Portsmouth Cream Ale

Brewed by Portsmouth Brewery
Style: Cream Ale
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

(22oz bottle, thanks to wilkie) Clear pale straw body with small white head. Aroma is moderately sweet, apple/pear, some honey, light cereal. Taste is medium sweet, grain, honey, light pear. Light body with nice crispness.

Portsmouth Carlysle Cream-on tap-pours a big creamy white head with pale yellow/straw color. Aroma is mild sweet malt, secondary citrus. Taste is mild sweet malt, secondary citrus, cream. OK/mild carbonation.

Any first impressions?
-A veil of head lingers on the dull, clear golden.
-An aroma of grain and faint butterscotch does not impress.
-Plenty of toasty hay is prolonged into bitterness, all atop the herbal hops.
-The prickly carbonation for the style makes it easier to quaff.

What if you dig deeper?
-A pleasant pear, banana and gooseberry fruitiness enlivens the sweet malts.
-The rising honeyed grain finish is luscious.
-This is an admirable flavor juxtaposition for the style.
-A quirky cream ale for well-crafted helles lovers.

Pints bottled and on tap at the brewpub.

Sampled at the brewpub in the company of the munificent and mysterious Mr. ClarkVV. Though Clark raved about this, I still wasn’t prepared...a cream ale that I’d want to drink again from a brewpub? You gotta be kidding me. Well, like most prejudices it fell when confronted with the hard facts. Hazy medium blonde, unfiltered, with a bit of light head, just looks beautiful and thick...malty nose is decent but doesn’t really impress except with light banana and milky notes...ah, but the body is wonderful, chewy full malt, vanilla loveliness and indistinct, subtle various fruits swirling around, with just a touch of hops to bring balance at the finish. Certainly must be one of the very best in the style, amazingly well done.

2004 draught. Color: Light pale gold, with hints of buttery yellow. White head. Aroma: Sweet floral essence, soft vanilla and cream tones, with a bigger fruity bouquet as it warms. Flavor is just superb and much fuller and better than I expected. Wonderful fruity yeast mixes with honey, light toffee and barley. Low hops on the finish are just apparent and just a wonderful smooth, flavorful, even finish. Light crisp fruit notes dance on the palate throughout. As well, this one is very drinkable, and almost tastes like a cask offering. Wonderful beer, probably my favorite from Portsmouth.

1st on my 10 tasting flight @ Portsmouth. Pours yellow with a ring head. Not much of a nose. Taste is sweet, light and really there ain’t much there. Nothing to write home about.

Clear pale gold color with a thin white head. Aroma and flavor of citrus with some sweetness.

En fût. Verre de dégustation à la brasserie. Arôme: En fût. Verre de dégustation à la brasserie. Apparence: La couleur est blonde pâle avce une très faible densité de bulle. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de céréales avec une pointe de miel. Courte durée de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture crémeuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Légère présence de champignons en arrière goût (?). (Rating #1117)