New England Cream Lager
Belgian Mare Brewery

Purchased at the Gilsum, NH General Store on 4/16/2019. So, yes it is still being brewed. 22 oz bottle

A very lively liquid lives up to the "bottle conditioned" promise. Jazzy carbonation and a pure white tower of foam is smooth and even as it settles in. Unconditioned means hazy with golden and copper tones popping out. The foam cap and or "head" is seriously dense and creamy...whipped cream style topping!

The aromatics consist of creamy vanilla maltiness, effervescent golden grains, dried grasses and corn stalks, slightly sweet, slightly herbal. Seriously interesting. Not very pungent, but like I said, intetesting.

The malt absolutley has a very creamy, smooth and sweet flavor, gentle lager yeast notes of sour breads and butter combines for a very effective first sip. A Crispy medium body, smooth edge...I suppose creamy middle and crispy, lively bite toward the finish gives it a healthy...and maybe even "traditional" vibe.

Zesty and spicy herbal punch must come from a combination of the old school tasting hops and lager yeast. The malt is pretty dang complex with its smooth creamy sweetness and dry, herbal bite. Well done in that aspect! When you think " New England Cream Lager" this is pretty much what I was hoping for.

When I think of what this style, or brew delivers, I cant help but think it harkens back to a more traditional style of making beer. I could see this being a big hit in 1780. I know I dig it.

 

Pours a five+ finger khaki head that fades very slowly leaving a good lace. Slight hazy amber color. Strong carbonation and light-medium bodied. Light malty and pine nose and flavor is toasted malt, then piney hop with light bitter finish. The 22oz bottle was a gift.

From the 22 fl. oz. bottle. May 2015 batch. Sampled May 17, 2015.

The pour is a tremendously heady golden color. The head was about three-quarters of the glass.

The aroma is spring and summer-like with its toasted pale malts, grass, and feint pine notes.

Medium body.

The taste is again toasty, bready, and semi-sweet but when I least expect it there is a biting bitterness that kicks in to round things off. Very easy drinking.

 

 

This is the first lager from Belgian Mare Brewery. The brewer likes to say he "created it with my own three hands" and that he wanted to create a new style. This lager is unfiltered and bottle conditioned, so it is not crystal clear, but it is still a pleasing appearance. It also pours with a very large, thick head that hangs around for a long time. Maybe a bit too much carbonation. The aroma is a mix of hops and the characteristic lager sulfur. In the mouth it has a full-bodied feel (from the lactose, hence the "cream") but goes down easy with the Chinook hops giving a bitter bite to the tongue for a refreshing finish. Overall, a very good beer that does not comfortably fit into any established style.

Bottle from the source
Pours a mostly clear deep golden color with a huge frothy creamy white head that persists forever. Aromas of bready pilsner malt and spicy hops with hints of rustic earthy notes to it, and maybe just a touch of diacytyl. The flavor mimics the aroma but adds a bit more of the rustic notes. Bready malt lots of spicy hops with hints of pepper and earth with just a hint of butterscotch. Medium to light body with a high level of carbonation. A unique beer to be sure, but it kind of works for me. Cream lager isn't really a style and I think I read somewhere that the brewer calls this a cream ale type brew. This ain't a cream ale, its missing the smooth bready malty sweetness and the touch of corn. I find this to be more of a Czech Pilsner if it were brewed in a farmhouse in Wallonia.