Tank 7 American Saison - Boulevard Brewing Co. Review
Boulevard Brewing Company out of Kansas City, Missouri has been solidifying their name in the world of craft brewing since 1989, and this week we bring you one of their iconic beers: Tank 7 American Saison.
The rise of the saison in American craft brewing has been substantial, with many varieties and interpretations of this old world beer. Many of them are light and dry, with fruity flavors and Belgian yeast character. Boulevard’s take on the saison is strong, coming in at 8.5% ABV and 38 IBUs. It is bottle conditioned (as most Belgian-style ales worth their salt are), and Boulevard describes it as light to medium bodied with ‘floral, citrusy hop, [and] Belgian yeast ester’ aroma, with light, sweet malt flavor and the promise of grapefruit and peppery hop flavors all cloaked in an ‘elegant effervescence.’
Sounds like an American take of a Belgian saison if I’ve ever heard of one. Let’s see how these giants from the heartland stack up.
First Impressions
On the Eyes — Golden-orange, hazy, and topped with a thick cream-colored head. It appears unfiltered with all sorts of dancing yeast and hop bits throughout, setting us up for some true, unedited flavor.
On the Nose — The Belgian yeast esters are right up front, adding a spiciness that mingles with the floral and citrus notes. The aroma has a lot of character that reminds me a lot of a Leffe Blonde or other Belgian blonde ales—off to a great start.
On the Palate — It is effervescent and light, as advertised, and the grapefruit flavor is much more prominent than the aroma alluded to, which is a good thing. This citrus bitterness helps balance out the sweetness of the malt. The body is closer to medium to me than light, but the effervescence really is as elegant as Boulevard says, making it a fantastic brew for cutting through fatty or rich foods. It is smooth to drink while maintaining that tingle, making it approachable for a pretty strong beer.
Food Pairings: Boulevard suggests pairing Tank 7 with Herb-roasted chicken, Pork, or Tallegio cheese–a dairy cheese from Italy with a strong aroma and tang.
Verdict
Tank 7 from Boulevard Brewing Co. is a great example of an American-Belgian-style Saison (that’s a mouthful!), and that’s why it was awarded Gold at the 2020 American Beer Festival in the American-Belgo-style ale category. One of my complaints about many Belgian-style beers is the (sometimes excessive) sweetness. Tank 7 does have some light, sweet malt character, but it is balanced out expertly with the citrusy, bitter American hops. This thought on balance makes this beer more sensible to the American palate, and it makes it more approachable considering its high ABV (8.5%). It is a fun beer to drink from a brewer that’s been fermenting good beers for a long time.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew