This is the second beer in Boulevard's Neapolitan Well Rested Series. The first one was chocolate and neither Ryan nor I enjoyed it. This is a vanilla imperial Stout, barrel aged in Bourbon barrels. I hope we enjoy this one more. I will love Boulevard anyway. Opened the bottle and immediately got strong bourbon alcohol, sweet with the vanilla hiding in the background. Totally dark in color with a chocolate brown head. Strong aroma of bourbon alcohol and a sweet vanilla and something else. Texture is heavy and creamy and turns just a little crisp towards the middle. Flavor is not what I was hoping for. A lot of bourbon alcohol, and I mean a lot, and a hit of bitterness in the middle. There is a lot of vanilla but it also has a strange unsettling sweetness as it moves into a dry finish propelled by baker's cocoa. Not really sure I like this as much as I was hoping, maybe at 3.9. Ryan and I discussed our pallets over and over as we continued sipping this beer. I like beers that are interesting and boy this one is. Has your mouth acclimates and the beer warms, a slow transition occurs. The intense barrel-aged bourbon mellows a bit, the vanilla takes on a raw natural extract characteristic, this strange unidentified sweetness in the background comes to light as a vine ripe black cherry blended with unroasted almond. Even the soft dry finish smooths down in the background to a gentle balance of dark and milk chocolate. As I continue to take small sips the strong bourbon fades but my tongue begins to tingle and my stomach warms. Excellent! Both Ryan and I have now rated over 2,000 beers. We believe there have been fewer than 10 beers that have risen from first impression to last more than 4/10 of a point. This destroyed that record. My 3.9 is now a 4.8. That's crazy and easily one of the most interesting beers I have ever enjoyed. Boulevard, you definitely deserved our road trip.

Another excellent beer brought to me by Ryan for a Duo. We visited Boulevard Brewing this fall and they are a favorite. Really looking forward to this barrel aged Brew. Aroma from the bottle is exceptional. Strong milk chocolate with waves of bourbon. Small head is a chocolate brown, as deep as I've ever seen. First taste gives the milk chocolate and strong bourbon. Somehow, at 12.2%, it doesn't give the expected burn. Then there's something in the middle that is like a liqueur, somewhat astringent. Is it amaretto or some other flavored liqueur? Can't put my finger on it. The chocolate flavor reminds me of a childhood chocolate called Ovaltine. Haven't had it in forever. The finish provides just a whiff of vanilla. Ryan and I discussed the flavor in the middle that we can't identify. Could it be, ......artificial? No way, it's Boulevard. But maybe? I let the beer, which I had been drinking while cold, warm substantially. Partly because I didn't want to drink it. But once warmed the bad flavor in the middle seems to have mellowed a little. While other reviews praise this beer I am not fond of it. Perhaps it was just unrealistic expectations.

Täällå taaa laivalla tiskillä työpäivän ja salin jälkeen janoisena. Tämä olikin aika raju alkupamaus perjantai illalle. En valita, tuleehan tästä ihan lämmin ja pörröinen olo