Beer! Boulevard BBQ and the Great Divide Pilsner.

Highly delayed in my review of a complex beer for the not-quite-as-snobish, last week I had the opportunity to spend some time with a bottle of the Boulevard Brewing Co. Bourbon Barrel Quad ("BBQ".) Since we're already a week behind, I'll include a few pennies on Great Divide's new Pilsner, "Nomad."

The one thing I've committed to in my half-assed review of beers, is to do my best to avoid silly adjectives that don't really explain anything about taste. These things started with wine drinkers (or perhaps interior designers) who use terms like "earthen-notes" and "fruity character" to describe the beverage they're drinking. Using the term "fruity" is copping out of an apples and oranges comparison by saying its both.

Its not.

Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad.
For those otherwise unawares, being a "bourbon barrel quad" really defines much of it's character. The bourbon barrel aspect should be straight forward, indicating that the beer is fermented in a bourbon barrel, usually for secondary fermentation after the beer has started fermenting. Most beers go through at least two separate fermentation stages in order to avoid imparting off-flavors caused by sediment that accumulates during initial stage.
The BBQ is based loosely on Boulevard's "Sixth Glass" abbey-style ale, and the "Quad" in it's name references it's definition as a Quadrupel ale. The initial fermentation was done with cherries, then separated out into multiple different bourbon barrels and blended after the last-stage fermentation. As the label states, it brings very little of the cherries sourness to the beer.

The beer will bring a slight sour and sweetness at first, then follows with the distinct flavor of bourbon on the back of the palate. Boulevard describes this similarly though they described "notes of vanilla and toffee," which leads me to believe they don't drink bourbon very often (or perhaps I'm not extrapolating far enough on the taste.)

Zooming out to the beer on a whole, the most remarkable aspect of the beer is simple: It is not a bourbon barrel stout. That's not a negative judgment by any means. Most beer aged in bourbon barrels is going to have a very over-powering bourbon taste, which is why I don't spend much time commenting on the more distinct flavor aspects. The important element in this beer is how well the Bourbon character fits into a Quadrupel style ale, and the fact that Boulevard was able to pull it off.
The best character analysis I could give, would be a faint sour beginning (cherries) that moves into the more spiced (with Belgians, think Coriander) taste that the traditional Belgian abbey would have, which follows with a very pronounced sweet bourbon at the end.

Worth the (characteristically) low price most stores will sell it; $11.99 if you can still find a bottle.

On to the lager!

Pilsner lagers are difficult to really define, because they're generally so similar. However unlike ales, a Pilsner Lager has 3 generally distinct elements that vary from beer to beer.

1. Hoppiness/Character - Generally Hoppiness in a Lager is considered an off-flavor. However, any beer needs to be hopped to balance out the sweetness of the malt. The ideal pilsner will still have a little bitter trace on the tongue, with a little sweetness to back it up, though it won't be so bitter it becomes dry or so sweet it's like soda-pop. Sometimes those extremes in a Pilsner are welcomed, however. (For a sweet pilsner, try the Oskar Blues "Mama's Lil' Yella Pils." For a Hoppy Pilsner, try Avery's "Joe's Pilsner")
2. The effects of temperature and food - The ideal pilsner should warm well, and not offend the palate as it's temperature rises above 34 degrees. Hoppier Pilsners will always contort some facial muscles as it warms up, too sweet and it will dominate the palate too much if you're eating.
3. Sessionability - The Pilsner lager was created as a session beer, that being... it was designed to allow you to drink a few without spending the latter half of your evening and the following morning hugging the toilet.
In all seriousness however, sessionability is actually more influenced by the gravity and (as a result) sweetness of a beer. Sweeter beers will generally have higher calorie content and will usually "fill you up" more. Not to sound cliche, but the old advertisements did have some validity. In addition, sweeter beers generally yield a higher alcohol content (yeast converts sugar to alcohol.)

So how goes the Great Divide Nomad?
1. It's definitely got a pricks worth of bite from the hops on the back of the palate, a little sweetness up front.
2. It warms well, and the taste doesn't deviate much from it's chilled state. It certainly doesn't distort the face like hoppy pilsners do, and while I have yet to try it with a nice dinner, the taste doesn't feel over-powering on the palate.
3. I'm on number 3 (literally) and after writing for about an hour I'm still sober,  still eagerly awaiting dinner, and number 3 still tastes like number 1.

Overall: The happy medium between Polestar and Mama's. 5/5, and arguably the best beer Great Divide makes (except Austin's small batch Cuvass, which won't be released publicly.)

P.S. December's beer of the month was Victory Brewing Company's Dark Intrigue Imperial Stout. The Import of the Year, was a beer called " Gudeløs" by Bryggeriet Djævlebryg and the Danish Atheist Society. Try a bottle if you can dig it up!

Rare Brew of the Month Club?

Maybe I should inspire this kind of notion... Anywho!

Grand Teton Black Cauldron Imperial Stout, simply quoting from their website found as follows.

http://www.grandtetonbrewing.com/BCIS.html

There are few styles of beer more flavorful than Imperial Stout. Our thick, rich version was brewed with plenty of caramel and roasted malts and subtly spiced with American Chinook and Styrian Goldings hops. We've accentuated the natural smokiness of the brew by adding a small amount of beechwood-smoked malt. At 22 degrees starting gravity and 8.0% alcohol by volume, this beer boasts flavors of chocolate and coffee, along with raisins and dried fruit soaked in sherry.

Black Cauldron is a strong ale, best enjoyed in moderation, and paired with full-flavored grilled or roasted meats or with dessert. Chocolate cakes, truffles, fruit tarts, caramel flan or crème brûlée are all excellent matches.

We've brewed our Black Cauldron Imperial Stout to recognize and honor the women in the history of brewing. Brewing has been women's work since the dawn of civilization. In all ancient cultures, beer was a gift from a goddess, and women maintained status and power through their skills as brewsters. This remains true today in indigenous cultures from Asia to Latin America, Africa to remote villages in Scandinavia. Around the world, women baked bread and brewed their own beer.

In Europe, the rise of cities brought commercial brewing, as governments realized the potential tax revenue to be had from large breweries. By 1445, the first all-male brewers' guild was established, the campaign against witchcraft burst forth across Europe, and the purge of women from brewing had begun. Beer historian Alan Eames has written that, when an occupation was listed, most of the women burned for witchcraft in Europe were brewsters or alewives.

Most of the imagery we associate with witchcraft today originated with the brewster. The large black cauldron bubbling over with foam? A brew kettle, of course. The black cat? Necessary to keep rats out of the grain store. The tall pointed hat? It allowed the brewster to be seen over the heads of taller men in the marketplace. A broom? The symbol of household domesticity, it is still associated with brewing all over the world.

Without the work of these women through the ages, it's entirely possible beer would not exist today. To learn more about the role of women in today's brewing industry, visit www.pinkbootssociety.org.

Specifications
Original Gravity: 20 Plato (1.080)
Malts: Idaho 2-Row Brewers, CaraMunich, Carafa Special & Beechwood Smoked
International Bittering Units: 43
Hops: American Chinook & Styrian Goldings
Alcohol by Volume: 8.0%


In summary. A fine Job ladies of history and while I will still second guess the occasional witches brew, a simple beer from the right woman is all it really takes for any of us. (Note, metaphor piled on top of metaphor piled on top of double entendre which makes it like.... a quadruple entendre.)