A tasting flight at Boise Brewing
I go to a lot of breweries by myself. Some may judge me for that because I drink alone. Not like George Thorogood drinking alone, but still alone. Fortunately, the bartenders at Boise Brewing were friendly and engaging, so I was a little less alone while trying out Boise Brewing’s Beer.
I ordered up a flight of beer starting first with the Broad Street Blonde. This is a 4.5% Alcohol By Volume (ABV) and a 16 International Bittering Unit (IBU). This is what I call a gateway beer, one that if you have that friend who likes the macro brews can be talked into trying this style of micro beer. Ironically Boise Brewing also refers to this beer as a “gateway beer”. I am glad that we are in agreement with our terminology! This beer is good at what it does, an easy beer with low hop notes that will be found pleasing to people who do not enjoy an overly hoppy beer.
My next beer was the Down Down Extra Pale Ale. This beer has a 4.5% ABV and a 40 IBU. I liked this beer a lot, it had a nice citrus hoppy flavor. The tasting notes on Untappd were amusing too “Pairs well with running. And also with not running” It was becoming clear to me that the people behind Boise Brewing may be a little sassy. Not that, that is a bad thing. I always enjoy some amusing sass with my beer.
The Fair Dig Irish Red Ale was up next with a 5.5% ABV and a 24 IBU. This beer is traditional to its Irish roots with a malty backbone and low on the hop scale. It is flavorful with caramel notes pairing up with roasted barley goodness that is quite enjoyable.
Witch’s Tit Winter Ale
I’m not sure which parent of mine use to say this, “it’s colder than a witch’s tit in a brass bra”. But I’m sure if my dad reads this post he will chime in as to who it was. So you are probably wondering why I am rambling on about this witch’s tit, well that’s because my next taste was the Witch’s Tit Winter Ale. I love a great winter ale and this one has some greatness. Roasted notes making for a deep, dark delightfulness is always in favor with me. The Witch’s Tit is an 8.5% ABV with a 65 IBU. The flavors are spicy with some maltiness.
The Jagged Shard was my next beer with an 8.4% ABV and an 80 IBU. This is a Red Imperial Ale and got rave reviews from me on Untappd, a 4.75 rating out of 5. I liked the balance between the hoppiness and the maltiness. The beer also has a bold citrus flavor that is quite pleasing.
Hip Check IPA
My last beer was the Hip Check IPA. A 7.6% ABV with a 100 IBU. I saved this one for the end because with a high IBU I did not want it to overshadow the rest of the bunch. Citrus notes adorn this beer and make it very tasty. The bitterness is a nice compliment to the citrus flavors and makes you want to high-five the brewmaster for making such a quality beer.
It was at this point I had reached a crossroad in my life. Ok, maybe not in my life, but at this moment in time, I had checked in 499 individual beers on Untappd since joining in 2013. Anyone who uses the Untappd app knows that 500 individual beers will give you the Legendary Badge. And who doesn’t want to be legendary?
I had been stuck at the Master Badge for 16 months after achieving 200 individual beer check-ins. It was time to cross over, however, I was at the end of my beer flight. I had been chatting on and off with the bartender, who oddly resembled Zachary Quinto, about the beers I had had while at their brewery. I for some reason felt compelled to tell him I was on the cusp of 500 individual beers on Untappd. He said, “you’re not allowed to leave without hitting 500”. I couldn’t argue with him, he might put me in a Vulcan Death Grip. He poured me just a sip of the Seven Crane Cream Ale. A 4.5% ABV and a 16 IBU. Not necessarily one of my favorite styles, a cream ale, but it did fit the need. I got my 500th check in. Although I felt like I was slightly cheating as it was only a sip. “Zachary” reassured me that it would be OK as I did, in fact, drink the beer. Maybe not a lot of it, but it was not like I falsified a check in to obtain just an internet based badge. I’m not that pathetic. Right?
B-Town Bistro food truck at Boise Brewing
Some things to note about Boise Brewing, they offer Happy Hour on Saturdays. It is a somewhat strange bonus, but hey who doesn’t like discounted beer on Saturdays? They have $1 off pints during their happy hour. $2.50 USD pints are offered on Tuesdays. Growlers fills are discounted on Sundays and Mondays with $7 and $10 fills respectively. No food is available from the brewery, however, a food truck was located outside, B-Town Bistro, who after I ordered brought my food to me at the bar. Pretty handy.
Boise Brewing is located at 521 W Board Street. Parking will be a pain, as is most parking in downtown Boise.
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