Boulevard The Sixth Glass
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Tasting Notes
The aroma opens with dark dried fruit — raisins, figs, maybe a hint of plum — layered over baking spice and a warm caramel malt base. On the palate, rich toffee and brown sugar dominate, with subtle notes of dark cherry, clove, and a touch of alcohol warmth that's present but not harsh. The body is full and slightly syrupy, with a low-to-moderate carbonation that lets the malt complexity linger. The finish is long, gently sweet, and faintly warming — characteristic of a well-made Belgian strong ale at this strength.
About the Brewery
Boulevard Brewing is based in Kansas City, Missouri, and has been operating since 1989, making it one of the larger and more established craft breweries in the Midwest. They're best known for their Unfiltered Wheat Beer, which has wide regional distribution, but their Smokestack Series — a collection of higher-gravity and experimental releases — demonstrates real range. The Sixth Glass is part of that Smokestack lineup and is among their most ambitious beers.
Food Pairings
Aged Gouda is a natural match here, as its caramel and crystalline nuttiness echoes the beer's toffee malt character. Braised short ribs or beef stew work well because the beer's sweetness and body balance the richness of slow-cooked meat. Dark chocolate or a chocolate-based dessert picks up the beer's dried fruit and spice notes without competing with them. A sharp blue cheese like Roquefort provides a salty, funky contrast that the beer's sweetness can handle without being overwhelmed.
Style Guide
Quadrupel, or Quad, is a Belgian strong dark ale style defined by its high alcohol content — typically 9 to 13 percent — dense malt character, and complex yeast-driven flavors of dark fruit, spice, and caramel. The style was popularized by Trappist monasteries in Belgium and the Netherlands, most notably La Trappe, which first used the 'Quadrupel' label commercially. It differs from a Belgian Dubbel by being significantly stronger and richer, and from a Belgian Tripel by emphasizing dark malt sweetness over pale malt and spicy hop dryness. Fermentation character — esters and phenols from Belgian yeast strains — is as important to the style as the malt base.