Boulevard / Firestone Walker Collaboration No. 6 Barrel-Aged Blend
The Collaboration series is our way to bring shared beer ideas to life with some of our favorite brewery friends from around the world. This year, we bring you a specially blended, barrel-aged beer with the help of our sister brewery in California, Firestone Walker. With Collaboration No. 6, Brewmasters Steven Pauwels and Matt Brynildson have created a big, bold flavor combination by blending two Boulevard beers and two Firestone Walker Beers in the following percentages:
Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad – 45%
Based loosely on the Smokestack Series’ The Sixth Glass, this abbey-style quadrupel is separated into a number of oak bourbon barrels where it ages for varying lengths of time, some for up to three years. Cherries are added to make up for the “angel’s share” of beer lost during barrel aging. Selected barrels are then blended for optimum flavor. The resulting beer retains only very subtle cherry characteristics, with toffee and vanilla notes coming to the fore.
ABV – 11.8, IBU – 19
Firestone Walker Stickee Monkee – 35%
Brewed with Belgian candi sugar and aged in a selection of fine bourbon barrels, Stickee Monkee trailblazes its own category as a “Central Coast Quad.” The name Stickee Monkee is a nod to the Central Coast’s native Sticky Monkey flower, as well as a shout‐out to the Belgian monks who pioneered the Quad style. The Belgian candi sugar imparts a signature molasses sweetness to the beer. Meanwhile, maturation in bourbon casks brings ample barrel expression with notes of toasted oak, coconut, leather and cigar tobacco.
ABV – 13, IBU – 45
Imperial Stout X – Tart Cherry (Whiskey Barrel-aged) – 10%
Our special treat for lovers of big, complex stouts, the Imperial Stout “X” series offers a year-long roster of limited releases, each with a significant variation. This riff spotlights the addition of tart cherries to fermentation as well as a lactic souring on the brewhouse. The result is a perfect marriage of robust, smoky maltiness and bracing tartness. Unlike the release version of Imperial Stout X – Tart Cherry, this portion was briefly aged in previously used whiskey barrels.
ABV – 11, IBU – 64
Firestne Walker Velvet Merkin – 10%
Velvet Merkin is the beer that almost wasn’t…Indeed, this vintage oatmeal stout’s comical (or is it scandalous?) name went off the grid for several years, but now it’s back due to popular demand. Velvet Merkin is aged for a full year in retired spirits barrels from Heaven Hill, Woodford Reserve and others, yet manages to offer mind-boggling balance and restraint. You will wig out when you taste Velvet Merkin’s rich milk chocolate, bourbon and espresso flavors, preceded by aromas of vanilla, coconut, toasted oak and mocha.
ABV – 8.5, IBU – 33
Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad – 45%
Based loosely on the Smokestack Series’ The Sixth Glass, this abbey-style quadrupel is separated into a number of oak bourbon barrels where it ages for varying lengths of time, some for up to three years. Cherries are added to make up for the “angel’s share” of beer lost during barrel aging. Selected barrels are then blended for optimum flavor. The resulting beer retains only very subtle cherry characteristics, with toffee and vanilla notes coming to the fore.
ABV – 11.8, IBU – 19
Firestone Walker Stickee Monkee – 35%
Brewed with Belgian candi sugar and aged in a selection of fine bourbon barrels, Stickee Monkee trailblazes its own category as a “Central Coast Quad.” The name Stickee Monkee is a nod to the Central Coast’s native Sticky Monkey flower, as well as a shout‐out to the Belgian monks who pioneered the Quad style. The Belgian candi sugar imparts a signature molasses sweetness to the beer. Meanwhile, maturation in bourbon casks brings ample barrel expression with notes of toasted oak, coconut, leather and cigar tobacco.
