Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale - Boulevard Brewing, Kansas City
Style:
Saison
Serving Type:
On Tap
Alcohol by Volume:
8.0%
Aroma:
Mostly lemon on the nose. Faint hops, really mellow
Appearance:
Clear yellow body like a filtered Wheat with a fizzy white head
Flavor:
Sweet citrus and mild hops with just a little sour yeast
Mouthfeel:
Smooth with just a few bubbles that give a slight crispness
Boulevard's Tank 7 has had an interesting release... This beer was first made available at the brewery tasting room last summer. I happened to go on a tour just after the first batch hit the taps and had a few samples. At the time, I didn't care for this beer at all. I took a couple more tours between summer and Christmas and drank a collective pint or more of the Tank 7 in the tasting room. Each time I had this beer it tasted a little spicier and hoppier than I remember. I'd heard Boulevard was planning on phasing out their Saison Smokestack Series and replacing it with this beer, so I kept going back to try this beer and see if maybe I just got a bad glass... but no, I just didn't like the Tank 7.
Flash forward a couple months and bottles of Tank 7 have finally started hitting shelves in Kansas City. I hesitated a few weeks before picking up a bottle of Tank 7 because I really strongly disliked this beer. I decided to pick up a bottle anyways, figuring it was worth doing a formal review of this beer regardless of what my previous experience with this beer was.
I'm really, really, really glad I picked up a bottle of Tank 7. This beer is so much better from its 750ml bottle than it ever was on tap. I'm no brewer but I'm guessing the yeast and hops needed a bit of time to properly bottle condition. The hops in the bottled Tank 7 are much more subdued while there is a bit more sour flavor which helps the citrus pop on your palate. This beer looks a bit darker color than I remember as well. Whatever magic was worked on this beer between the last time I had it at the brewery in November and this first run bottle, has vastly improved the flavor and overall drinking experience of the Tank 7.
Saisons generally aren't my favorite style of beer so I didn't shed any tears over the old Smokestack Saison being phased out. Now that I've had a properly conditioned Tank 7, I couldn't be happier. This is a Saison I can really get behind. The flavor is great while still having just enough hops to let you know their still there. It's a shame the first glass of Tank 7 didn't taste this good last summer.
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