Double review of Boulevard’s 80-Acre Hoppy Wheat and Tasting Room Oatmeal Stout

80-Acre is an interesting one. Don’t let the name fool you, it’s not super hoppy or anything, For lack of a better term I would call it an American Wheat.

The official description is:

With roots in two of today’s most popular brewing styles, 80-Acre Hoppy Wheat Beer is the result of careful cultivation by our brewers and cellarmen. Their efforts to craft a hybrid yielded a bumper crop of flavor; a delightfully distinctive ale with the aroma of an IPA and the refreshing taste of a wheat beer.

Like Tank-7 (and if you keep reading the Oatmeal Stout), their descriptions are proving to be point on. Not really bready, nor is there much bubble gum going on, and on the other side not super hoppy an overpowering. It is just enough of both sides of the pond, to make it its own thing.

In the end it is an American Pale Wheat, so its light(ish) and refreshing. This is a great summer beer, but for this time of year? That said It paired up perfectly with my riff on Eggs Florentine dinner but this is not a relax outside and watch the foliage beer. Don’t get me wrong this is really drinkable and enjoyable next summer I could see myself getting a case of it.

Moving on.. As I said, 80-Acre did make me want to try another beer, and the Oatmeal Stout is next on the list.

Honestly the 9 word description on the label says it all: Smooth, rounded, chocolaty and roasty. Also polite and friendly.

I would add in slightly sweet too, nipping at but not quite hitting that almost too sweet line. The roast is there, and really came out for me at the bottom of the glass.

This is a nice easy drinking smooth stout. I need to play around with the serving temperature a little not sure if warmer or cooler is the way to go with this one. This is a fantastic stout, one I wish was available on its own.

This one is begging for a side by side with the gold standard Samuel Smith Oatmeal stout. It has been over a decade since I tried it, so I may need to make that one happen.

Additional thoughts:

At this Point I am half way through the beers in the beers in the sampler, and haven’t had a dud yet. I am already planning on trying their DIPA 4 pack the next time I get any beers, and will definitely review it. It is pretty safe to say though that I am a fan of Boulevard already based on what I have had. Consistently good, I am really impressed.