Russell Cream Ale

Brewed by Russell Brewing Company
Style: Mild Ale
Surrey, Canada

Sampled at the 2009 Canada’s Cup of Beer at UBC. Pours a dark amber. Mouthful is quite watery and a bland malt flavour. Barely drinkable.

Canned sample. Dark amber in colour with medium spritzy carbonation. Aromas of pale malts, milk chocolate, and strawberries. Malt forward in the mouth with more milk chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, caramel, and some minerals. Fairly watery bodied, with a short finish. A light bodied version of Fort Garry Dark (Russell owns Fort Garry now), so not much of a surprise there. Quite bland.

Draft. Poured a clear amber-light brown color with a fizzy disappearing off white head. Smelled of subdued black cherry and molasses. Medium bodied and semi sweet with a hint of tartness. Strange mix of flavors including black cherry and a bit of cardboard. Almost reminiscent of cherry cola. Not all that great.

Definitely a creamy taste on this one, no disapointment in that respect. The cream is accompanied by lots of delicious malt. Failing this beer is the lack of any kind of decent aroma and non-exsistent after taste.

9/7/08 On draught at Las Maragaritas, Vancouver, BC. Aroma is all malt, with lots of caramel, light roast, somewhat corny, and very faint sourness. Appearance is copper gold with a moderate maintained white head. Flavor is malt forward and malt dominant, with medium strength and very low bittering that is more roast than hops. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, moderately creamy with a medium carb/roast finish. Overall, this is really not to style, with a bit more caramel and roast than a cream ale should have, but a really great brew, must try this again.

335ml can. Clear red-brown beer with a fizzy cream coloured head. Sweet malts on the nose. Rather watery flavour thats slightly sour and creamy. Looks and smells decent, but goes downhill from there on.

non descript unsweetened creamy finish. pretty unremarkable. no characteristic taste.

Breadier than the Amber ale, and has a lingering roasted malt, ever so slightly bitter aftertaste. Innocuous. Low carbonation. A shade darker than the amber ale too, with a nice creamy head when served on tap well.