ABV – 13, IBU – 45
Imperial Stout X – Tart Cherry (Whiskey Barrel-aged) – 10%
Our special treat for lovers of big, complex stouts, the Imperial Stout “X” series offers a year-long roster of limited releases, each with a significant variation. This riff spotlights the addition of tart cherries to fermentation as well as a lactic souring on the brewhouse. The result is a perfect marriage of robust, smoky maltiness and bracing tartness. Unlike the release version of Imperial Stout X – Tart Cherry, this portion was briefly aged in previously used whiskey barrels.
ABV – 11, IBU – 64
Firestne Walker Velvet Merkin – 10%
Velvet Merkin is the beer that almost wasn’t…Indeed, this vintage oatmeal stout’s comical (or is it scandalous?) name went off the grid for several years, but now it’s back due to popular demand. Velvet Merkin is aged for a full year in retired spirits barrels from Heaven Hill, Woodford Reserve and others, yet manages to offer mind-boggling balance and restraint. You will wig out when you taste Velvet Merkin’s rich milk chocolate, bourbon and espresso flavors, preceded by aromas of vanilla, coconut, toasted oak and mocha.
ABV – 8.5, IBU – 33
3.8
203 reviews
Kansas City, United States
Community reviews
Cherry wooden aftertaste, excellent beer!
Bottle at Cafe Sara, february 24th 2017. Dark amber body with a beige head. Aroma is roasty with cherries and tart fruit, also some spices and herbs. Comples. Taste is sweet and strong, coconut, chocolate, belgian yeast notes, caramel. Sweet and alcohol warm finish, long and strong aftertaste of oak, caramel and ripe fruit.
Piana obfita i drobnych i średnich oczkach opada do niewielkiej i tak pozostaje długo. Kolor herbaciany pod światło mętna czerwień. Aromat, wyraźna beczka z wanilią i kokosem, karmel, suszone owoce, lekko szlachetnie alkohol, przyjemny. Smak spora owocowość suszonych i świeżych owoców, wanilia, dębina, karmel, wyczuwalne ciemne palone słody, alkohol ukryty, jedynie rozgrzewa przełyk. Piwo słodkie, mimo to lekkie w odbiorze, gładkie, smaki grają. Bardzo Dobre.
Aroma: Medium raisin, woody. Medium-light alcohol.
Appearance: Clear, brown body. Small, brown head. Low retention. Fine bubbles.
Flavour: Medium woody, raisin. Medium-light bitterness, plum. Light alcohol.Dry finish, woody, raisin.
Mouthfeel:Light warming. Medium body. Medium carbonation.
Overall: Good, but not as impressive as expected. Body was quite light.
750 ml bottle, poured. Bottle share. Thanks Marius
Dark amber with dark off white head - Dark malt, wood, bourbon and some berries in the aroma - Malt body with dark berry flavours with wood vanilla and bourbon with a heavy alcohol sting - The flavours and hot alcohol goes into the finish - This was good, but a little bit to hot on the alcohol
Bottled shared by Linus. Dark reddish brown with beige head. Oak, vanilla, bourbon, caramel. Hints of cherries. Very nice!
Flaska Systembolaget. Svartbrun vätska. Doft av choklad, vanilj, trä, torkad frukt och lite körsbär. I smak känns bourbon, bränt socker, katrinplommon och rostad malt. Något frän alkoholamak och så fyllig kropp som jag hoppats på
Bottle thanks to Brian! Pours clear reddish hazel, small beige head, dissipates fairly slowly, good lacing. Aroma is toffee, bourbon. Flavor is medium sweet, light plus bitter. Medium body, high carbonation. Good.
Malty, rich aroma. Black opaque color, with tan head that fades quick. Good lacing. Rich flavor, just a touch of cherry flavor, nice wood. Creamy mouthfeel. Awesome!
