazy light brown liquid with a medium head that dissipates quickly. Good spicy hop balanced caramel malt nose. Very sweet malt taste. Not much spice to my surprise. Slight alcohol taste to it. Slight hop taste to it. A medium bitterness in the palate with slight caramel malt.

It was brown in color with a nice frothy head. It was a well balanced beer with a nice smooth taste and a hint of hops.

12 oz bottle. Pours a beautiful honey color with a thick off white head. Smells like sweet maple syrup and grains. The taste is sweet and bitter at the same time, a good balance. This beer has a decent hoppy kick, and fairly active carbonation. Seasonal, so grab when possile.