(Kansas City, MO) – Boulevard Brewing said today that it failed to tell consumers that a batch of its Smokestack Series Imperial Stout showed a form of bacteria presence of a wild yeast known as Brettanomyces before it was released.

…I’m not sure how an Imperial Stout shows traits of Brettanomyces without some kind of infection though it isn’t clearly spelled out in the brewery’s letter below. In any case, the brewery is offering a refund though this is not technically a recall because the wild yeast is not harmful. Here is the letter/instructions in full:

————————————

The 2011 Limited Release of Smokestack Series Imperial Stout has recently been the subject of some consumer comments and forum postings. We’d like to take this opportunity to explain what happened, and to offer monetary relief to any dissatisfied consumers.

Prior to the March release our tasting panel sampled several bottles of the new barrel aged beer. Some turned out as expected, while others displayed the unique characteristics of wild Brettanomyces yeast. We immediately posted tasting notes to our blog, announcing the deviation and noting the differences in flavor profiles. Because our tasting panel very much enjoyed both versions, we decided to proceed with the release as usual.

It is Batch #2 of the 2011 Imperial Stout that exhibits the Brettanomyces trait. In retrospect, we should have called attention to this Brett character on the label. Because we didn’t, and because some consumers got a beer that was different from the one they had a legitimate right to expect, we’re offering a refund to anybody who feels shortchanged, and who can reasonably demonstrate that they did in fact buy a bottle of Batch #2 of our 2011 Imperial Stout.

Batch information is located on the back label of the bottle, in the upper right-hand corner (click here to view image—batch number is indicated by the number “2” at the end of the top line.). To receive a full refund, please send us the name of the store where you purchased the beer, the purchase price, your name and mailing address, and one of the following:

• The actual front and back labels removed from a bottle of 2011 Imperial Stout, Batch #2
• A scan or photo of the front and back labels from a bottle of 2011 Imperial Stout, Batch #2

You can e-mail this information to [email protected] or mail it to “Imperial Stout Refund, Boulevard Brewing Company, 2501 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64108.” You should expect a check within 2-4 weeks of your submission.

We apologize for any confusion or dissatisfaction. Thanks to everyone who shared comments or concerns. We sincerely appreciate your support, and we pledge to learn from our mistakes. If you have any additional questions about this release, or any other Boulevard offering, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Your Friends at Boulevard Brewing Company