Alright, another Boulevard Brewing Company (@boulevard_beer) Smokestack Series beer, this time the Chocolate Ale. I've previously written about the Double-Wide IPA and Long Strange Tripel and gave both of them an A+, so this one has a lot to live up to. I picked this one up at Spec's in Houston, the Smokestack series all come in 750ml bottles, so there's enough to share with a friend!
The first thing to note about this one is that it's an American Strong Ale in style, while the vast majority of chocolate beers I've tried before were porters or stouts. It's a hazy apricot color, with about two fingers of bubbly head. The head receded pretty quick without much lacing, and even knowing it wasn't a stout I expected a darker beer with a chocolate name!
It smells of spice and strong chocolate, with a little fruit sweetness in there as well. The taste starts out as an identical flavor profile to the aroma, but then some floral hops come in. That's a very nice addition to the overall flavor of the beer!
The mouthfeel is interesting. It's a little thin despite checking in at 9.1% alcohol, but there are so many flavors competing that it's not readily apparent. There is also a distracting lingering bitter chocolate aftertaste.
All in all, an interesting and good beer, but I was expecting a little more body. Still, a very well crafted brew.
The first thing to note about this one is that it's an American Strong Ale in style, while the vast majority of chocolate beers I've tried before were porters or stouts. It's a hazy apricot color, with about two fingers of bubbly head. The head receded pretty quick without much lacing, and even knowing it wasn't a stout I expected a darker beer with a chocolate name!It smells of spice and strong chocolate, with a little fruit sweetness in there as well. The taste starts out as an identical flavor profile to the aroma, but then some floral hops come in. That's a very nice addition to the overall flavor of the beer!
The mouthfeel is interesting. It's a little thin despite checking in at 9.1% alcohol, but there are so many flavors competing that it's not readily apparent. There is also a distracting lingering bitter chocolate aftertaste.
All in all, an interesting and good beer, but I was expecting a little more body. Still, a very well crafted brew.
My Rating: A-
American Strong Ale
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