Kiwanda
Pelican Brewing Company

12oz bottle of Pelican's Pre-Prohibition Cream Ale. Golden in color, good clarity, with a small amount of slowly forming head. Looks excellent, actually. First cream ale I can remember having in a very long time. Light and lagery, with a zip of spicy pilsner-style hops, which is complemented by the fizzy carbonation. There's a little bit of adjunct sweetness, which I guess comes from flaked barley. It's enough to impact a subtle sweet flavor without actually making the beer more sweet than hoppy. An impressive balance considering the relatively low IBU (and ABV) count.

Golden clear pour, high carbonation settles to a nice 1/4” head. Tastes sweet and finishes with high bitterness. Tastes better warmer not so bitter. Not entirely my thing. 3

Pours a clear golden yellow with a medium head that dissipates quickly, with no real lacing. A lot of carbonation in the taste along with a light malt and stone fruit. Sweet and mellow taste with a hint of bitterness. Nice light beer. Rated 2-26-2023

stovepipe can

Pours clear golden color with a foamy white head that has good retention. Smells of toasted grains, bread, light floral and citrus notes, biscuity. Taste is slightly sweet malt with some toasted notes, light floral and citrus hops, bready finish. Light body with medium carbonation, foamy mouthfeel and crisp finish

 

 

 

Bright gold with a fine mist of particles under a lumpy, steady snow white dome; cracked corn, grain sack + dandelion nose; Wonderbread, touch of biscuit, flowers + spice, numbing linger; round, smooth, clean.

3.75 4 4.25 4 4.25

Smells surprisingly hoppy, presents sweet but drinks fully attenuated, feels satisfyingly round without any real malt flavour or chewiness - this whole things is a juggling act, or maybe a magic show, and done perfectly.
Also, unlike, say, Newburgh Cream Ale, it does all this while staying within the bounds of the style (though that scrubbing 25 IBUs is close to the edge.)
If I need to find fault, carb could be higher + there’s a mist of sediment, which there really shouldn’t be in a beer like this.
Still kicks Genny all around the shop, which is not huge praise, but worth noting.
And classy move to put these in imperial pint cans; I could certainly get through them.

The craft standard for Cream Ale.

on draft at the brewpub

clear, dark yellow golden, white head. mild aroma. taste is light, grainy, touch floral hops. thinner bodied, very easy drinking which is to the style.

 

 

Had on tap. Orangey yellow semi-opaque body with a white cap. Sweet malts and grains up front in both smell and taste. In the nose I get a bevy of citrus. Taste starts similar to nose but ends with a sweet cereal long finish. Feel is medium-light bodied with a smooth and sweet finish. Great for a day hanging out at the beach

 

draught
Medium thin, bright white head that dissipates quickly. Light golden straw color which is nearly clear. Very light and basic malt aroma with a hint of spice. Medium light bodied and flavored. Pleasant, malt dominated subtle flavor in a floral sense, with the malt dominating the finish. Similar to a fine pilsner without the hop bite at the end. This tastes like a quality regular BEER.

 

12 oz bottle dated 10/1/20 poured into a pint glass on 12/19/20.

Pours a 2" creamy white head. Translucent golden yellow color. Rising bubbles, not much lacing.

Floral hop aromas with some bitter lager yeast. A very light lemon rind, orange peel.

Emphasis on biscuity lager flavor and floral hops with a hint of citrus. Well balanced.

Very smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Unobtrusive and non-astringent.

Very easy-drinking and balanced ale that shares some flavors and aromas with a pilsner or other lager.

Look: Semi-clear light orange with a lively and quickly settling head that leaves no lacing behind
Aroma: Sweet bready malt, cream notes (as in cream soda, not milk cream), floral hops, some wet straw, and fruity esters
Taste: Floral hops, straw, and bready malt kick things off and intermingle while the fruity esters fade in and out of the picture. Closes out with more of everything and on the hard-to-describe but cream-ale-esque note
Mouthfeel: Smooth – even a little silky, medium-high carbonation, and a very clean and soft finish
Overall: A winner. I’m a huge fan of this hybrid style and think this is a very well-made example of it. Like other hybrid styles (Kolsch, Cali Common, Cream Ale), it has a great mix of smoothness and cleanliness while also being soft and having noticeable esters. I’ve been drinking this stuff for years and if cream ales are up your alley, definitely recommended

Why did I rate it so high? If I am ever forced to drink it again, I will let you know.

Fair

a real solid cream ale, more flavorful than most but real crisp and clean to drink, refreshing but not necessarily summery, like this would be valuable all year round, which is not always the case with these, not too light or anything, very well made beer as pretty much all of them are from pelican. we picked up this sixer from their to go window at the brewery and drank them on the beach our front, looking out at the waves and the rock and everything, pretty idyllic spot! this beer has some moderate depth to it for the style, a biscuit malt note that isnt sweet but is more substantial than the norm, just by a little. the yeast has some flavor too, which i like, almost a lager breadiness about it, very crisp to finish, but with some european character in the middle. hops are bittering only and very mild, but there is a freshness to this that really stands out. i get an almost pancake batter flavor as it warms a little, and i like this best when its freezing cold and has more refreshment capacity, but i appreciate this being bold for the style. old school and modern at the same time, a highly relevant american cream ale as far as i am concerned. pelican never lets me down (except for when the wait to have a beer at the brewery during coronavirus times is more than two hours and you have to skip it despite massive stoke levels)...