Cream Ale
Kennebec Brewing Company, Inc.

Bought a bomber from Downeast Beverage.

Pours a hazy yellow with lots of head. Much bubbling action going on.

Smells is not very strong, can hardly make out much. Has slight citrus smell though.

Taste is way over carbonated, very thin as well. Has a sour/tart taste to it that makes you pucker a bit, like it has lemon but hardly any lemon flavor, does have a small citrus taste, just not a very good one. Leaves an unpleasant aftertaste even though it is quite bland.

The first I've had of this kind and I have to say if the others are similar to this, then I'm not a fan of the style.

Presentation: 22oz bottle in a classic conical pint glass

Poured loose, lively and with some sizzle. Clean, dry, crisp nose, slightly cider like, resonating with straw, hay, summer corn, faint hops and pale malts. Head was a good 2 fingers of tight, pearl white foam that has a nice retention, settling to a pencil's worth of the same with some decent lacing. Body is hazy, a dull, slightly brassy golden honey hue with some very lazy bubbles rising thru it.

Oddly citrused up front with a unmistakable sour lemon quality, there is an underlying sharp, bittersweetness that reminds me of the rind & pith of citrus fruit, perhaps even a bit metallic and abrasive. The malts are very flat and stonelike, the hop bitterness ironically non-citrus and there is a strong ringwood quality. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is just an odd taste & mouthfeel to this that, while admittedly not all that pleasing is also curiously sour and peaks my interest, kinda like driving past an accident and you know you shouldn't look but yet you look repeatedly as you pass.

Its gets rather sour on the palate (by the way there is nothing creamy about this at all), more rocky, hop bitters rise as it grows thicker, getting chalky (ugh) filmy and slatelike. The finish is downright puckered with sharp, sour lemon pith & rind, biting, and leaves a surprisingly clean, painted mouthfeel that is bittersweet but actually not too bad at all.

This was an odd beer. I have to admit I really didn't enjoy it, but yet it has this peculiar sour quality to it that draws you back. A most unusual beer. I do think it would be helped immensely with the right food, although exactly what food escapes me right now. Amazingly, with the right cheese (I'm thinking something really strong, soft & stinky) the sour qualities of this might make it a great beer experience. But by itself this would be a once in a great while beer to drink, much like a sour candy that you don't want every day but once every so often it fits the bill. I can't really recommend it, but yet you should check it out for no other reason than to experience this unusual tasting beer.

Pours a two-finger white head that fades quickly to a thin layer leaving traces of lace. Almost clear pale amber color. Slight hoppy nose. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Flavor is balanced, fruity? hoppy finish. $3.50 for a 22oz bottle from Tully's Beer & Wine Wells, Me.

Like their pale ale, this is a bit of a disappointment. A hazy yellow/orange color with a medium head. Grassy, outdoors aroma, with a little citrus. Very bland taste, not much to recommend it. I'd drink this beer while I was looking at a menu, deciding what to eat, and then have a different beer.

Good beer. Slightly murky yellow body with thin white head. Scent is malty with hints of citrus. Slightly sweet, kind of creamy taste with a hint of fruit, good smelling. Goes down easy. Lighter body than I might like, but very refreshing, very drinkable, pleasant beer. One sip invites another, definitely on this one. Good to drink a beer brewed right here in my hometown!

The beer pours a limpid greenish gold, topped with a humongous white froth. It threatens to gush out of the glass after a somewhat vigorous pour, settling into a short, thick head. Great retention, leaving thick clumps of lace on the glass.
The aroma is very mild, with pleasant lemony citrus riding atop mild pale malt. Some floral esteriness, with a bit of a soapy mineral feel. Mild hops, mostly herbal with perhaps a touch of citrus.
The flavor is light, but very pleasant. Mild malt provides a mellow toasty sweetness, slight lemon and lime citrus adding a light zing in the middle, with a touch of estery pear fruitiness. A bit thin and minerally in the middle, clearing the way for a clean, spicy/citric hoppiness that finishes the sip excellently. A bit of lingering citric lemon, with a touch of sweetish pale malt in the aftertaste. The light body is supported by bouyant, bubbly carbonation, dispersing the flavor across the palate with a chipper, sunny feel. A very nice cream ale!
Somewhat unrelated to the actual beer, this has to be one of the most boring labels I've ever seen. I actually passed it twice in the cooler before my girlfriend pointed it out, while we were spending the weekend in Maine. I don't need bells and whistles, but damn. Maybe a picture or something besides homemade photoshopped text in an oval.

From a 22oz bottle.

Pours hazy pale orange with an off-white creamy head. Smells of citrus and spice. Orange and lemon aromas. Sweet malt.

Tastes of sweet pale malt with the orange and lemon undertones. Lightly spicy with a light airy hops finish. Smooth and creamy. Love me some cream ale...

Crisp and sweet. Very drinkable. A very good cream ale.

I purchased two bottles of this from the brewery, so you would think it was fresh. Yes, it was.

22oz. bomber with a not so flashy lable. Poured cloudy tan in color with a small head. The smell was malty and sweet. The taste had more malt flavors as well as some nutty and musty notes. Solid mouthfell (slightly grainy).

One of the things you notice about this beer is how smooth it is. Perfect level of carbonation. I would buy again.

Serving size: 22oz
Color: (light) goldenrod
Serving: a very white foam with largish, thin bubbles appears on pouring. This (too) rapidly dissipates. It is somewhat clear.
Odor:strong apricot/citrus odor - a little astringent.
Taste: For me a cream ale is at least very smooth and perhaps somewhat sweet. I don't get either with this beer. The flavor is all on the back of the tongue - an interesting blend of bitternesses with a good dose of apricot/citrus. It has a strong bitter/citrus aftertaste that lasts.
Mouthfeel: It comes closer in mouthfeel to what I expected - but is still on the thin side.
For drinkability, frankly I'm really put off by the after taste and the smell - the smell does not go well at all with the sour/bitter aftertaste. Not only do I not want to drink another, I don't even want to finish this one!

Maybe this bottle was off? I'll try again some other time and maybe modify my review.

Purchased in the cold case at the Whole Grocer (Down with the evil corporate store next door!). They have a surprising selection of beer...

This ale pours a hazy golden apricot color with a white head that quickly forms a ring around the edge of the glass and leaves no lace. The aroma is sweet and fruity with smells of passion fruit, kiwi, and grapefruit. The taste starts with light flavors of pale malt and perhaps some wheat like flavors. The finish is smooth with some hop bitterness and some pear and peach fruit flavors. The aftertaste is a refreshing balance of citrus hops with lingering flavors of malt. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy as one would expect of a cream ale.
Overall a good cream ale that is fairly true to style. Light and refreshing with a creamy texture and no off or astringent flavors.

This is a great beer for watchin football on Sunday when your buddies are swilling Coors. Goes down smooth and fast. The only cream ale I know of in New England. This is a very buttery beer. It may take people a couple of 22 oz. to get initiated to this unique beer.

This brew is smooth as is the indicator of the style. From there its flavors are in a class of its own. The aroma is grassy on top of a white foamy head. A light buttery flavor and grassy hop profile combine to make an interesting and tasty brew.

A cream ale with the best parts of both ales and lagers. A pale, crystal-clear golden colour with a very thin lace. Distinct, clean, whole-hop nose with a slight citrus accent. Smooth, soft, easy, fruity esters; all smooth ale flavors. A very smooth, light-medium body, very soft, smooth lager-body without any annoying, harsh lager carbonation.

Great mix of ale and lager properties; hop and citrus nose, estery-ale flavor, and smooth, light lager body. Cheers!