.jpg)
Very few breweries have swung as wide from one direction to the other. I remember sitting in a hotel bar and trying out my first Boulevard beer and wondering if the brewery would last a year. That beer was memorably bad. However, they have clawed their way back into my heart and hit some of the beers out of the park, so I'm all for trying their next attempt.
Well, I had debated in my head about which glass to pour this into, and I went with an ale glass. Turns out, that was the right choice. This is a very dark mahogany color, but it is not black like a stout might be. While it is very, very dark, it is also quite clear. This fact is only useful to me writing this review, and I'm not sure that it has any practical purpose. The tan head simmers down to a quarter of an inch on top of the beverage, and it's just going to sit there. It is unlikely I will be seeing any lacing, but I've been wrong before. The aroma is sweet wood and cherries. The smells very good, and I'm looking forward to a delicious beer.
First sip is sharp. The 8.2% ABV is not hiding in any way, and the wood is quite forward. The wood brings a dryness with it that seems to pervade the beer and detracts from the heft of the body of the beer. I really want to like this beer, but there's something that's fighting me. There's something that doesn't want me to enjoy the beerness of the beer. Instead, it's getting overwhelmed by the barrel, and I'm not sure that's benefiting the overall experience.
Tip in is syrup sweetness, wood, and significant alcohol. The middle is quite enjoyable with cherries and vanilla tossing themselves into the alcohol-filled wooden barrel with molasses and even toffee bringing sweetness. The finish becomes dry with bitterness taking over from the cherry and vanilla before the trail off of wood and alcohol.
Bottom Line: It's a serious beverage, and I think it's seriously pretty good.
3.75/5
