I take a great deal of pride in Boulevard Brewing Company. I’ve been drinking their beers for at least 15 years now; and well before I became a beer snob. But something especially great has been going on at the brewery in the last few years – thanks to the vision of Steven Pauwels they’ve started brewing some insanely good (worldly) beers that speak more to the craft beer lover as opposed to the everyday pale ale drinker. I’ve had my favorites along the way, but now it is their Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale that makes me the happiest. The beer pours a warm summery yellow haze with an enormous amount of tight soapy white head. And the smell! That’s probably the best aspect of this beer. There are loads of over-ripened bananas (like those black bananas used to make banana bread), beautiful esters that remind you of lemongrass and sunshine, and even a faint smell of band-aid (in a good way). For a saison, I can tell you this is the most complex I’ve ever smelled or tasted — even more so than the illustrious Orval (which is not technically a saison, but it should be). Yes the Boulevard Saison Brett is magical, but this one is a touch more successful in my book. And if you’re someone who thinks Allagash is the only American brewery making insanely good Belgian-style beers, you need to start paying attention to Boulevard. They are owning right now.
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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Vetiver
Brewery: Boulevard
Beer: Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
Style: Saison
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
ABV: 8%
Rating: 97/100
Posted by Dave on February 15, 2010 at 2:01 PM
Boulevard is definitely putting out some amazing beers now and this one is definitely one of my favorites. Also just wanted to mention seeing your beer ratings at Royal Liquor on State Line. Very cool!
Posted by thehopry on February 16, 2010 at 11:41 AM
I just started putting those out around town. I figured I’d try to bring some local opinion to beers. You can find them at Lukas (KS), Gomers (Lees Summit), and Royal as of now. Hope to expand a little more soon.
Posted by Big Mike on February 15, 2010 at 3:00 PM
Sounds like Boulevard is definitely doing their thing. I like the looks of their bottles as well.
Posted by thehopry on February 16, 2010 at 11:39 AM
They have definitely kicked it up. Underrated as a brewery, too, but I think the word is creeping out.
Posted by theReaper16 on February 15, 2010 at 11:32 PM
Tank 7 in bottles has an added level of complexity that it didn’t have on-tap, and I loved it on-tap. This is going to be a staple of my fridge for as long as they make it.
Posted by thehopry on February 16, 2010 at 11:42 AM
And apparently they are looking to do four packs someday. This would be the perfect beer for that. At least for me…
Posted by beaverc32 on February 16, 2010 at 5:38 AM
Mark,
First off, I just discovered this site a week ago from a thread on Beeradvocate about people’s favorite video beer review sites. Your name kept coming up thread after thread on being the best, and I must say I agree. I’m completely sold on this site and am working my way through all your reviews now!
The Tank 7 farmhouse ale sounds delicious. I’ve only ever had a few saisons, but a local brewery here in Rochester, NY (Rohrbach’s) has a saison out that absolutely blew my mind when I first tried it. The flavor profile you describe here is very similar to Rohrbach’s Saison.
Top notch review, keep it up!
-Chris
Posted by thehopry on February 16, 2010 at 11:38 AM
Awesome. Thank you, Chris. Glad the word is getting out. As for the saison, this one is really great. Super happy they finally decided to bottle it. Not sure we get Rohrbach here, so I may have to keep an eye out for it in the future.
Posted by beaverc32 on February 16, 2010 at 2:04 PM
You definitely won’t find it, they aren’t yet bottling any of their terrific brews. Only draft and growlers are available, unfortunately.
Posted by Soggy Coaster on February 23, 2010 at 6:25 PM
I just tried this on your recommendation. Good stuff, probably even better on a hot summer day. But I love a good saison. Keep ‘em coming!
Posted by Bell’s Two Hearted Ale « THE HOPRY on July 17, 2010 at 9:06 AM
[...] that’s not overly hard to get?” My first response is usually North Coast’s Old Rasputin or Boulevard’s Tank 7, but I also find myself picking up a six-pack of Bell’s Two Hearted Ale on quite a few occasions. [...]
Posted by Are El on March 5, 2011 at 8:13 PM
I have been really impressed with all of Boulevard’s offerings with Long Strange Tripel being one of my favorites. They are becoming popular here in Indianapolis and people I’ve talked with have really been impressed with Tank 7. It’s not a style I prefer but it is really a fine beer in a class by itself.
Posted by thehopry on March 5, 2011 at 8:23 PM
They do Belgian beers very very well…among others. Their Belgians are my favorites though.