Westside Rye
Boulevard Brewing Co.

Westside RyeWestside Rye
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Rye Beer
Ranked #277
Ranked #43,236
3.54 | pDev: 12.15%
Boulevard Brewing Co.
Missouri, United States
Westside RyeWestside Rye
Reviews: 40 | Ratings: 206
Photo of StonedTrippin
3.65/5  rDev +3.1%

i like this idea of the tasting room series, it has brought us some great beers already, and allows some of the more raw stuff they do to hit our lips, which i like, because sometimes boulevard is overly polished. this one pours somewhere between caramel and brown, with some sediment at the bottom of the bottle but other than that mostly clear. the head is tan and frothy, but shortish lived. i smells a weird tang, which the label says comes from rye, but to me its almost tannic, and the finish of the beer agrees with that, almost off, but the middle is so good. caramel malt and chocolate malt (light), and the rye, which takes on more of a dried fruit here than a spice, again the tang. yeast is english it seems, doughy and hanging around in the finish, which is off dry. well made no doubt, but definitely in need of some tweaks to be perfect. i love the grain flavor, think its awesome, but maybe the sparge temperature or something is a little too warm. those tannins arent amazing in the finish, but i like the base flavor a whole lot, and think it fits the fall season super well. underrated overall i think...

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Photo of Jadjunk
3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

"30% malted rye = tangy, piquant, edgy. How does it pair with pastrami? You tell us." Brewed in the style of a Rye Ale, available in 12 oz. bottles with in the boulevard 12 pack variety case as a Tasting Room series beer.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a Smokestack tulip glass. Served above 49º Fahrenheit.

Pours a tan white head of a creamy frothed head over a red amber body with moderate clarity and very little visible carbonation. Retention is above average, lacing is light and spotty. The aroma consists of bready, syrupy rye with a slight acidity and a mild herbal hop background with a subtle bitterness and a moderate potency. The flavor is very similar with a bready rye profile, fairly clean with a low graininess, a subtle peppery edge and a soft, pleasant sweetness. The texture is slightly slick, lightly viscous and a touch tangy dry with a moderately bold carbonation for a prickly, fevered mouthfeel. The body is medium for the style, medium+ overall. Balance is fairly well rounded out, with the earthy bitterness and tangy edge of the specialty malt bill balancing out the subtle sweetness. The alcohol presence is low, and off characters are minimal to none. Overall this is a solid rye ale recipe, fairly simple and clean but straightforward enough to showcase the rye at its optimal role, nice body and flavor without a grainy, rough or dry edge. Think of it as the little brother of Rye on Rye, Boulevard knows how to use the ingredient to their advantage. Very enjoyable.

Boulevard Brewing Co.'s
Westside Rye Ale

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Photo of beergoot
3.62/5  rDev +2.3%

Bottle's best by date: 08/14/14

Very clear, deep copper body with a thick, creamy head. Faint aroma of caramel and vague spiciness. Mild rye bread flavors with a sharp hop bitterness at the finish. Medium-light body; crisp and dry finish.

A decent drinking if rather unexciting beer. The rye punch comes through in the taste primarily yet the beer, on whole, seems rather bland and watery, at least initially. The smell was pretty faint and hard to pickup on although it is there. Subsequent sips reveal a bit more depth with the malt base and rye, so it can (does) grow on you. With a 30% rye grain bill, I expected a bit more rye oomph.

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Photo of garymuchow
3.57/5  rDev +0.8%

Best by 8/14/14.
Good looking. Nice full head with torrents of bubbles rising through a nice amber body of copper.
A little tight on the aroma. A little malt and I struggle to find any hops.
Soft rye spiciness and a mellow shot of bitterness for hops. Smooth malt flavors overall.
Filling body from the carbonation, but the gas isn't too intense in the mouth, instead having a softer quality overall.
As warms the rye shows stronger with a crackling quality, which is fun.

