Honey Cream Ale
Grid City Beer Works

Review: 2118
Name: Honey Cream Ale
Brewery: Grid City Beer Works
Location: SLC, UT
Style: Cream Ale
ABV: 5%
Date: 05/2024 maybe
A scorching summer day at work beckons for a refreshing beer to quench the thirst. Tonight, I will indulge in a cream ale from Salt Lake City. Using a Belcher glass, I served the beer at 44 degrees. The pour created a frothy two-finger light tan head with above-average retention. The slow retention left lots of lacing on the glass. The color is SRM 6, a pale gold with light amber hues. The clarity is clear, with some carbonation bubbles floating to the top. The beer looks above average for a cream ale, promising a satisfying refreshment.
Now, let's delve into the intriguing aroma of this Honey Cream Ale. On the first nosing, I was greeted by the unique sweet scent of honey, lightly toasted malts, and a hint of corn-like sweetness. Taking another whiff, I detected the subtle presence of phenolic yeast, light caramel notes, the comforting aroma of doughy bread, and a delicate hint of floral blossoms. These distinct aromas, simple yet clean, delight the senses, and I'm thoroughly enjoying them.
The flavors of this Honey Cream Ale unfold in a balanced sequence. It starts with light caramel, doughy bread, honey, and light corn sweetness. As the flavors evolve, they are accompanied by lightly floral and herbal notes, with a skosh of phenolic yeast. The interplay of these flavors melds together. With each sip, the flavors harmonize, elevating this tasting experience.
The mouthfeel of this Honey Cream Ale was not as creamy as I had anticipated, but it was slightly astringent, and the finish was smooth. This one has a bit more hop character than other cream ales, adding a unique twist to the overall experience. The body is medium-light and has medium carbonation.
Its color is darker than other cream ales I have consumed, and the hop character adds a lovely dimension to the beer. The added sweetness was not overpowering, giving the beer a bit of balance against the hops. Overall, this is a solid offering for a cream ale.

Live from the brewery - had this Gem 3 ways in a flight:
Cask
Nitro
Co2
Supurb experience.
Highest quality ingredients.
Art of the craft.
Each distinct, unique, yet the same.,. if that makes sense.
A world tour.
British cask. Irish nitro. Univeral common. Fantastic.

 

16oz nitro draft into a shaker pint

Pours a bright gold with a thick and dense pillowy head

Subtle sweet aroma, probably get stronger as it warms (mine was gone within 10 min)

Light, sweet and ultra soft

Wish I could have had it on cask, but the Nitro is not a bad way to go!

an absolutely absurd specimen here, especially on cask at their brewery, so cool to have it in this format, and its so perfectly dialed in, i could have sat here and crushed on these all day long. truly one of the best cream ales my wife and i have ever had. its done with orange blossom honey, which really pops in here, but also has an english element to the grain, something compatible and nuanced on the fermentation side, but is still super clean, even with appreciable yeast character and the added sugar, its just super professional and the recipe is a banger! a shade richer in color than most of these, almost a light bronze tone, with a high creamy froth from the engine, pretty good clarity, lots of life. not only is the honey obvious in the nose and taste, but the orange blossom element of it is too, makes this springy and floral in a cool way, and far more complex than most cream ales in the game. it finishes close to dry, dry enough to be refreshing but not too dry that it cuts the flavor short, nicely tuned. the smoothness from the cask is awesome, the fuller body and deeper malt complexion makes this stand out to me in the style, and overall i think they have achieved something quite special here. no surprise it has already won a gabf medal, i cant wait for my next pint!