Boulevard Single-Wide IPA

We continue on our adventure of unobtainable in Ohio beers with this fine selection from Boulevard Brewing Co. We first experienced this when we were moving Phil out here in October (pre-making the blog), and we were intrigued enough to where we picked up a sampler 12-pack of their brews (6 selections, 2 bottles of each). Based out of Kansas City, Mo, Boulevard has been in business since 1989, back when they were one of roughly 100 breweries in the USA, first delivering in a pickup truck. They had a huge expansion in 2006, to 600,000 barrels a year capacity (still fitting in the then-classification of craft brewery, which at the time was 2 million barrels a year {as of Dec. 2010, the classification is 6 million barrels}).

This is 5.7% ABV and 57 IBUs using Zeus, Bravo, Cascade, Centennial, Simcoe, and Citra Hops; and Pale Malt, Amber 50, Malted Wheat, Munich, and Cara 50 Malts (all obtained from Boulevard's website).

With all that being said, let's get this into my mouth (that's what she said). This pours a golden orange color with decent amount of stark white head that fades quickly. The aroma is still tainted from not thoroughly rinsing out the pint glass from our Founders Rubaeus tasting. Huh. Okay, so with that being said, I'll have to use my nose to it's fullest to pull out the aroma without getting it muddled from the epic raspberry from said tasting. There are citrusy and piney/grass notes, with some hints of malt. The flavor is damn good. There is some caramel like tones blending with the earthy, piney, and citrus flavors of the hops. There's some hints of spice in there. Medium body with decent carbonation. Clean and crisp with a dry finish.

Damn, I wish we could get this in Ohio, unfortunately, the closest I can find is Indiana (which would be a hell of a trip for Three Floyds and Boulevard).

4.5/5 caps

-Nathan-

We fell in love with this beer last fall. It's a well-done IPA. I really wish that Boulevard distributed to Ohio, but alas, they don't. I pick up some grapefruit in the nose, along with a little pine, some caramel notes from the solid malt backbone. Nathan described it quite well, although wait, that unidentifiable note at the end of the Three Floyds Dreadnaught is there. Oh hell, I just figured it out. It's a lovely lychee flavor from the Citra hops. It's even a little more prominent here than in the Dreadnaught.

Damn. Now I kinda want to open my can of lychees in the cupboard and make a martini. Or just eat them straight out of the can. Either way, yumminess and happiness all at once. Lychees are probably my second favorite fruit. And I'm now wondering why the hell we haven't brewed an all-Citra IPA with lychees in it. You're welcome.

4.6/5 caps

-Jennie