Nitro Creamsicle
West Sixth Brewing Company

 

Pours orange with minimal white head. Between the hops and orange peel, this beer is citrus forward. A touch bready, some sweetness from the sugars of the oats and the vanilla beans, though the vanilla itself isn't distinct enough for me to identify. Flavor is citrus and bitter pineyness from the get go, some breadiness mixes in mid stream, and vanilla shows itself in the close. Despite knowing better, I always get tempted into trying vanilla bean beers despite 97% of the time hating them. This is the rare time I actually I enjoyed the vanilla contribution. Nothing too aggressive with the beans, balanced but definitely present. Medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, solid beer. As close to a dessert pale ale as you will probably find. Not one to drink multiples of, but a single pour to close the night out did the trick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serving: 12 oz draft off of a nitro tap at Crescent Hill Craft House in Louisville, KY; listed as West Sixth's "Nitro Orange Cream Pale Ale"

A: Burnt golden orange hues with shimmering highlights; a huge, rocky white head - 3.5 fingers worth! - looks like stiff peaks of merengue, likely induced by the nitro tap; great head retention; sheets of sticky lacing cling to the glass forming web-like patterns.

S: Very hop forward - lots of citrus notes with orange rind most prominent on the first couple of breaths; a bit of grapefruit and a resiny note breaking through next; faint notes of sweet cream and a cereal-like note from the malt bill peak through slightly as the glass warms to room temp.

T: Much like the nose, there is a huge, hop forward blast on the palate early on; orange juice, orange rind, grapefruit, and some pine/resiny notes take charge; mid sip, the hop bitterness is challenged by a slowly growing malt presence - primarily fresh bread and the slightest of sweet notes akin to corn-cereal (think Cheerios); there is a touch of creaminess, but it, along with the malts, fades all too quickly into the finish, leaving a drying, lingering hop bitterness riding long on the palate.

M: Light slickness/creaminess on the tongue, likely due to the nitro tap, but not thick like other nitro beers; there is still a nice bit of bite/prickliness on the palate, keeping proceedings relatively light for a nitro-ed beer.

O: A unique twist here - an APA vying for a touch of creaminess to recreate the classic flavor of a creamsicle. The lightly sweet undertones of the malt bill try to compete with the depth of orange/citrus rind notes and resounding hop bitterness, but ultimately it's the "cream" component of the beer that plays second fiddle to the "orange." Both component flavors of the creamsicle are present, but they seem to alternate on the palate (orange/citrus > slight cream > more citrus on finish) instead of complementing one another in a smooth experience from first sip to finish. I would like to see more balance with a greater emphasis on the malt profile and a touch more cream to offset the prominent citrus flavor. An intriguing and refreshing beer nonetheless, and one that I was glad to have the chance to try.

Brilliant clarity, with aromas ranging from earthy to grassy to piney and muted citrus. Hop dominant, and lacing in orange or vanilla presence. Flavor reveals hop resin and tart grapefruit initially, with orange peel kicking in later, and a hint of vanilla accompanying lightly bready malt. Fairly impressive the way the flavors meld. It's definitely hop dominant and beery, with subtle creamsicle nuances. Lacks a bit in malt balance, and the finish is bitter for my liking. Honestly, I'd rather have more creamsiclr character.

 

Even as its name etches across the chalkboard, there's both an irresistible allure to try the beer and wanting to immediately fall in love, but there's also the skeptic side that's curious if West Sixth brewers can actually pull this off.

A kaleidoscope of pastels cascade into the glass, ranging from gold, copper, peach and of course orange; scattered by the common hoppy haze. Its cottony froth delivers those bold citrusy aromas right down to the last sip, seducing the nose and early palate with light honey and caramel with a towering tangerine taste taking hold. Sweetness is elevated by a boost of vanilla and cream.

Its middle is bold with mandarin, tangerine, lemon verbena and kumquat as a vibrant citrusy hop taste reigns in a beautiful passionfruit, mango and apricot medley. Held in check, the hops float above a foundation of creamy, bready and almost marshmallowy taste and texture.

But as the finish sets in, the sweetness and breadiness lifts and the bitterness seemingly of citrus peel and pith take hold with a piquant acidity and spice. Medium bodied throughout, the beer shuts down with a dry and mildly resinous taste; and a with a pleasant cream soda aftertaste.