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Photo of JamieDuncan
3.94/5  rDev +11.3%

Picked this up as part of mixed 12 pack from Boulevard. Oustanding appearance on the beer, thick and murky looking with a great head that just grabs the glass as it dissipates, beautiful. Not much to offer the nose but very tasty, Good but not great, I enjoyed this one very much and would have no problem having it again. Might not seek it out but would gladly snag it as part of a mixed pack again.

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Photo of BeerWithMike
3.68/5  rDev +4%

Sampled also on 5/4/14. Bottle chilled down to 36 degrees F in my beer cooler and poured into a english pint glass.

Pours a pretty amber brown in color with about a 1/2 finger off-white head. Lots of lacing was seen with each sip which was very surprising actually. The aroma isn't too heavy and is of some grains with a hint of citrus and floral hops. The taste is crisp and sharp with a hint of rye and wheat. Overall, it is different and isn't bad. Perfect carbonation.

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Photo of puboflyons
3/5  rDev -15.3%

From the 12 fl. oz. bottle labeled 3353-1033-F-BEST BY 05/18/14. Sampled on April 26, 2014.

The pour is mainly amber brown with a little reddish hue if held to the light. Some cloudiness which could be a chill haze, and little to no head.

Aroma: Well, not much to it. Yup, some rye and barley grain notes and a basically clean hop crispiness but nothing jumps out as out of the ordinary or particularly special.

The body falls in the light to medium range.

The taste brings out a better rye grain character than the nose and then there is a stronger caramel sweetness that kicks in and a fuller bitterness. But this all has to be taken it consideration with the bland aroma. It tastes better than the bland aroma suggests but does that make it better? Not especially. Ho-hum. OK.

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Photo of Tone
3.49/5  rDev -1.4%

Pours a clear, brown color. One inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of sweet malt, citrus hops, hint of floral hops, and hint of pale malt. Fits the style of a rye beer. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with a high carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, hint of roasted malt, hint of pale malt, hops, hint of wheat, and a hint of rye. Overall, great appearance, decent body, but lacking in aroma and complexity.

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Photo of budgood1
2.9/5  rDev -18.1%

pours out of the 12 oz. stubby bottle a clouded dark amber colour with a frothy light tan head. nice retention and subsequent lace. lightly malted aroma, nondescript with just hints of cocoa and spice. the taste of this ale shows off only bits and pieces of the rye used, mildly spicy, slightly astringent and fleetingly bitter. there are meek notes of choco inspired malts used but any other flavours are hard to pin down. light body and a mouthfeel a bit too watery for a brew such as this. pretty drinkable...just sort of lacking in something.

overall this would have to go down as a miss for me. the malt profile should be ratcheted up a few notches to compliment the rye used. for a rye inspired brew, this misses the target.

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Photo of Boca-X
3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

Bought in a sample 12pk...Poured from a bottle into a snifter. Deep, dark amber, almost brown in color. Thick off white head. Sticky, long lasting lacing throughout review.

Malty sweet oven baked bread dipped in honey on the nose.

Medium carbonation, somewhat watery, thin mouth feel up front. A slight sweetness in the middle followed by burnt toast and a earthy bitter finish that lingers for quite some time...the alcohol heat hangs in the throat.

This is OK...nothing special though. I've had many rye brews that I've enjoy much more than this. Not very complex and overly "burnt" for my liking. Smelled great but taste didn't live up to the nose. I think it does what it set out to...taste like a rye pale ale...I'd rather have a rye IPA.

Update: The beer did sweeten some as it warmed making it a little better...still a rye pale ale in my book...just sweeter...I bumped up my taste .25 and my overall .25...cheers!

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Photo of NickT2121
3.43/5  rDev -3.1%

A - poured into a pint glass, big ole finger head on this one with a good amount of lacing left behind. A copper, syrup color. It looks unfiltered but I'm not sure. Very cloudy but beautiful color.

S - a toasted grain Smell, and wheat bread smells. A good hoppy rye spice Smell

T - get the rye, toasted grain spice but not overpowering very smooth.

