Boulevard 21st Anniversary Fresh Hop Pale Ale

Boulevard Brewing Company
Kansas City, MO

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Nice copper color. Hazy. Thick, cream-colored head, big bubbles linger nicely. REALLY opaque–you can't see through this stuff.

AROMA: 3/4
Lots of hop aroma–bready, citrusy, pineapple-y.

TASTE: 8.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Malty! Some flavor hop, but could stand more. (I realize, we always say that). Very smooth, nicely-balanced–not cloying.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Raisin, prune, sweetbread. Lasting hop bitterness. Dry, nutty finish–lasting grainy aftertaste.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Very sweet, like a sweet roll. Appropriate hop bitterness, could use more.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: Hazy for a pale, but we don't care. Another solid offering from our hometown brewery–money well-spent.

TOTAL: 16.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: I wish they would take the best parts of this and apply it to their lackluster pale. A big beer–a nice step up from a boring pale.
Ben: I like this a lot more than their regular pale. Hop it up a bit more and this could be a really good beer.