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Buyer's Guide for Beer Lovers

British and North American Styles

The Changing Definition of Style

Cream Ale

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.

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

94 Kayaker Cream Ale, Pagosa Brewing Co. (CO). 4.4% ABV (3/12)

Brilliant pale golden color. Lovely aromas and flavors of whipped cream, honey and spicy marmalade on brioche with a supple, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a smooth, creamy finish with a hint of water chestnut and grassy hops on the finish. A spot-on cream ale. Superb.

89 Honey Blonde, Blue Heron BrewPub (WI). 5.2% ABV (2/13)

Pale amber color. Aromas of toasted raisin bread with a touch of honey butter. Soft and frothy with dry light-to-medium body and on the finish a hint of creamy vanilla and water chestnut. An on-the-money cream ale that will deliver easy-drinking good times.

88 Hive Honey Stung Ale, Uinta Brewing Co. (UT). 4% ABV (3/11)

Rich amber color. Aromas and flavors of honeyed sunflower bread, raisin bran and blanched nuts with a crisp, dry light body and a smooth, sprouts-like hop finish. Very nice and refreshing.

88 Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale, Granville Island Brewing Co. (Canada). 5% ABV (3/12)

Bright copper penny color. Mild caramel-maple gelato aromas with a frothy, dryish medium body and a fruity, honeyed date cake and radish-accented finish. Tasty.

86 Hop Cream, Capital Brewery (WI). 5.3% ABV (3/13)

Pale golden amber color. Aromas of eggy fruit pastry, prom corsage, pink peppercorn, herbal tea, with a supple, dryish medium body and a roasted carrot and lettuce greens-accented finish. A nice food beer.

84 Monumental Cream Ale, Bastone Brewery (MI). 5% ABV (3/11)

Yellow straw color. Fresh corn tortilla chip and egg aromas and flavors are reminiscent of chilaquiles with a hint of avocado and dried apple. Crisp, dry light body and a multigrain bread crust and turnip-accented finish with light grassy hops.

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