Boulevard Nutcracker Ale

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

Dark amber pour into my pub glass yielded a full cream colored head that did not dissolve quickly. Doesn’t have much smell to speak of. It hits the same notes as many other amber ales with a hint of bitterness in the back of the mouth as you swallow. No overt notes jump out at you, a hint of orange peel, most of the flavors meld together and the alcohol flavor is noticable amidst the barley and wheat. Don’t pay extra for this beer but its a good, medium bodied ale good for about three per session before it becomes wearing.

2009 Bottle - Pours a clear vibrant orange with a large off white head...aroma is spicy, creamy malt and orange, almost like an Orange Julius, floral hops...flavour is citrus malt, grassy, pine resin and wild honey...very tasty

Bottle... Poured orangish/amber with a thin, khaki head. Strong, malty aroma. Mild palate with a moderate carbonation. Very malt driven with an earthy hop balance. Lightly spiced and also with light esters. Grainy, herbal, vegetable-like finish.

Citrus and sweet peach syrup nose, some hints of warm brown sugar. Deep amber color, lots of chill haze, medium soapy head. Cola sweetness, fruit aromas really come through the back of the palate, proper bitterness for balance, maybe a little tartness? Medium carbonation, full body, syrupy mouth feel, finish is a burst of candied fruit. Tasty beer, even though this might make it sound heavy, the fruit/citrus characteristics really make this easy to drink and approachable.

12 oz. bottle purchased at QFC in Mukilteo, WA. Pours a cloudy amber color with an off-white head. Aroma: Sweet malt, hops, and dried fruit. Flavor: Dried fruit, molasses, and a hint of spice.

Draught, Poured medium brown with medium white head. Sprucey aroma, with some citrus. Medium flavour, with caramel, nutty and a few hoppy notes. Medium finish.

Nice, fresh 2009 bottle pours a deep coppery red with a thin and dissipating off-white head that leaves just tiny spots on the glass. Smells a bit peachy, but with a strong overtone of citrusy hops. A bit of yeast appears in the nose and in the taste, but the flavor is a showcase for the "spicy" (only moderately bitter) Chinook hops. Slightly creamy mouthfeel with a drying finish. A friend of mine helped to wet hop this batch, so it has a cool personal touch. On the downside, it’s just a tasty beer, nothing that screams "EXCEPTIONAL!" despite doing all of the little things right.

The pour is a translucent, rusty, deep amber color with an average, pillowy, beige head which is mostly diminishing and leaves minimal lace rings. Nose is surprisingly fruity with some apricot and nectarine, spices of ginger and cinnamon, light biscuity notes, and hints of some earthy hops. Flavor is more true with some hints at similar fruits but more rich malt tones; light notes of molasses, some toasted caramel, spicy/citrusy/woodsy hops, and some faint notes of similar spices. Palate is nearly medium, lively, thin but also a bit syrupy. Finishes with the spicy/woodsy hops dominating with a more than moderate bitterness, the malts disappearing, and lingering pepper and cinnamon. The fruity notes threw me a bit and the malt richness was lacking. Everything was just adequate in the beer, nothing great, nothing offputting. One of my least favorite winter warmers but not a bad beer. This brewery has much better small batch beer than their six-pack line-up.