Hardywood Park Cream Ale
The cream ale is not a style that you happen across very often. In fact, I’ve only reviewed one other example of the genre on this site in its seven plus year existence. It’s an interesting sort of beer, displaying characteristics of both lager and ale — usually relatively low in alcohol and carrying a low hop profile.
Hardywood Park’s Cream Ale is a great example of the style. The brew weighs in at 4.4% and brings just 18 IBU to the table. The smoothness and near-sessionability of this beer makes for an easy drinking and approachable beer that is good just about any time of year (or day). It’s got a well balanced nature with just a hint of grassy hops that mingle with the malt and grain backbone.
Appearance
Pouring golden amber in color, the beer sits with a solid cap of dense white foam.
Aroma
There’s not too much to the nose, but hints of toasted bread, grain and distant cut grass are all present.
Taste
The flavors of Hardywood Park’s Cream Ale mirrors the nose perfectly. What you smell is what you taste. Bready malt, grain and a light, grassy hop presence glide smoothly over the tongue. There’s not much else to this light-to-medium bodied as it finishes semi-dry and with a refreshing quality.
Overall
I like a beer like this. It’s not pretentious. It’s not full of itself. It’s just simple and to the point. The fact that this cream ale also had a decent amount of flavor certainly doesn’t hurt its case. Hardywood have themselves a tasty little brew that will most certainly be making an appearance in my fridge over the Spring and Summer months. I can’t think of anything better than cracking open a can of tasty brew after mowing the yard.
Rating: 3.5/5