M - very bubbly and smooth taste with a slight dry bitter finish

O - I enjoyed this beer after dinner no complaints. But as this is in tasting room stage it might change so I might make another review, I could drink this often

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Photo of StaveHooks
3.35/5  rDev -5.4%

12oz bottle served in a DFH IPA glass.

A - Hazy copper with a hefty finger of off-white foam. Average retention with low lacing.

S - Grain, brown bread, toasted malts, mild leafy hops.

T - Grainy, tea tannins, rye malts, somewhat peppery but not as spicy as I thought it would be. Mild grassy hops add light bitterness, dark bread, toasted toffee, finishes semi-dry at the very end.

M - The carbonation is low and slightly stingy, medium weight, kinda syrupy.

An average Rye that seems well made but nothing groundbreaking. You could session this though.

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Photo of DenverHopHead
3.42/5  rDev -3.4%

Poured from a bottle with a best by date of 5/18/14, into a pint glass.
Appearance - a dark, sunset orange; bubbly carbonation that builds a huge, creamy, off-white head. Lacing is above average.
Smell - rye bread, with a hint of spice. Disappointed at the lack of hops in the nose.
Taste - follows the nose with the rye bread and spice.
Feel - tame and feels more like a lager.
Overall - not bad for the price, but I wouldn't have if not in the mixed 12.

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Photo of Warmonster
3.15/5  rDev -11%

I've had this a few times now, Not a huge fan of rye ale, but its a good beer, and seems to be a good beer to mix with food. Since this is in the "tasting room" stage.. I would probably NOT release this as a permanent option if I had the choice. I'm not sure what they'll do, but this wouldn't be something id buy a 12 pack of... One of those kind of beers that 2 or 3 is good... Not something I could drink on through the night... The taste is pretty bland, nothing special about this brew.

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Photo of tronester
3.64/5  rDev +2.8%

Pours a slightly hazy mahogany with a tiny tan head. Aromas of cinnamon and dark bread. Taste begins with a bit of spicy rye, then some dark bread, then a bit of metal, followed by a clean bitter finish. Mouthfeel is a bit light. Overall though, it is a good beer, there are a few downsides here and there, but the final product is nice.

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Photo of Goosehunter75
3.14/5  rDev -11.3%

A - Pours a very nice amber with a huge 4 finger offwhite head. Very good retention

S - Very mild aroma. Slightly dissappointing. Smells somehwat sweet. Slight citrus

T - Really tame flavor as well. Not much going on. They rye is present. Somewhat malty

M - dry in the mouth. Perhaps from the rye. Liht bodied beer. Slick feeling

O - Definately drinkable, but not much going on. Fairly bland. Was really hoping for more

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Photo of barnzy78
3.37/5  rDev -4.8%

A - brown with a creamy tan head, decent retention
S - earthy rye, toasted grain
T - earthy, peppery spicy rye, brown malt, rye bread crust, toasty grain, caramel
M - creamy, smooth, medium-full body, drying finish
O - decent rye beer but seemed to be missing something.

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Photo of MattyG85
4.15/5  rDev +17.2%

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tall pint glass. Bottle says best by 04/24/14.

Appearance: Pours a deep and fairly hazy brownish amber orange with a lot of rising bubbles. Big three finger off white head which slowly settles into a thinner creamy layer. Leaves a lot of creamy lacing around the glass.

Smell: A toasty, bready, and fairly spicy malt forward aroma. Toasty pale malts with upfront hints of biscuit, grains, wheat, caramel, toffee, yeast, straw, and cracker. Spicy hints of rye bread. Fruity hints of apple and slight citrus orange. Dark fruit hints of raisin, fig, and dates. Subtle hints of earthy and floral hops in the background. A pretty nice bready aroma.

Taste: Like the aroma hints at, a bready, toasty, and fairly spicy malt driven taste. Toasted pale malts with good notes of biscuit, wheat, grains, caramel, toffee, straw, cracker, and yeast. Good spicy notes of rye bread. Subtle fruit taste with notes of apple and orange as well as some dark fruit notes of fig, raisin, and dates. Light backing notes of earthy and floral hops towards the finish. A pretty solid taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Nicely creamy, spicy, and smooth. Finishes fairly dry.

