[8/14 Update from John Bryan: Estimated 550 cases of BBQ (Nov. 1ish release) and 995 cases of Saison-Brett (Oct. 1ish release)]

(Kansas City, MO) – Boulevard Brewing, ranked #8 in the top 50 craft breweries in 2007 sales, will release two of the most rare, top-rated beers in its arsenal in bottles for the first time this fall. Boulevard Saison-Brett will become the fifth beer in the Smokestack Series and the first addition to the set in close to a year. It will be joined by Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quadrupel as the 6th in the series.

Boulevard Saison-Brett and Boulevard “BBQ” are not to be confused with Boulevard Saison and Boulevard Sixth Glass Quadrupel. The latter two beers were released as part of the Smokestack Series’ launch last November. They were joined by Boulevard Double-Wide IPA and Long Strange Tripel (more info here, flash-based site). The six beers (four original and two new) sit atop Boulevard’s rankings, and have helped push it closer to the top 50 breweries as ranked on RateBeer.

Some will recognize Saison-Brett as a beer that first surprised at the Belgium Comes to Cooperstown fest in 2006. It then appeared at both BCTC and the Great American Beer Festival in 2007. At the festivals, the Brett profile in the beer earned the name, “George Brett,” as a result of Boulevard’s location in Kansas City, which happens to be where the Hall of Fame infielder played his entire career.

Saison-Brett will be released to the tune of less than 12,000 bottles and BBQ even more limited at approximately 7000. Each bottle will be individually numbered. The beers will be released into the same distribution channel as the other Smokestack beers. According to John Bryan, Director of the Artisanal Division, that channel includes the following states: MO, KS, NE, IA, ND, SD, MN, WY, IL, AR, OK, TN, and TX. Perhaps most remarkable about this group of limited releases is that they are released in a number of states that have traditionally not been known for carrying a great selection of higher quality craft beers.

[ed: This is the second sour beer release we’ve revealed in as many weeks that happened to be a brewery’s top-rated beer. The ‘sour’ trend will continue over the next week when we discuss Upland’s new lambic-style beers and a new sour to appear in Minnesota.]