Zen Moment in a Pilsner Glass - Boulevard Collaboration #1

Boulevard has been getting a lot of attention from their Collaboration #1, and I'm surprised at some of the negative remarks. Some are not all that impressed that it's an Imperial Pilsner. I'm looking at you Paul. Others feel the need to be nit-picky over what an Imperial Pilsner is (look at the comments). I feel it is important to keep an open mind about these things. If a Orval master brewer wants to make an Imperial Pisner, by all means let him. If said master brewer wants to call an Imperial Pilsner a Light Lager, by all means let him.  In my mind, when you get to a "Master" level of anything you get to take certain amount of liberties.

The more I have read about this brew, the more and more it sounds like a Zen Buddhist exercise called Ensō, which is Japanese for "circle". Ensō is practiced by painting a circle. The motion, and especially the thought put into the motion, creates an path to enlightenment through the seemingly simplicity. Just think about it, a circle is a simple object, but just try and free hand a perfect circle. It takes intense concentration and skill to be able to do that.  The symbol itself reflects the moment when the mind is free to simply let the body/spirit create.  I may be completely off base with this theory, but I look forward to talking with Jean-Marie Rock about this at the Boulevard Collaboration Release Party. 

In full transparency, Boulevard did give this bottle to me for review, though that has not influenced my opinion.

750 ml corked bottle, poured into a Pilsner glass. Tight bubble formation in the head, which pushes just over two inches. This is one to pour in moderate pulls. Color is a bright straw yellow with a mild haze. Perfect amount of carbonation for a pilsner, which means tons.

Smell is a dry biscuit from the Pilsner malt, with some green alfalfa from the Saaz hops. Taste has a lot more green grass character. Malts remain crisp and dry, with a interesting hint of vanilla.

Mouthfeel is crisp, but it definitely has body. It finishes with a mildly tart after taste. The finish is actually not as dry as what I was expecting. For an 8%, it is very clean and refreshing. This is no sissy lager by any means. Solid beer all the way through.