Are you ready for the jam band to play? Boulevard Brewing of Kansas City, Missouri is with their Jam Band Berry Ale. They’re not alone: Taco Mac has made this beer a special, limited release in this, the month of September of 2018. Get it before its gone! Fruit beers are not for everyone, of course, and this is for sure bursting with berry fruit.
What’s better with beer than wings? I’m sure I don’t know. That being the case, Taco Mac (known for their wings almost as much as their beer selection) is also featuring a special wing sauce made with, you guessed it, Boulevard Jam Band Ale. A bit more about that in a second.
Boulevard says:
Accompanying a simple malt base, blueberry, raspberry and tart cherry play in perfect harmony to create a slightly tart ale that sings with ripe, bursting fruit flavor. Aromas of dark berries, citrus and melon open the show, bridging to zippy fruit flavors that meld into an easy-drinking summer beer worthy of an encore.
Boulevard Jam Band Ale has an alcohol content of 5.9% by volume with just 6 IBUs. I paid $6.08 for a 23-ounce mug at Taco Mac and it runs $8.99 a six-pack in cans at Total Wine.
My mug of Boulevard Jam Band Ale arrived a beautiful deep purple in color with a fluffy thick pink head. Taking a sip, the beer explodes with tart berry fruit in the nose, is medium in body in the palate, with robust tart cherry, piquant raspberry, and juicy blueberries all dancing together in perfect harmony. The beer finishes with a quenching and gently sour finish that leaves it not at all cloying. Which is impressive with all that fruit and just 6 IBUs.
The wings? Well they paired perfectly with the sour beer, using peppery spice to balance off fruit sweetness. The perfectly balanced sweet heat was a tasty treat that couldn’t be beat and demands a repeat. Sorry, ummm, got carried away there, but I would certainly buy this beer (and these wings) again.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft