Serviceable pre-prohibition style cream ale (in a can) claims to be staple in Rhode Island during the Sixties. A bit thin, its spritzy citric-spiced grassy hops creep alongside smooth pale-lagered Vienna and caramel malts. Mild lemony orange twist and light vanilla creaming veiled by phenol complacency. White-breaded spine nearly goes limp. But it’s summertime sessionable when chilled.
Fine canned version streamlines baked-breaded sourdough malting with resinous hop bittering, coarse grain-husked minerality and wafting cologne musk. Herbal snips and vegetal wisps glide through the salt-watered briskness as well. Serve to anyone intrigued by Heineken’s pungent hop bitterness or to less aggressive Dortmunder lager imbibers. Betters any marketed cream ale.
On tap at Mews (and available in cans), polite moderate-bodied cream ale makes for an easygoing, approachable session beer. Dry wood-toned hop spicing creases honeyed citric easement above crowded biscuit malt bottom. Baked bread, wheat toast and baguette illusions provide restrained alacrity.
Approachable moderate-bodied session ale. Light caramelized creaming and doughy baked breading contrast subtly perfumed grassy hop bittering. Lemony grapefruit splurge picks up mild herbal tea nuance above wispy ethanol pungency, finishing with a zesty citric-spiced zip.
A different version of Labatt 50 to celebrate brewers’ half-century mark. Fizzy raspberry spritz, floral fruit scamper, and grain-malted tranquility consume front end. Short-lived meringue finish recalls spicier red ales, but expected creaminess lacks.
Translucent coppery one-off can’t escape miring Sleeman-related grain dankness. Yet heavier alcohol combustion and tangy orange-apricot stint best brewers’ traditional Cream Ale. Sweet malts turn frustratingly pungent though straw-to-cracked wheat spine holds up well against meager lemon drop snip. Too bad carbolic diacetyl finish gets oily. (Numeric appellation designates ancient recipe page.)
Exquisitely full-bodied hazy golden amber libation seamlessly merges pleasant floral hop bitterness with dense honeydew-orange-grapefruit wallop and residual candied sugar sweetness, besting meagerly cream ale competition with its eccentric cornucopia of fruits, spices, and grains. Peppery herbs are scattered across tropical kiwi-mango flourish, sappy honey continuance, piney resin goo, and eventually, an earthen mineral-like mustiness. Sterling.
Not unduly original amongst subordinate stylistic competitors, but crisp lemony grapefruit slurp and bittersweet hop spicing enliven taut barley-toasted wheat-cracked baked bread spine above usual lawnmower session beers. Popcorn illusions will turn on lightweight pilsner addicts and Bud Lite suckers.
Buttery cream ale seems fire brewed as flighty bittersweet cereal grains and toasted barleymalts reach charred hop bitterness, increasing filling nature of otherwise inconspicuous middleweight. Orange tang and butterscotch sweetness induce Scotch-tinged finish.
Brisk water flow saturates smooth pumpernickel foundation. Sweet fruited malt caress, orange rind bittering, marble rye reminder, and dry nuttiness knock back light creaminess to compromised finish.
Worthy light-bodied amber-clouded delight with solid head retention, smooth barley-hop confluence, and clean mocha-caramel malting. Arguably the best cream ale on the market for a short time. Brewery defunct: 2002.