Carton Brewing (May 2017)

A good way to tell if a beer is good is if it doesn't last long. I will try it eventually. Thanks again Augie. Hope to run in to you and the Carton boys soon!

 

Shinshu Cream Ale collab with Burial looks like it's coming out. Hopefully in cans tonigh....

 

Carton Brewing's next small batch beer, Shinshu, will be released in the tasting room on Wednesday, May 10th, 5-8. It will be available in 4pk cans

 

Looking forward to this. Carton does a great job with cream ales

 

Hángjù is fantastic can't wait to pick one up

 

Damn! Of course I'm out to dinner with the family

 

I agree. Hángjù is outstanding and I'm not a fan of saisons. I was a little disappointed with Shinshu but had very high expectations as Carton's cream ales are top notch.

 

The hangju was really excellent, I thought this was a really well executed saison and the flavor additions were solidly present while still being subtle. The flavors are definitely layered enough to to come in waves alternating between floral and lightly peppered.

The Shinshu was nice. I'm not sure what makes it a cream ale, other than that being maybe a catchall for "basic ale with..." Has kind a salty umami taste, would possibly even guess mushrooms if served it blind. My only knock on it, is I get a charcoal flavor on the finish almost like you'd get get in the last sip of a Rolling Rock or Olde English 800 (not comparing to those beers, they're just ones that finish with charcoal to me). It might just be a sensitivity I have though, as I get this with a bunch of beers Carton uses kolsch yeast on, even Boat occasionally. Very curious if anyone else gets that on the finish.

 

2 row+ 6 row + cold ferment + lagering = cream ale. in smaller recipes we use some maize for a sweet touch to act as tension against the mineral-y dryness you are perceiving as charcoal in bigger ones some lactose

 

Cool, BJCP says lagering isn't traditional, but it seems most. of the modern ones are, including Genesee, which I think is kind of the barometer for the style. I'm amazed how much perceived sweetness corn can add. I have a cream ale finishing up with 10% flaked corn in it. Fermented down to 1.007 but tastes positively sweet.

 

it's less about the sweetening and more the sweetening in terms of the drying because corn does both so you can run over those stoney aspects of northeastern water or pump them up depending on where you want to get.
anyway as you know i've never considered the BJCP guide on anything, except with contempt , but when we say cream ale we mean
ale yeast fermented cold both 2 and 6 row malts and lagering time. mostly because that's what cream ale means. the other great thing is traditionally it was lager blended, lager fermented, riced and or corned. it is the indigenous north east american style and it was made to be messed with, which we love to do.

 

Without going too far out on a tangent I think BJCP does a decent job of what its supposed to, provide targets for home brewers. Also they exist for people who want feedback on their beers. If you don't have a guide as to what they were going for it would be nearly impossible to give constructive criticism. If you can hit a BJCP target and make a good beer you are a skilled brewer, but it doesn't mean you make "great beer". There is something to be said for achieving something while working with strict limitations, like the Rheinheitsgebot, or using only indigenous yeast.

The downside is it lessens the avenues for creativity which is a huge part of brewing (at least in its current form) It's sort of like a guy who can draw a super accurate portrait is skilled but not necessarily a great artist.

Its when other people start to apply those BJCP standards to pro brewers who never intended to hit them it becomes problematic. It would be like saying Picasso or Pollock aren't great artists because their work doesn't look like Carravagio or DaVinci portraits.

 

All fair and well made points.
In general when doing anything in flavor, be it drinking someone else's home brew or pro brew, deciding what wines to purchase, grabbing another cookbook, or deciding whether to go try a new restaurant over going back to one: my quest is for artistry. I've never found artistry in rules, I've never found artistry at an art contest and I've seldom seen artistry in a copy.
But hey striokes and folks right?

 

Depends on what Picasso portraits you're looking at.

 

Agreed. Every cream ale I've had from Carton had been very good. I'll give Shinshu a go this weekend.

 

Agreed, but that's kind of my point. Those guys proved they could play within the box before breaking out of it. If Picasso painted like that because he couldn't do a realistic portrait, it wouldn't have been such an amazing self expression.

 

Had to go and read a little more on the history behind cream ales after reading through this thread.

 

Any thoughts on whether Shinsu is going to last until Sunday?

 

Just returned from the brewery. I'm a Cream Ale fan and I enjoyed Shinshu a lot. I didn't taste the charcoal at the finish that other mentioned but there is an earthiness that reminds me of Gilded Lily, although they are very different. I'm glad I brought cans home. I also tried the Hanju which I missed last week due to the crappy weather. It's a really nice, spicy Spring Saison. These are both fun beers to drink.