Raven Cream Ale
R & B Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unexpectedly tart and dark (tea- or cola-like). Very malty, noticeable grain and hops. Caramel and coffee. But overall comes across as brittle or tentative somehow. Nonetheless, an interesting effort given all the stuff going on in the glass. The sort of thing that you need to drink 2 or 3 of in order for your palate to be able to sort it out. If you've only got the one bottle out of the sampler, approach it with an open mind and go slow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

341 ml bottle served cool into glassware. purchased for about $2.25 CDN.

Appearance - Semi Transparent cola brown color. Capped by a finger of tan head which didn't last too long. Red hues throughout. Some lacing left behind.

Smell - Roasty mild hops aroma. Some grassy aromas in there as well as some larger grain notes.

taste - Roasty grains with more of a tartness almost vinegar like. Thin tasting. There's some creamy flavor, but the thinness and the mild tartness is too much.

Mouthfeel - Thin feeling due to the watery flavor. Light bodied, despite the appearance. Mild carbonation.

Overall - A decent effort, but too thin to be a cream ale, and the tartness is strange. Quaffable, but better options abound.

 

No need for the double-take - you've got the right bottle. This so-called 'Cream Ale' is indeed unusually (actually unheard of-ly) dark. Beer judges will surely condemn Raven Cream Ale for its pecan colour and dark complexion (not even a finger is visible on the other side). Probably (and fairly) the lack of head retention too.

Although both roasted and chocolate malts are used, the aroma is nothing close to that of a stout (nor, it must be mentioned, a typical cream ale). Stylistically I'd peg it as a dark English Mild, maybe even a Brown Ale; it has a light and faintly sweet aroma, with nuanced notes of nutty toffee and brittle. It smells only very lightly roasted.

Those dark malts have a slightly different influence on the taste; with the flavour rooted in a biscuity and doughy taste, they provide the thought of chocolate-chips to make for a cookie-like finish. I might entertain a faint note of raisin or fruit but the presence of esters is reasonably low.

The subtly sweet nuances notwithstanding, the ale is rather dry. It has the medium-low carbonation, medium-light body, low bitterness, and lightly roasted finish that equip it perfectly for the cask and an entire afternoon or evening of drinking in a cozy English pub. It won't excite New World consumers but it would more than appease traditional drinkers.

Raven Cream Ale is not a cream ale by anyone's definition except that of the R&B Brewing Co. Still, call it what you like, this light-flavored, malt-accented beer is wonderfully suited to drinking in quantity and, though it's not likely to make anyone else's boards, provides an agreeable option to those consumers just discovering darker beers.

341 mL bottle, courtesy of a BC Craft Brewers Guild sampler. Served well-chilled.

This unusual cream ale pours a murky, brownish-amber colour, topped with one finger of light-tan coloured head. Decent retention; it takes more than a few minutes for the froth to wilt, leaving behind a thin cap and collar, but no lacing. The aroma is quite enticing, with notes of milk chocolate, toffee, molasses, toasted nuts, black cherry and lightly earthy hops. Well, I'm a happy camper so far.

An enjoyable session ale, with a bolder flavour than I tend to expect from this (often mundane) style. Bready malts, toasted nuts and molasses come through at first, with accents of black cherry and date. Some light cocoa/chocolate flavour can be found mid-sip, with a mild roasty, earthy bitterness rounding things out at the finish. Slightly floral, with a weird tartness in the aftertaste that vanishes instantaneously. This is a light-bodied ale, with fairly strong carbonation that gives this brew a crisp, biting mouthfeel. Not as smooth as it could be, but easy to knock back and certainly not tiresome to do so.

Final Grade: 3.77, just barely eking out a B+. R&B Brewing's Raven Cream Ale is a somewhat unique example of this style that should come off as quite approachable to both craft newbies and more experienced BAs. Nothing fancy here, although the addition of chocolate malts is quite welcome - this is a well-brewed session ale with no serious flaws for me to bitch about. Were it available in this province, I'd probably get it again - it's good for the style, but fairly forgettable in the grand scheme of things.