Boulevard’s Imperial Stout is worth the wait

Yesterday, I got my hands on Boulevard’s Imperial Stout. Released this past week, it’s the brewery’s seventh Smokestack outing. I was going to wait for a special occasion but with a sizable wager on the Cardinals to beat the Eagles, I decided there was no better occasion than the playoffs.

I had been excited about this beer since a couple of bottles leaked into the hands of bloggers in the in the fall, but I forgot the reviews until I poured the beer from its signature Smokestack bottle. As soon as it settled in the glass, I realized why I had been so desperate to try it — this is my sort of beer. A man’s beer.

Boulevard’s Imperial Stout is based on Russian stouts of the past, which withstood the long journey across the Baltic. This hardiness was achieved through a mixture including “several kinds of malted barley, wheat, rye, oats and spelt” and a high alcoholic content. Boulevard’s imperial stout has an 11 percent abv.

Being a big fan of stouts (especially imperial-style) I was hoping for a strong one and was not disappointed.