Cream Ale
Methow Valley Brewing Company/Twisp River Pub

I'm not sure who retired this beer, because it isn't retired. Poured from a 22oz bomber into a conic pint glass. No best-by date (so maybe it could be retired, but the bottle says "flagship" beer so I don't know). Reviewed live.

A- Half-finger translucent white head with relatively low retention. Sticky white lacing on the sides. Amber-colored body with extremely high clarity. Looks like a cream ale.

S- Surprisingly has a hop character. Cream, earthy hops and that's about it. Not a terribly complex brew, but smells moderately appealing.

T- Creamy! The hops are present here at the tail end of the taste, but a light malt body is the predominant flavor. Watery and smooth flavor.

M- It's more or less water. There is some semi-creamy backbone to it, but it is minimal.

O- Taste is a little strange for the style, but certainly not a bad beer. No real complaints, but no real praise for it either.

Appearance is a light golden with a thin head. Smell has a honey note with light malt and hops. Taste is quite sharp, not what I would consider to be in a cream ale, but not bad. It has a light to medium mouthfeel with good carbonation. It's not one for me to buy on a regular basis, I like bitter, but this leaves an aftertaste of slight metallic bitterness that sticks around.

Cream ales are gentle beers. Even so, this one is a little too timid. The hazed and pale, sunny yellow color is appealing though not especially consistent with the style, which generally emphasizes lager-like clarity. Likewise, the low CO2 and fleeting head are technical shortcomings. But I try to avoid rating to style and simply enjoy a beer for what it is. Methow’s Cream Ale is crisp, dry and almost tart though not abundantly flavorful. Not bad, but somewhat indistinct.

This is a really pale cream ale but the beer is really full bodied and easy drinking. I liked the hop hit but also the balance was dead on with a good malt aftertaste. This style is often overlooked by brewers but these guys did it justice. A good lighter offering that is food friendly.