Boulevard Saison Brett Review

Boulevard Saison Brett
*As perceived by the mouth of Chad Rozniecki
**Individual tastes may vary



Made by Boulevard Brewing Co. in Kansas City MO, the Saison-Brett is based on the Tank 7 recipe, however, this beer is dry-hopped and then bottle-conditioned (carbonated/refermented in the bottle) with various wild yeast strains including Brettanomyces, which they say imparts a very unique 'Earthy' character. Some people consider the Brett aroma to be Earthy or minerally, others find some of the wild yeasts, particularly brett, to have a horse-blanket character. Sounds weird but it is actually very common. That being said, I am not one of those people who immediately thinks of horse blankets, nor have I ever grabbed a horse blanket and given it a big whiff to compare the two. That's like someone saying something tastes like urine...really...have you tasted urine? Sick man...sick. Wild yeasts can also offer unique peppery, fruity, and tart qualities. 'Brett,' as it is often referred to, is an acidogenic yeast, meaning it can produce a great deal of acetic acid which can lead to sourness (desirable in many beers). The yeast is found regularly on grapes and fruits in the wild and is largely responsible for some of the characteristic flavors in wine. Hence the reason many wine barrels used in aging beer can and will eventually impart a tart or full-on sour quality to the beer. So, if left alone for a long period of time the flavor profile can change significantly in the bottle or keg offering more fruit flavor and aroma, or more tart/sourness as it ages.

Enough about fungus and fermentation. What does this beer taste like?

Draft at The Lauter Tun- Poured into a Boulevard Smokestack Glass.

Appearance:
Beautiful golden/orange/copper color that is not brilliant in clarity, though fairly clear it has a small amount of haziness. Thick white rocky head that clings to the glass and leaves a nice lacing.

Aroma:
I smell a great deal of pepper, white pepper, perhaps some lemon pepper or clove. Some yeasty, bread-like qualities similar to biscuit. A mild note of straw (I can see how some people call this 'barnyard' smell). As it warms it is more prevalent. There is a nice hint of citrus and light fruits similar to a peach or pear and definite lemon. 

Taste:
The taste can be felt all over the tongue. A great beer to involve EVERY taste bud! Very complex. Medium, medium-heavy carbonation leaving a mild carbonic bite. A very brief sensation of sweetness on the front of the palate which quickly hits the sides of the tongue offering a small amount of acidic/tartness finishing with a nice punch, well more of a heavy love tap, of pepper, light fruit, and mild yeast flavor and ends fairly dry allowing some more of the pepper and hop flavor to show through. There is a hint of alcohol warmth in the aftertaste but is pleasant and well balanced.

Out of 1 to 10 I give this beer a.......In its defense, saison is not my favorite style of beer. That being said, this is a great beer and very drinkable....I give the beer an 8.5-9 "May I have another please?"

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Chad Roz