Overall: A pretty solid take on a rye beer. Good toasty malt notes with a nice kick of rye spice.

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Photo of Rhettbuck
3.47/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Clean, pure and the color of a dirty penny. The head on this beer was substantial, frothy. In fact I would say too much head for a beer. Had to wait almost ten minutes for it to go down without getting a beer beard.

Smell: Not over powering, but then again that might be my cold.

Taste: Good, light and crisp. The bottle label suggest drinking it while eating a pastrami, and I have to think it would be a good pairing. Slight bite at the end of the sip.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation is a bit heavy, but I should have expected that with the foamy head. Granted I tried this beer in Denver and the elevation seems to make most of my beers more carbonated.

Overall: I like this beer. Don't know if I would buy it just buy itself. But for a sampler I was happy with it.

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Photo of CFHMagnet
3.54/5  rDev 0%

A slightly aggressive pour yields a half finger of off-white head with a sandy tinge to it. This sits over a slightly burnt orange body. A slow, steady stream of bubbles makes a journey from bottom to top, and the beer keeps a little frothy ring at the top. Lace cannot quite maintain a hold on the glass.

The aroma is actually underwhelming. There is the light trace of rye bread. A faint whiff of caramel helps it out. I get a little earth/garden note as well.

The flavor speaks volumes more than the nose. The front end is a rye bread flavor that starts off with a little spice and blossoms into a full rye flavor. This transitions with a very light caramel sweetness but keeps the rye and spice into a slightly earthy taste that complements. All light but good.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied. It is very dry.

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Photo of NeedBeerHere
3.34/5  rDev -5.6%

Pours out a dark maroon in color with an off-white head, two-fingers with good retention. Smell is is definitely malty with caremal, sweet dark fruits, and tiny bit of hops that are really in the background. The nose is fairly well balances but could use a little more hop profile. Taste is sweet caremal and everything in the nose. Nothing really spectacular but it works OK. Mouthfeel is sort of thick due to the carbonation for the style but nothing great. Overall, not a bad beer but nothing I would buy again.

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Photo of mdcrouser
3.01/5  rDev -15%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Nice creamy head, with a transparenet and uniquely burnt orange-gold. Nice, but the color is definitely different.

I'm getting very little on the nose.

Maltiness like an amber, but with the rye coming through as mildly spicy - like tiny bees on the tongue, initially stinging. Supported then by a bit of citrus and some greenery. Little else comes through.

The mouthfeel is great - creamy, smooth, easily drinkable.

Looks good, feels good, but the smell and taste are significantly lacking. It just comes across as wanting for something more.

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Photo of alk3kenny
4.15/5  rDev +17.2%

Dark brown color with a nice thick fluffy tan head... Smell is of roast, candied fruit, slight hops not over powering... Slightly sweet, with some sour notes on the back of the tongue... malt/hop balance is nice.. Not usually a huge rye beer fan but this is pretty good and really easy to drink. Would buy a sixer if made available.

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Photo of Mdog
3.8/5  rDev +7.3%

Appearance: Dark amber, huge head.

Smell: Fruity, rye bread spiciness.

Taste: Juicy citrus with rye spiciness underneath. As it warms up it balances out with the rye coming through a little more.

Overall: Picked up a single to try, I used to have a lot of Boulevard when I lived in Missouri. This is pretty good, not a rye bomb, but a balanced pale ale with a moderate rye feel to it.

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Photo of emerge077
3.43/5  rDev -3.1%

Best by 3/23/14

Murky orange body with reddish highlights. Thin layer of parchment colored foam, lasting surface skim. Minimal spotty lace.

Aroma is toasty with some apple esters.

Prickly carbonation, tangy rye graininess, mildly bitter aftertaste. Sort of one dimensional, but it has some distinctive rye flavor to it. Overall just ok.

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Westside Rye from Boulevard Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 206 ratings