Winnebeergo


Brewery and Country of Origin: Boulevard Brewing Company of 2501 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA

Date Reviewed: 7-28-13

The trailer, or prefabricated home, is a movable permanent or semi-permanent dwelling found in trailer parks or rural parts of the United States (though they are less frequently found in other countries, mainly the UK). The idea is that the home is built on a truck or trailer chassis in a factory, then pulled by a semi-truck to a site where it ends up being used by residents. When the home is moved to the desired location, the manufactuer installs house like cosmetics to hide the wheels, axles, and hitch to disguise the trailer as a frame-built home, though the general long and narrow design is nearly ubiquitous to trailer homes. They come in various widths, including single-wides (18 feet or less), double-wides (20 feet or more), and triple-wides (multiple units) are are usually 90 feet long. Trailers (known as Caravans in the UK) differ from motor homes in that they are primarily stationary, while an RV usually travels around. Because trailers are built to be mobile, they are built with lighter, and weaker materials, which makes them prone to damage in storms, especially in high winds caused by hurricanes or tornados, which can easily rip apart the large, flat, surfaces of a mobile home that doesn't have a foundation. On the plus side, it does mean that these homes move with relative ease, something that is essential for the family on the road. This particular beer's style was originally created because people from the world reaching East India Companies needed a beer whose shelf life was long enough for a journey from England to India. And we'll admit. No mobile home will ever probably make that journey. In fact, no mobile home will never be placed onto some Iberian Galleon either. But the makers of this beer, Boulevard, state that this beer does in fact travel well, being "aggressively hopped to withstand the long, hot ocean voyage of the British East Indies. And they throw in a bit of euphemism by calling the double wide, a "modern day prairie schooner". Perhaps that's a tad optimistic.
Date Sampled: 7-12-13 At: 223 Summer Street, Somerville, MA, USA
Beer Style: American Double/Imperial IPA
Alcohol by Volume: 8.50%
Serving Type: 12 oz Bottle, 16 oz Tumbler Glass
Rating: 3.78

Look

The Double Wide pours somewhat choppy with an average amount of carbonation action, giving this beer a three quarters inch tall foam head with a good retention and a somewhat creamy texture. This beer has a slightly hazy appearance with a deep amber color and includes some very fine sediment. In the light, this beer has a fairly bright low, and diplays an average amount of lacing.

Aroma

The aroma is definitely hop dominated as the main focus of this beer's taste notes. The hops are well balanced with some medium caramel and sweet malt with a fair amount of nuttiness, and a slight biscuity note. There are hints of piney and buttery hops mixed in to the otherwise mostly citrus fruity bitterness. Overall, this beer's aroma comes in at an average strength.

Feel

This is a medium bodied beer with a below average viscosity, a medium high weight, and a dull, yet pretty dry finish with some alcohol warming and bite. This is a mostly smooth beer which offers little in the way of real crispness or refreshment, but is still easy to drink. This beer has an average amount of carbonation, and no texture caused by the unfiltered sediment.

Taste

The flavor of this beer, as indicated by the aroma, is hop centric, with citrusy, piney, and buttery hoppy notes taking center stage. This beer has a thorough bitterness which begins and ends the flavor profile, which is kept in somewhat check by the inclusion of some sweet lightly roasted malt. This beer has a slightly lingering bitter finish, and does not have any trace of alcohol in the flavor.

Our Take

With an IBU of 71, this Imperial IPA is definitely going to satisfy the hoppy cravings of a bitter beer enthusiast, without completely turning away those who are just looking for a strong, easy going ale. This is a year round offering which we found wasn't too solid for hot weather, yet substantial enough to deliver a full flavor as well as a good physical presence. This beer was pretty easy to drink and did not lead on to its moderately high alcohol content. Overall, a solid all around performance by a beer whose proportions were a highlight in that none of them were highlights. There are no overpowering flavors, no eye watering aromas. And for an imperial IPA, that seems to be a rare thing these days, when many brewers are trying to make a beer as bitter and hoppy as possible. As stated earlier, this is by no means a mellow beer. But despite the style and the relatively high alcohol percentage, we think this brew will cater to the tastes of most beer drinkers out there.