Boulevard Chocolate Ale Recipe

Ok, I live in Kansas City, and somehow missed every opportunity to taste the Chocolate Ale offered by Boulevard, but it had people in a flurry to get it. I'd like to try a shot at it, but not really sure how to handle cocoa nibs, here are the ingredients listed on their website:

Cocoa nibs
Honey Naked oats
Malted wheat
Pale malt
Hallertau Tradition

Color (EBC) 41
Bitterness (IBUs) 24
Original Gravity (Plato) 20
Terminal Gravity (Plato) 4
Alcohol (ABV) 9.1%

What do you guys think?

Briess 2-Row Brewer's Malt 9 lbs, 0 oz
Briess White Wheat 4 lbs, 0 oz
Simpsons Golden Naked Oats 2 lbs, 0 oz
Weyermann Chocolate Wheat 1 lbs, 8 oz
Weyermann De-Husked Carafa III 0 lbs, 8 oz
Hallertau Pellets, German 2.5 oz @ 60 mins
Organic Cacao Nibs 4 oz 2 week dry hop
SAFALE US-05 American Ale

The #s come out pretty good but those damn cocoa nibs

I wonder if the de-husked carafa III will make it too dark. Contrary to what I expected, it wasn't a very dark beer. I used 12 ounces of it in a black IPA and it was really dark.

I've been wondering about when to add cacao nibs myself. I think I've seen on some other posts that people add them at flame out like you would spice additions.

Apparently Riot Room tapped a keg of it last night. It's interesting stuff but I'm not sure it warranted the crazy sellout when it was first released.

Yeah, I went to the riot room trying to get a pint, but to no avail. Lucky for me they had Stone's Arrogant Bastard, which was fantastic. The carafa makes the color match their numbers pretty close for srm, so I think that's ok. The thing is I'm trying to hit a moving target, since I've never tasted what I'm looking to make.

Anyone tried making this yet?

Regarding the cacao nibs, there's a recipe for KBS in Zymurgy ( I think I found the recipe on here) that calls for a 1.5oz 15 min addition along with 2.5 oz bittersweet chocolate at 15 min. So that might be a starting point.

As far as how the beer tastes. I didn't get a lot of malt presence. I started drinking one right out of the fridge and it didn't taste like much of anything. Once it warmed it was all dark chocolate. Very close to what just tasting cacao nibs by themselves is like. I recall thinking it tasted best at temps I wouldn't drink many other beers at.

Anyone make this?

Resurrecting an old thread due to the second edition on this brew is going to be hitting shelves in a few weeks. Found an article in the Pitch that says there is also Rye in this recipe but it's not listed on the site. Thought I would share. The countdown is on for the return of Chocolate Ale | Feature | The Pitch

I wasn't a big fan but yeah, it enjoyed a cult following. I remember is wasn't very dark either. Good luck. Do you think the prices will be higher this go around?

I sent them an email a couple weeks ago about their "tank 7" and they virtually gave me everything...... percentages, mash schedule with temps and hop additions. Yeast was house Belgian yeast. They were very pleasant and even asked if I had any other questions about the recipe.

Sorry, to hijack but dbals could you shoot me a pm with the Tank 7 recipe? I'd love to have that one on hand. Also, let me know how the Clone goes. I'm very curious about it.

I'm also sorry to hijack, but dbals I would also be interested if you wouldn't mind sending me a pm with the Tank 7 recipe? That is my favorite beers by Boulevard. I've tried a couple of clones by they were not just the same. Thanks. If you don't mind me asking, who did you email at Boulevard to get that recipe?

Actually, I love Tank 7 and wouldn't mind if you would PM me the recipe! Thanks.

I, too, would love the Tank 7 recipe. If it's not too much trouble please PM me as well. Thanks.

I was wondering if you wouldn't mind parting with a copy of the Tank 7 recipe also. It's my favorite Boulevard beers. Thanks.

