Boulevard Smokestack Series - Collaboration No. 2 White IPA

Tonight we are going to be reviewing a beer that represents a collaborative effort between two giants, relatively speaking, within the craft beer industry.  Boulevard Brewing and Deschutes Brewing have come together to craft a beer unlike any other on the market today.  Taking Boulevards ability to make a deliciously floral and easy to drink wheat beer and Deschutes knack for packing as many hops as humanly possible into a pint of golden liquid, these two have created the long sought after White IPA!

Ok... maybe it hasn't been sought for very long but I would bet money that plenty of home brewers out there have tried to craft something similar!

This brew follows the industry trend towards hops, hops and more hops.  Within the last few years we have seen the emergence of schwarzbiers turned into black IPAs, Belgian beers turned into Belgian IPAs and even stouts transformed into the Frankenstein of the IPA world.  Its a great time to be a craft beer enthusiast if you love hops!  We all know Dunz does.

Boulevard's website for this beer is packed full of information about the collaborative process and tasting notes. I wasn't aware that Deschutes is actually producing a collaborative beer of their own through this partnership.  I'll need to keep my eyes peeled for that one when it hits the shelves.

Collaboration No. 2 is presented in a very classy corked bottle.  It secretes early 1900s sophistication.  Luckily for us the beer inside presents itself in much the same way.  Crystal clear pale yellow topped with a light white foam, I could have easily mistaken this for a bottle of bubbly if it had more, well... bubbles.  The aroma here is outstanding.  I want somebody to make a candle that smells like this!  Flowery and citrusy hops tango with the Belgian-style yeast aromas of clove, spice and hints of sage and lemongrass which were both added post-fermentation.  The flavors are decidedly 'witbier' with a big bitter bite adding a welcome balance to the overall experience.  Sage and other herbs added to this brew combine to form a subtle black pepper character that lingers alongside the hop induced bitterness.  A solid level of carbonation pairs up with the aforementioned bitterness to finish this treat out nice and dry.

Overall - Its hard for me to find anything bad to say about this collaborative effort between two of the best breweries this side of the pond.  If I had to chose a beer to be stuck with for an entire year this White IPA would easily be at the top of my list.  Its complex, refreshing, smooth, flavorful and dangerously easy to drink.  Why does it have to be so expensive!!!  At $10 for 22 oz it wont be something I drink everyday.  Go do yourself a favor and find a bottle of this now.  It wont be around for long, especially if I come across a small fortune and buy out every store in the metro!