Boulevard has started releasing the 2012 version of Chocolate Ale to distributors. If you don’t know about Chocolate Ale, it is part of Boulevard’s Smokestack Series, and is a limited release beer. Brewmaster Steven Pauwels collaborated with Kansas City Chocolatier Christopher Elbow to brew this beer, which, in terms of the general public, is probably the most sought after beer that Boulevard brews.

Last year, the beer was released in Kansas City a few weeks before Valentine’s Day, and it literally flew off of the shelves. Boulevard originally planned this beer as a one-time release, but due to consumer demand, they released an announcement stating they were “blown away by the reaction” and that “due to overwhelming feedback...[Chocolate Ale] will be back for next Valentine’s Day.” The demand was so high that bottles were selling for double, sometimes triple, the MSRP of $8.99 at local stores. I also saw bottles on auction sites, such as eBay, selling for up to $50.

If you live in the Kansas City Metro area, you will have to wait until at least January 30 to get your lips on this year's version. As reported by Brad on the KC Beer Blog, this is when Boulevard's local distributor, Central States Beverage, will start delivering Chocolate Ale to bars and restaurants. Bottles should begin showing up a liquor stores on January 31, and don't be surprised if there is a limit of 1 or 2 bottles per person.

If you live outside of Kansas City, but in an area that usually has Boulevard Smokestack beers, chances are you can get your hands on some Chocolate Ale right now. Distributors in most areas are not waiting until the end of January to release the beer to the public. This brings me to the original topic of this post. Why would a beer, brewed in Kansas City, be released in Kansas City after it's been released elsewhere?It would seem to me that Kansas Citians should be the first to savor such a highly sought-after beer.

I don't know all of the in's and out's of the brewing industry, but what I do know is that past limited releases from Boulevard have been available to others outside of Kansas City first. I'm sure most of the blame can be put on the distributor, because once the beer leaves the brewery, it is out of Boulevard's hands. This update from Boulevard mentions that "the beer began to be placed on the trucks of certain distributors beginning on January 4th" and "[o]ur Kansas City distributor will pick up its allocation at the end of the month, and plans to begin delivering the beer to bars, restaurants, liquor and grocery stores throughout the city on January 31st."

My question is, why can't Boulevard allow Central States to be the first to pick it up (at the end of this month), and then release let the rest of the beer to their other distributors afterwards? I'm sure, in this case, it has to do with the timing of the release and Valentine's Day, but what about other limited releases like Saison-Brett and Bourbon Barrel Quad?

If you want to read a good write up on how to get Chocolate Ale on January 31, check out this article written by Sarah Gish. You can also check your favorite beer blogs for updates throughout the upcoming weeks.