This is probably getting old, but... That would be pretty cool if you shot that recipe my way as well.. Many thanks!

Please PM me the Tank 7 recipe as well. Thanks in advance...

Craven_Morebrew said:

This is probably getting old, but... That would be pretty cool if you shot that recipe my way as well.. Many thanks!

Click to expand...

How about post the recipe plz. That would be cool and probably save some time in the long run.

Yeah, please post it for everyone.

If you don't want to post it can you pm me the recipe would appreciate it!!!

Posted.... https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/bucket-7-a-304121/. I have not had time to brew this, middle of switching to electric and have a newborn at home. I hope to brew it in spring.

Sorry to the OP for the hijacking...... If nobody posts an update on this recipe I guess I'll email the brewery on this..... As I'm interested in this beer!

dbals, thanks for posting this in your recipe database.

Now, if somebody has the Chocolate ale or the Sixth Glass (so I can make BBQ)

rolling on this next weekend w/ a few changes
9.5 lbs Pale ale malt
4 lbs White wheat malt
1 lb 4 oz Caramel wheat malt
1 lb Honey malt
1 lb Golden naked oats
6 oz coffee malt
mash on the high side
3 oz hallertau 60 minutes
1 oz belgian cocoa pwdr 10min
1 oz vanilla extract pwdr 10 min
pitch nottingham
forget about it for 3 weeks at 60'
4 oz cocoa nibs thrown in keg
keep trying it til it taste good
did anyone ever try the original recipe
wish me luck

keep us updated

brewed came out 1.089 not quite what i was going for but close enough did drop the vanilla and cocoa back to 5 minutes, wish me luck

finished at 1.009, bottling next weekend

Did you taste it?

yep sure did

and......How was it?

warm, flat, strong, let you know in a couple months

plenty of chocolate flavor, actually pretty smooth, think i may have a winner but we'll know for sure in a couple months

Thanks for the recipe on this. I plan to brew this in the coming days, I already got all the grains ground by my local supply where house. I plan to follow your recipe very close. a couple of questions, what size batch did you plan this to be 5.5 or 5 gallons? also what temp did you mash at? This is my first "non kit" to brew I'm really excited.
Thanks,
Marcus

after getting some more info from a source, i really don't think the recipes that have been posted are very close to the original. I'm not saying they'll be bad but not the original. Anyways i was trying for a 5 gallon recipe and mashed around 155-158, I only added the cocoa nibs to about six bottles. After two weeks in the bottle these are still pretty flat. If you were wanting to get closer to the original, from my guesses, simplify the recipe, use a scottish type yeast, and dry hop a ton of cocoa nibs. good luck
chris

Thanks Chris.

I have not brewed this yet. What changes would you have made?
Thanks,
Marcus

Hey marcus sorry for taking so long,
My guess for making an accurate replication would be to just use the pale malt, wheat and oats, and dry hop the cocoa nibs, kiss i guess, i'll see how mine comes out and, then think about trying a simplified version.
chris

Thanks,
I'm not worrying about it being a perfect match. as long as it is very drinkable and in the same class.
I still have not brewed it because I'm looking for the powered vanilla.

Thanks,
Marcus

austin homebrew carries it

well a month in the bottle, have to believe that it came out pretty well. Probably not much of a summer beer, oh well it'll age, on to the next project.

Any and all,
If you have a recipe for any on the boulevards, please post them! Thanks. Also, anyone ever done a mirror pond pale clone?
Thanks

The first time I tried Chocolate Ale it had some big sour fruit notes on top of the chocolate. I later found out I drank from a "bad batch" that was recalled. I liked the bad batch and didn't realize it was out of spec when I tried it.

Interesting note on the bad batch. I still have one in the fridge that was "bad." Everyone else I know drank it right away, and they didn't notice anything weird with it (got it the day it made it to our town, about 3 hours from KC). I might try drinking it and see what happens. FWIW I didnt like the non-bad batch stuff when I had it, so Im hoping for an improvement.