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Cultural Exchange
Cream ale is a North American specialty that is somewhat of a hybrid in style. Despite the name, many brewers use both ale and lager yeasts for fermentation, or more often, just lager yeasts. This style of beer is fermented like an ale at warm temperatures, but then stored at cold temperatures for a period of time, much as a lager would be. The resultant brew has the unchallenging crisp characteristics of a light pale lager, but is endowed with a hint of the aromatic complexities that ales provide. Pale in color, they are generally more heavily carbonated and more heavily hopped than light lagers.
Interpreting the 100-point Scale
Consumers can translate the point score to the following quality bands:
| Point Range |
Quality Band |
| 96-100 points |
Platinum |
| 90-95 points |
Gold |
| 85-90 points |
Silver |
| 80-84 points |
Bronze |
| Less than 80 |
Not Recommended |
Legend
= Brewpub- ABV = Alcohol by volume
- Date denotes the date on which the beer was tasted
92 Liebotschaner Cream Ale, The Lion Brewery (PA). 5.5% ABV (3/09)
Bright golden yellow color with a lively blanket of foam. Aromas of nougat and banana bread follow through on a soft plush entry to a dry medium body with shredded wheat and cream notes. Finishes with a gentle, lightly honeyed fade. A spot-on cream ale.
85 Monumental Blonde Cream Ale, Bastone Brewery (MI). 4.7% ABV (2/09) 
Brilliant golden yellow color. Sweet honeyed toast and bread dough aromas with a hint of orange peel follow through on a fresh, frothy entry to a toasty dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body with a note of tart green apple, cream corn and twig-like astringency to the hops on the finish. Pleasant.
83 True North Cream Ale, Magnotta Brewery Ltd. (Canada). 5% ABV (3/09)
Deep old gold color. Lovely, delicate aromas of toasted cracker, cornbread and honey follow through on a supple, frothy entry to a dryish medium body with citrus water notes and a steely metallic tang on the finish.
