The Evolution of Boulevard’s Love Child Series
Since its inception in 2011, Boulevard Brewing Company’s iconic Love Child series has taken craft beer enthusiasts on an adventurous journey into wild fermentation. Originating from their esteemed Smokestack Series, Love Child represents an ever-evolving experiment, embracing the unpredictable art of blending and barrel-aging. Each release is a unique, limited-edition showcase of creativity in beer-making, characterized by funk, sourness, and maturation. The series made its debut with Love Child No. 1, a bold bourbon-barrel-aged brew with an impressive 12.5% ABV, enriched by the complexities of wild yeast strains like Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces. Its distinctive label displayed the intensity of Funk, Sour, and Fruit, offering beer lovers a sensory peek into its evolving flavor profile.
Over the years, the Love Child series shifted to include artful blends of Flanders-style red ales and Belgian-style golden ales. This evolution allowed Boulevard to offer more approachable ABVs and a diverse palette of flavors, from soft lactic tartness to refreshing fruitiness and gentle funk. Under the guidance of expert blenders at Boulevard, each iteration is hand-selected from a curated collection of barrels, puncheons, foeders, and tanks, all infused with wild yeasts and bacteria that define this imaginative series.
Crafting the Newest Release: Love Child No. 12
Boulevard Brewing Company is thrilled to introduce Love Child No. 12, the latest and perhaps most exploratory addition to their innovative series. This year’s Love Child is a carefully crafted blend consisting of 55% various sour puncheons—a mix of golden ales and Flanders red ales aged in large, characterful wooden vessels. The blend is rounded out by 30% barrel-aged pale ale, known for its pronounced oak character and acidity balance, alongside 15% barrel-aged barleywine, which adds depth and warmth. The result? An intriguingly layered and lively beer that stands as a testament to the harmonious marriage of creativity and craft.
“Love Child is an exciting platform to highlight our wild fermentations,” shares Brent Cox, Boulevard’s resident wild and sour barrel expert. “Some barrels may not fit mainstream styles but possess fascinating attributes. Love Child allows us to explore and enhance these characteristics, creating a complex beer creature that celebrates our craft.” Lovers of wild ales will find Love Child No. 12 mesmerizing for its distinctive personality—a true beacon of innovation in Boulevard’s portfolio of wild beers.
A Collaborative Effort with Firestone Walker
Observant fans might notice a change with Love Child No. 12—it’s bottled in a 375ml format, a departure from previous 750ml releases. This adjustment is facilitated by Boulevard’s partnership with Firestone Walker, a collaboration that ensures these beloved sours continue to reach the public while maintaining quality control. When it comes to handling wild yeast, careful host equipment is essential, and Firestone Walker’s bottling facilities in Buellton allow for a perfect venue, away from Boulevard’s core production brewery.
Boulevard co-brews like a family reunion dish—the recipe and love remain Boulevard’s, even if the high-tech mixing happens elsewhere. Picture inviting your Vanilla Butter Cake-loving family to savor Love Child No. 12, expertly made with the best in collaborative brewing resources. Pairing this layered ale with Vanilla Butter Cake? Now that’s an indulgence worth celebrating.
Conclusion
Boulevard’s Love Child series continues to captivate with its bold step into the realm of wild ales. From its potent beginnings in bourbon barrels to its latest rendition, Love Child No. 12, this series exemplifies Boulevard’s dedication to innovation in craft brewing. Such creative ventures not only enrich the vibrant American craft beer scene but also invite exploration for those keen to journey through the flavors of boundary-pushing brews. Discover remarkable breweries like Boulevard Brewing Company, and dive deeper into the world of craft beer with resources like BreweriesNearMe.us.
#CraftBeer #WildAle #BreweryExperience #SourBeer #BreweryTourism
