Beer Review: Boulevard Brewing Company Lunar Ale

A friend selected Boulevard Brewing’s Lunar Ale one night when he and his lovely wife (and young’uns) were at our house for a cook out, so I decided to review it for this blog. Thanks Chad!

According to the Boulevard Brewing Web site, this is an unfiltered brown ale. Here is more information:

Brewed using a unique aromatic yeast, this refreshing variety is best described as a cloudy brown ale with a complex, malty aroma and flavor, and a crisp, dry finish.

SENSORY DESCRIPTION: Very versatile beer. Light sweetness complements light foods and malty/smoky flavor can stand up to some spicier dishes. Flavor hooks: fruit, cloves, roasted malt

PAIRINGS: Lightly caramelized flavors from grilling chicken or seafood, roasted chicken or pork, stews, sausages, salads, and desserts including walnuts or almonds.

Let’s get on to the tasting…

The Pour
This poured with a two-finger head consisting of small, tight bubbles that gave the head a somewhat fluffy or pillowy texture. The color seems to be that of a too weak coffee. The beer is somewhat cloudy from the yeast and appears quite carbonated.

The Nose
Wheat is the strongest scent I picked up. It’s almost the only note, as a matter of fact. There are some spice notes. It really smells like a typical wheat beer.

The Taste
The head is rich and creamy. This is medium-light bodied, not heavily carbonated and pretty smooth. This is kind of a one-note beer. You get a wheat beer flavor profile with slight teases of hop bitterness here and there. 

Overall
Before cracking this open, I had no idea it was a wheat beer. Then after taking my tasting notes, I see on their Web site that it’s a brown ale, though it does have wheat in it. There’s really nothing exceptional about this beer to make me say, “Go try this today!” but there’s nothing wrong with it either. Overall, a drinkable wheaty beer.

Recommended: I’m not really going either way on this. Try it and see if you like it, but I won’t push this as a really good selection.

Price: Unknown

ABV: 5.1%

Beer Review: Buckbean Brewing Co. Original Orange Blossom Ale

Buckbean Brewing Company was founded in 2007 in Reno, NV. They can their beer instead of bottling it for environmental reasons. According to their press release package, microbreweries only bottled their beers initially because the aluminum canning lines were not designed for smaller production, so glass bottles were their only option. So people began to equate glass bottles with good beer. I was not aware of any of this but I definitely prefer glass bottles myself, not that I drink out of bottles or cans. I pour whenever I can to open up the beer and catch all scents and see the color and clarity.

Anyway, on to the Original Orange Blossom Ale…

About the beer
According to the press release package I received with the free samples, this is “a bright zesty ale built from Munich and caramel malts, American hops and orange flowers.” According to their Web site, “…this copper colored ale combines the flavor and aroma of real orange tree flowers with a well-balanced, full flavored ale to produce a real treat for the senses.”

The Pour
I’ve been drinking everything from my new pilsner glasses lately, but I wanted to try this from a pint glass. This poured with less than a finger of creamy off-white head that dissipates quickly. The color is very orange but it’s not completely clear. There looks to be some hint of cloudiness and it seems barely carbonated.

The Nose
There are floral hops present, but the dominating scent is citrus. It smells strongly of orange oils or orange zest. Smells clean and sweet.

The Taste
My first impression of this beer was that it was very light and shallow of flavor. You got the orange flavor and some malt and hop flavors and that was it. As I finished the first, and then the second, pint, I started appreciating this beer more. It’s very smooth and eminently drinkable. It is very light bodied, and the orange is the dominant flavor, but hops notes come through on the finish.

Overall
After the first couple of sips, I was preparing to come talk about how I wish it were fuller bodied and more complex, but in the end, I decided this was a uniquely tasty brew. It’s a very drinkable and refreshing brew, great for quaffing after you cut the grass or while grilling. The flavor is not that multi-layered but it is spot on. I’m already thinking about the next time I cut the grass and how good this would taste. In a nutshell, I am well pleased with the flavor and how refreshing it is!

Recommended: Yes. It is, at the very least, worth a first try. Drink a pint or two and see if the flavor doesn’t make you want more!

Price: Unknown

ABV: 5.8%

Beer Review: Sam Adams Longshot – Grape Pale Ale

Sam Adams has had a home brewing contest the last couple of years, and at least one random person’s brew and one Sam Adams employee’s brew get bottled for sale. This is one of the 2007 winners, developed by Lili Hess, winner of the Samuel Adams employee homebrew competition.

According to the bottle, this beer is an ale brewed with natural grape flavor and maple syrup added. Lili Hess describes it this way: “It’s like you are drinking a pale ale after biting into a fresh green seedless grape.”

Here’s what I thought…

The Pour
I poured this into a good pilsner glass with a little trepidation. I was afraid it would taste like grape jelly or be overly sweet. It pours with a loose thick head and a light golden coppery hue. The carbonation looks minimal and minimal lacing is left on the glass as the head dissipates.

The Nose
This smells like a nice hoppy pale ale. There is a slight sweetness to the nose coming from the maple syrup. This smells clean and fresh, but doesn’t have an exceptional nose. Good, but not exceptional.

The Taste
This has a good pale ale flavor. There are nice crisp hops but it’s a little sweeter than a typical pale ale, not dry or bitter. You can taste the green grape in the background and it really is nice. The maple syrup also starts coming through on the finish but it’s pretty subtle, so it’s not cloying. Good depth of flavor profiles here. It’s a light bodied brew and is crisp and clean. There is medium carbonation and a very clean finish.

Overall
It would be a very drinkable pale ale without the grape and maple syrup, but the added complexity and depth that come with the added flavors make it a standout among this type of beer. This is, I think, a pale ale to be savored more slowly than the usual pale ale. It could be a good session beer but it also is worth sipping and noticing in order to enjoy the interesting flavors.

Recommended: Yes, I would recommend this to any fan of pale ale looking for something new and interesting.

Price: I paid $8 for a 6-pack of this and the Weizenbock (the other winner) at a charity auction.

ABV: Unknown