750ml bottle from Systembolaget. Dark brown, hazy pour, I get a lot of particles floating around in the glass. Large tanned head, good lacing. Tart cherry, oaky aroma up front, toasted malts, cocoa, toffee and molasses, no real depth here the flavors evens out and that’s a shame. Full bodied, velvety, chewy, mild sweet, mild tart and dryish mouthfeel, soft carbonation. Really great palate! The taste follows the aroma, a lot going on here but the blend seems to even the flavors out instead of lifting them. This is complex and high quality and I enjoy drinking it, still as a blend this was far from a perfect match.
(backlog after finding this late 2017 rating deleted...again?) - 75cl from Delhaize 2016 Wondelgem - this sold for less than €9, shared as BBQ-dessert. - Short: a lush, velvet indeed blend of all-complex BA ImpStout that doesn't scream pasty or barrel, but whispers: rich bourbon molasses coating black chocolate icecream, leaving room&air for pillowy marshmallow&brownie airpockets. Noisette, vanilla, a distant cherry dessert on repeated sips. Quite a bit of welcome bourbon heat on the swallow. On-point sweet, aka a big ImpStout perfect for the Belgian market. A rare perfect transatlantic transfer.
75cl-fles gekregen van de vertegenwoordigster. Merci! U: Zeer donker bruin met en beige schuimkraag. G: Licht geroosterd, kandijsuiker, chocolade en gedroogd fruit. S: Zoet met een licht zuurtje. Chocolade, vanille, hout, whisky en gedroogd fruit. M: Volmondig met medium carbonatie.
very sweet. some cherry residual. cherry body with head. boozy body.sipper not impressed.
Aromas of pronounced tart cherries, belgian yeast, yeast funk, barrel wood, oak, sugared dark fruits, plums, figs, apricot, leather, grain malt, molasses, toffee, toasted sugars, belgian candi syrup and red wine. Pours a murky brown with little to no foam. Taste brings sweet belgian yeast, belgian candi syrup, belgian sugars, sugared dark fruits, plums, apricot, figs, dates and grain malt upfront. Some darker malts bring hints of coffee, chocolate, toffee, roasted barley and cocoa powder from the stout aspect. Barrel quality shines through with pleasant bourbon, oak, alcohol sugars, corn syrup, molasses, wort malt and vanilla. Finishes very sweet with aged malts, belgian yeast, dark fruits and chocolate on the palate. Overall, a very unique beer that brings a lot to the table. The belgian qualities seem to really overpower the stout characteristics. A+ rating.
This collaboration is a big, complex blend. With this many beers and beer styles being juggled, the result could have all too easily been total goddamn mess. As it turned out, No. 6 is quite beautiful. The highly chocolaty and roasty Imperial Stout components work well with the fat, malty, and fruity Quad components. The tart cherry flavor is the element that marries them all together. This is certainly one big-ass rich beer. You definitely notice the 12.5% and it's a full-bodied malt bomb. I felt pretty loaded after this one. Not really drunk loaded but can't-eat-another-bite loaded.
Bottle.
A- Cherry, strawberry, ice cream, booze.
A- Dark brown color, dark liquid, light brown head.
T- Cherry mash, sweet, bourbon,
P- Full body, average texture, average carbonation,
O- Quite boozy and sweet. Good but almost too much. The quad is definitely the base beer but the Tart Cherry X Stout definitely adds a lot of cherry to the aroma and even a bit to the flavor. Nice blend but I would still adjust the % of each a bit more.
Bottle. Pours opaque dark brown with large foamy beige head, woodsy/boozy aroma, medium carbonation, mildly bitter woodsy taste on bourbon background, and a bit of cherry flavor, smooth body, long finish. Very well balanced and satisfying blend.
Draft at Side Project Cellar, served in a short stemmed glass. Did not expect to see this on tap, so I had to try it because I never tracked down a bottle. Pours a cloudy brown-amber with a finger of off-white head that settles into a ring and an island of film. Notes of figs, plums, dates, caramel, candi sugar, cherry, chocolate, earth, mellow spice, toast, dry leaves, grass, tobacco, and faint smoke. Medium-bodied, with moderate to medium carbonation and a malty, sweet, slightly dry mouthfeel. Leans into the quad aspect, for sure, but I guess those make up the largest percentage of things. I wouldn't have guessed the last two stouts were in here. Or maybe that's just how things have developed in the time it's spent kegged.
