Cream Ale
Calvert Beer Company

Purchased a single can at Total Wine. No freshness date.

The beer explodes once the can is cracked: overcarbonated, densely fizzy. Looks like the yeast was off.

Smells malty, but mostly like the yeast is off. There's a heaviness to the aroma that does not seem intentional. It's a bit medicinal. Not horrible, but not something that you should be seeing from a commerical brewer in 2019.

Tastes like it smells: drinkable, but amateurish. The yeast is definitely off. Grainbill is biscuity and straightforward. Minimal hops. Medicinal yeast.

Not the worst commercially brewed beer I've ever had, but certainly not worth spending your money on.

I was just asked about my backlog by my local, in-person trader, tone77. I assured him, as I do all of my followers, that I may be behind, but I am NOT abusing my beers. They are all kept out of the sun & at room temperature, so while The CANQuest (tm) has some catching up to do, there is no cause for CANcern.

From the CAN: "Building A Better Beer (tm)"; "*The use of the image of the Maryland State Flag is not an endorsement of this product by the State of Maryland"; "

I Crack!ed the vent open on this CAN & beCAN a slow, gentle Glug, given its relative age. It really wanted to foam, so I sat back & allowed it to do its thing. It finally settled into just under two fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, bone-white head with excellent retention. Color was Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7) with NE-quality clarity. Nose was malty & sweet, just as I remember & like my Cream Ales. As an early teenage underage drinker, it was Genesee Cream Ale that always brought a smile to my face. I really despised Stroh's and the others (B/M/C) were simply tolerable. Mouthfeel was medium, but very carbonated, filling my mouth with bubbles, scrubbing the lazy tastebuds of my tongue as it did so. The taste was very clean, clearly an all-malt example of the style. It was not overly sweet, but at least it did not have corn as an adjunct. It came across as bready. but not overwhelmingly so. Finish was semi-sweet, bordering on semi-dry & overall, it was both highly refreshing and a nice addition to the style.

Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a rich golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of grains, malts, some sweetness. Taste is malts, grains, a touch of cream, light sweetness. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a refreshing and solid beer.

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours golden orange yellow with a very small head. Smells of creamy sweet grain. Tastes of light grain with a smooth finish. Beer is light bodied and very smooth, good carbonation. Overall, a good beer.

 

Poured from the can into a nonic pint glass.

Faint pale amber body color, light orange and deep yellow. Fairly clear body color, with a smaller one finger off white head, and little staying power. Slightly bowled crown of a puck as it settles, with a thick collar.

Aroma has a bit of a fault. Faint sense of sweet malt and corn, maybe even a touch of orange, but an off putting at first bile sensing smell. Manages to tone it down after a few first whiffs, might hint slightly vegetative, but we'll see.

As far as a cream ale goes, actually pretty good. First sip seems to indicate some very weak and watery content. However, mid palate manages to really open up and particularly a flavorful swallow at the end. Faint hints of candy like orange, almost creamsicle, but some numbing qualities also. Aromatic sweet malt and body that lingers pleasantly as well.

A pretty good solid cream ale, but seems to indicate some minor faults. Luckily doesn't ruin the drinking experience.

A pale cloudy body on this one, with a medium white head. Nose has a touch of pale melt and light lemon. Faint, but tasty.

Flavor is richer and more aggressive than the nose if not overwhelming for most beer. However, for the style you get a good kick of light and toasted bread malts and enough spicy bitterness to affect some balance. A little more carbonation than necessary but it mellows in the finish. Almost doughy in the finish. I have a soft spot for this style but this is very solid.

 

 

The aroma is about what you'd expect from something like this: some nice vanilla cream, subtle cereal grains, and little else. Actually, there are a hint of citrusy hops fluttering around, giving it a orange cream soda-esque vibe - and doing just enough to help it stand out from the pack some. It tastes exactly like the aroma suggested: vanilla, cereal grain, and a touch of citrus. Hardly anything earth-shattering or complex, but it gets the job done. Mouthfeel is full and fairly sweet, but I imagine it will be refreshing in hot weather anyways. I mean...it's a cream ale. It gets the job done as a beer to drink while fishing or eating crabs.

3.22/5: A likable beer that doesn't wow the senses in any way