12oz single, large thanks go out to Kevin for this one. Golden, slightly hazed body with a nicely formed tight head. Retention and lace don't add up to much but there is some froth left on the inside of the glass. Nose doesn't have much more than some simple, sweet grains. Tastes are really pleasing. Sweet malts up front with a light, but lively carbonation. Very smooth and silky in the mouth. A very "soft" beer.The finishes adds a touch of bitterness and more sweet, light fruitiness. Tiny...
Notes on beers in the style
Cream Ale
Fairlawn’s Finest Cream Lager
On tap at the brewery with Mike (the Brewmaster) in attendance! First off I made an assumption about this beer that is often correct but in this case was a little off. The production of a beer like this in a brewpub is usually done mainly to satisfy the hoards of BMC drinkers that can only stomach a light beer of some description. When I asked Mike about this he told me that yes, there was *some* truth in that, BUT he would only be content brewing a beer that additionally stood on its own, and...
Genesee Cream Ale
12oz can, $0.65 at Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA - why not?? Complete clarity on the pour with a very light, high head that is short lived but leaves a small amount of decent lace. Golden color, light carbonation. Very clean and smooth - definite cream soda note to the beer, especially in the finish. Actually I really enjoyed this! Extremely surprising to me but the simplicity, non-skunked and clean edge to this beer was satisfying. I could go for a few of these in a baking hot ATL...
Haver Ale
12oz single as part of a recent trade - sorry I forget who. Nice looking pour with a slightly cloudy appearance, a nice head and a little lace. Nice example of the stlye that strays over into Belgian Pale territory. Some yeasty notes as well as tastes that have some spice like a tripel. Only thing missing is the alcohol which is pretty much non-existant in this beer. Finish is dry. Finish is also a little watery. Decent for the style, but fairly pedestrian.
Lagunitas Sirius Ale
This has been in GA for a little while now, but I didn't get around to picking any up - to be honest the thought of another, bland and uninteresting Cream Ale hardly set my pulse racing. Anyway, I was discussing the likelihood that ths beer was not particularly interesting with brickstoredave, when he said, "actually its pretty good". Dave and I don't always agree on such matters so I was still a bit sceptical as he offered up a draft sample. I was pleasantly suprised. Offered up as a macro...
Money Shot
$4.25 for a 16 oz pour at Taco Mac, Winward location, Alpharetta, GA. Typical North American macro looking pour with some thin lace. Pretty clean beer with a little residual sweetness and a smooth mouthfeel, but very little in terms of taste. Very simple brew. Seemed to have a slightly green tinge to it amongst all the yellow "macroness." Carbonation was good. Weakest beer from OB I have had and not something that I would bother with again.
Thomas Hooker Blonde Ale
Bought as a single from Jax, Sandy Springs, GA, USA. Pretty typical of the style which has a tendency to pour initially with an attractive, frothy head, only to lose it very quickly and the beer become really rather flat in both appearance and body. Nice cream ale taste with some drying, bitter hops - I always think of the style as a sweetened Pilsner. This is pretty representative of the style with no surprises. Golden in the glass and decent summertime drinkability, but outside of that a...
Stillwater Vanilla Cream Ale
Very yellow (almost artificial looking) color, but with a really nice head and some attractive lacing. Cloudy appearance, a bit like an artificial Hefe. Definite Cream Ale feel, quite nice in the mouth, and considering the vanilla moniker virtually no vanilla flavor for me. Has a distinct Wit feel, but without the spice notes. Not a very good beer, but a little better than I expected. Drinkable as lawnmower material but little else.
Max Cream
Currently this is called Max Amber Cream Ale, rather than just "Cream", but I was assured it was the same beer. Beautiful looking pint, golden and a large 1 inch head that showed excllent retention. Some spicy, hop character that really reminded me of a simple, lightly hopped IPA. Very drinkable and very refreshing. A little aggresive, prickly carbonation adds to the mix to make a very good brewpub beer.
Terrapin Golden Ale
Standard looking beer with a small head and a strong, golden lager appearance. Distinct cream soda in the nose, a definite sweetness comes out of the glass - not huge, but noticeable. Light, easy drinking with that obvious sweetness for the style and a little hop bitterness (but not much) in the finish. Mouthfeel a little creamy and above average. Very drinkable and a decent example of the (relatively) unusual style.
Sleeman Cream Ale (64*)
UPDATE 4/19/07.Relatively new, brown bottle packaging - I still like it! Personally I like the packaging - the minimal neck label and the clear bottle. I know most will dislike the glassware, but I think it makes for a pleasant visual change. The beer looks good in the bottle. Cream Ale? Well I'm not sure about that. I suspect that this has had sufficient adjunts added to make it not much more or less than a macro adjunct lager. Slight skunkiness in the smell (alright - clear glass, I know) -...
Honey Cream Ale
Definitely honey and creaminess to this brew. It pours a hazy orange color which I don't think is especially attractive. Quite smooth, but like most Rogues, I find the hop aroma and the general hop character much too big for the beer itself. It doesn't matter that the hops in this beer are really quite small for a Rogue brew, they still seem to overpower the style that the beer should have. I was only introduced to Rogues a few months ago and after the initial delight at finding something more...