Cream Ale
Methow Valley Brewing Company/Twisp River Pub

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.

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.

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.