Boulevard Chocolate Ale

Boulevard Brewing Company
Kansas City, MO

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Thick, cream/almond rocky head. Orange-brown, hazy. Mysterious! Yet, we expected a darker brew.

AROMA: 3.5/4
Chocolate nose, not sharp or overwhelming. Malty sweetness, caramel, slight nuttiness. Dark chocolate (maybe baker's chocolate?), cocoa. Smells nice, like a box of chocolates.

TASTE: 7.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Earthy, malty. Sweet up front. Definite chocolate, vanilla notes. No hop flavor to speak of, alcohol is nicely masked.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Chocolate notes. Coffee, hop bitterness at finish. Chocolate lasts and lasts, some alcohol at the close.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Starts out sweet, finishes quite dry. Lightly carbonated.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: Good, does its job well–it's a beer first, a chocolate beer second. It's like chasing a bite of dark chocolate with a swig of a decent ale.

TOTAL: 15.5/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Improves quite a bit as it warms, so don't drink it too cold. Intriguing, nicely done for what it is. If you aren't a local, it's difficult to communicate the hype that sprang up around this beer–it was almost impossible to get, for some. Does it live up to that hype? Sadly, no, not quite.
Ben: Different. Definitely chocolatey–this would be better as a stout. Once-in-a-lifetime beer makes it unique, but falls short of expectations.