Cream Rules Everything Around Me

It’s been quite some time since I’ve a done a side by side beer comparison. On the old website it was almost a weekly thing them I got too drunk and forgot to post the reviews haha.

But really, since I had some time during the covid outbreak lockdown and then all the chaos here in Minneapolis, I decided to do an old fashion beer review, and that review is of a dare I say, semi ignored beer style?

For a beer that started out in the late 1800’s, it seems like cream ales are not as prevalent in the American psyche as say a pilsner or a just a standard ale. Minnesota seems to have a few cream ales out currently and now that I think of it, I probably should’ve had a mega side by side before writing this haha but today I’m just focusing on the Schell’s and Castle Danger’s offerings.

When people hear of a cream ale they immediately assume its actually creamy like a Guinness stout on nitro or something, but your average cream ale will actually have more of a grassy or hay smell and flavor to it.

And when we talk about those flavors being in the beer, it’s actually revealed in the brewing process itself because they are often fermented like an ale then stored at colder temperatures like a lager. Some brewers use both ale and lager yeasts to brew their versions and most likely will contain rice and or corn adjuncts to achieve the lighter body and smoother mouthfeel.

So with that I’ll start by saying after pouring both beers, they each had very different coloring which I was surprised at. Both had medium head retention, but both had some grassy notes to them. And on the smell or (nose) for you all you beer geeks, Castle Danger had not much really besides a slight whiff of farmland. Schell’s on the other hand was a mix of hops, grass and with dare I say, a bit of corn on the end?

As for flavors Castle Danger’s had a very malt backbone to it, Schell’s was more grassy/hay but did have a bitterness on the finish. Both are very drinkable though, even will the farm involved. Both of these beers did have some German distinctiveness to them with similarities of a Vienna Lager and your standard German style pilsner with a bitter/dry finish.

And since I’m on the topic of grassy hay flavored Minnesota beers, I will say if you are looking for that flavor you should pick up either Summit Brewing’s Dakota Soul which is actually classified as a Bohemian Pilsener or Bent Paddle’s Classic, which is classified as being a cream ale on untappd but I dont remember seeing it on the can and it doesn’t say it on their own website either so I dont want to be making shit up, (which by the way some jackass recently accused me of posting “inaccurate & untrue things over the course of years” even though he hasn’t shown me one instance of that….haha….Years?! Come on Brah.

Anyways, both these beers are great for a warm summer day. And while I’m at it, I should also throw in some honorable mentions of other local cream ales and those are Urban Growler’s Cowbell Cream Ale, Jack Pine Vengeance! Jalapeno Cream Ale, Gluek Brewing American Cream Ale, Brass Foundry Cream Ale, 56 Brewing Cream Ale and Third Street used to have the Rise to the Top Cream but Im not sure they are still making that. Oh Also Bad Weather made one for the St Paul Winter Carnival. If I missed anyone let me know, or better yet send me some so I can review it…yeah that’s a better idea.