Drank previously but didn't have time to rate at that particular time. just getting around to it.
Przede wszystkim wiśnie nadały bardzo dużo lekkości temu piwu. Lekko się je pije jak na ten woltaż i fakt, że to blend czterech piw. W aromacie kawa, migdały i trochę takie likierowe wiśnie, albo może i nawet wiśnie w spirytusie. W smaku wiśnie w czekoladzie, nuty porto, pumpernikiel i trochę kawy. Jako aftertaste pojawiają się taniny połączone z lekkim alkoholem. Smaczne, ale brakuje trochę wielowymiarowości jak na taki blend.
Malt, coffee and ,to a lower degree, marzipan and cherry in the aroma. It4s a very dark, black beer with a little bit of head that lasts. There's quite a bit of bitterness in the taste, mostly malt bitternes but also chicoree like bitterness. The candisugar sweetness and fruitiness (dark fruit, cherry) gives a good balance to that bitterness. I also notice a little sour taste at the back. Also a bit of bourbon in both aroma and taste. More than medium body and a finish that lasts with maybe a bit to much of the chicoree bitterness to my taste. Overall a good beer, very enjoyable. Not great but pretty good .
Really good beer. Flavors and aromas of dark fruit, molasses, coffee and vanilla. Full-bodied and robust with a definite smokiness at the end. Slight alcohol presence but not as much as I expected given the ABV and barrel-aged.
Thanks cards04 for sharing. Dark reddish brown body. Rich, sweet, vanilla, belgian yeast candy, dried fruit. A lot going on here. Really nice
Pours a dark brown settling to black, creamy white head.. Doesn't last long. Aromas of bourbon, coffee, dried fruit, brown sugar, vanilla. The quad makes itself known it warms. Quite strong and boozy. Pretty nice stuff.
En bouteille aux HoppyDays de Liège. Liquide brun foncé plat, sans mousse. Odeurs : porto, vin, fruits rouges, boisé. Bouche : alcool, vineuse, saveurs du bourbon, caramel, torréfié. Alcoolisé mais sympa.
Bottle from Del Haize. Murky brown with a medium head. Aroma of barrel warmth. Flavour is just lovely, warm cherry, full mouth that lingers for ever, malt, fruit, beautiful beer
Warm, sterk alcoholisch complex donker bier met cremewitte schuimkraag.
Vooral Bourbon in de geur, smaken an Whisky (Bourbon), espresso, leer, eik, kers, vanille, lichte sigaarsmaak. Zeer degelijke blend.
Bottle. Pours dark reddish brown with a big brown head. Aromas of caramel, sweet esters, orange, dark fruits, oak, licorice, toffee, toast. Taste has caramel, licorice, esters, dark fruits, toffee, light vanilla, bitterness in the back.
750ml cork & wire bottle provided by Finn. Smoke and shot when opened. Fawn-coloured head blanketing the glass. Amber coloured body. Grainy chocolate nose with moments of dark fruits. Rather sweet taste profile of dark fruits, prunes, caramel and cherry. Roasted lingering mid-sweet finish. Full bodied. Slow sipper qualities.(Shared at a session with Finn, TheCellarer, janeriks and Snegurochka, Tromsø 29.09.2017).
Fra flaske 750ml fra Vinmonopolet Tromsø - Sentrum. Delt med janeriks, Rune, Snegurochka og TheCellarer på Nerstranda 29 Sep 17. Åpner med et smell. Gylden. Middels høyt skum som daler sakte. Aroma av rom. Myk munnfølelse. Smaken banan, røstet malt & karamell. Harmonisk øl.