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Winterfest

Winterfest is craft beer that comes from the Brewery called Free State out of Lawrence Kansas, this beer is perfect for our winters in Kansas. This beer has a bright golden look to it with citrus flavor and an aroma that combines notes of grapefruit, orange zest and a touch of the tropics. Like a warm ray of sunshine on a cold winters day. I think that the beer really stands out on the taste, it has a great tropical, floral and earthy taste. It also has a caramel backbone to balance out the bitterness. It is not a hoppy beer and is very well balanced. I would rate this beer a 9 out of 10 because it is a great seasonal beer and I really enjoy having an IPA for a seasonal.

Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale

The Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale is from Boulevard Brewing company in Kansas City. This is one of there stronger, heavier beers. Its ABV which means Alcohol by Volume is 8.5% out of 12. Tank 7 is a traditional Belgian-style farmhouse ale, at the beginning it has a surge of fruity aromatics and grapefruit hoppy notes, the flavor of this complex, straw-colored ale tapers off to a peppery, dry finish. Tank 7 has a perfect balance of all the ingredients and there isn't one that over powers them all, great taste. I would rate this beer a 8 out of 10 just because it's a bit on the sour taste for me. Overall, very flavorful and pleasant to drink.

Nutcracker Ale

Who doesn't love a nice body warming beer in the winter? Well it's time to change because the Nutcracker Ale by Boulevard is a dark, medium heavy, hoppy beer that you won't want to put down. This beer has hints of molasses but is very well balanced by the spiciness of Chinook hops. It has a taste like a Pale Ale to me because I get a caramel malt taste and then it also has a citrus from the dry hoppy, it leaves a fruity aftertaste. I really like this beer because it is very different than your regular winter beer it doesn't have the heavily spiced winter warmers like the other ones. Even though it is a medium heavy I think it is very drinkable because of all the flavors it gives off. It is a great beer to have on a snowy cold day sitting by the fire. I would definitely recommend it during the winter. Overall a nice winter warmer from Boulevard. Simple, but to the point. 8.5 out of 10 rating.

KC Pils

KC Pils, is an American Lager brewed from the famous brewing company in Kansas City called Boulevard. KC Pils is a 100% malt beer, with a bitterness taste and a lot of hops. Boulevard came out with this beer because back in the day KC was filled with a lot of little breweries and then they started to disappear and so did the beer. So Boulevard wanted to keep some of the great tasting Kansas City beers that we know and love. KC Pils is a light, crisp and slightly grainy beer. I'm not much of a fan of malty beer but this one really caught my taste. This beer has a very nice pour with a crystal clear gold look, it has a very crisp and malty taste to it, I really enjoyed this beer because it had a perfect amount of carbonation and had just the right amount of malt sweetness. This is definitely a beer that I would get more than once, Boulevard did a wonderful job with this beer.

Backyard Blonde

A local brewing company in the Kansas City area called Border Brewing, is known for their refreshing fruity beers. The backyard blonde is a light crisp ale with subtle notes of orange, lemon, and grapefruit. This beer is perfect for people who are new the craft beer world. I personally drink a lot of those lemon, fruit beers especially in the summer time and I would have to say that the backyard blonde would have to be one of my favorite and is definitely my favorite in the KC area. I would have to give this beer a 9 out of 10 rating because it is so refreshing and has a very smooth taste. sometimes you get to much of a fruity flavor and not much beer flavor. This is a great beer to have in the summer time on the golf course, on a lake, or tailgating a game. The backyard blonde is a light beer so your stomach won't feel bloated after drinking a couple of them which is always nice. I would definitely recommend this beer because you just can't get anything like it anywhere else.

Raspberry Wheat

A lot of people when they hear of a Raspberry beer they aren't to fond of it and I was the same way until I tried it. The blind tiger in Topeka Kansas, brews their own beer and the Raspberry Wheat is one of them. The raspberry wheat beer is the same beer as their Country Seat Wheat which is a light-bodied beer with a straw golden color and a bitterness and slightly dry taste, but with the raspberry wheat they added all natural raspberry extract. This beer has a raspberry taste an and also a raspberry smell. I would give this beer a 7 out of 10 rating just because I'm not a fan of a dry tasting beer I like a beer that is refreshing and I don't have to wash down with water to keep my palate wet. I liked the raspberry taste because it was different than any other beer and it has a smooth taste. If you like a fruity beer then I would definitely recommend the Raspberry Wheat from the Blind Tiger.

Pale Ale

The Boulevard Pale Ale is the first beer that Boulevard brewed. The Pale Ale is a smooth, fruity, mellow toffee flavor, and all year round great beer. The Pale Ale has caramel malts which gives it the amber look and they use Cascade hops which adds zest and aroma. Just like the wheat it also won the 2011 Great American Beer Fest "Gold Medal". If you like a hoppy and high on alcohol content at 5.4% then the Pale Ale is the beer for you.

Ginger Lemon Radler

The Ginger Lemon Radler is another Boulevard beer, but with this beer it is only a seasonal beer and comes out in the summer time. The Radler is a zesty, refreshing beer that is a mixture of beer with soda and lemonade. This beer is definitely for summer time because of its taste it is a light beer so it is made for everyone. The first time I had this beer I was a little unsure because it had the word ginger in it, but when I took the first taste I had no ginger tasting at all and was very delightful and refreshing. It goes great with a citrusy salad, fried chicken, watermelon and of course your favorite swimming spot!

Unfiltered Wheat Beer

This Unfiltered Wheat Beer has become on of Boulevards most popular selling beer. It has a cloudy yellowish look to it and a citrusy taste to it. It is usually served with a lemon garnish to give it some more flavor. This has to be my favorite Boulevard beer that they make because it is so easy to drink and has wonderful flavor and is not too heavy. Boulevard Wheat has one many awards since it has been released such as, The 2008 Great American Beer Fest "Gold Medal", The 2010 Australian International Beer Awards "Silver Award". This just shows that this beer is well-known throughout the world. If you are looking for a great light beer that is very refreshing I would definitely recommend the Unfiltered Wheat Beer.

Introduction

Hey guys, so this is an introduction to my blog, Great Craft Beer in the KC and Topeka area. In this blog you will be able to figure out some of my favorite Craft Beers to have when you go out. There are a lot of great restaurants in the KC and Topeka area that brew their own beer, like Boulevard and the Blind Tiger just to name a few. I will be planning on taking trips to both of these places and many more and returning with some great reviews about their beers. I hope you all enjoy this blog and learn a lot and maybe you will find some of your favorite beers off my blog. Please remember to drink responsibly and no drinking and driving!