Cherry Ale
Great Crescent Brewery

Cherry AleCherry Ale
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From:
Great Crescent Brewery
 
Indiana, United States
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
ABV:
5.7%
Score:
77
Avg:
3.07 | pDev: 16.61%
Reviews:
12
Ratings:
19
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 10, 2021
Added:
Nov 30, 2008
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  1
Brewed with tart cherries from the Midwest, similar to the cherries used in Belgian Kriekbiers.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Manta200
Rated by Manta200 from Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Howler from the brewery.
Hazy amber with a red hue.
Distinctive cherry taste.
Mar 10, 2021
Photo of RaysHops
Rated by RaysHops from Indiana

2.14/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Ooo...this one was rough
Jul 09, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by pmorey from Indiana

Nov 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.52 by sluggo013 from Washington

Aug 28, 2014
Photo of buschbeer
Reviewed by buschbeer from Ohio

3.58/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
1 Pint can
Served in a Great Crescent pint glass

A - It is copper in color with amber highlights. It is topped with three inches of beige head with minimal lacing.

S - The cherries are prominent. I do smell some of the saison yeast elements.

T - The taste is consistent with the aroma. Tart cherries dominate the flavor. I really don't taste any funk or mustiness that I normally associate with saisons.

M - Medium with lower carbonation than I expected.

O - I see why this has been classified a fruit beer rather than a saison. I would prefer some funkiness to make this more of a saison for me. As a cherry ale it was as advertised. It did taste better on tap as a sample.
Aug 02, 2014
 
Rated: 2 by CopperMtnPlowboy from Ohio

Jun 11, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by iL0VEbeer from New Jersey

Jun 04, 2013
Photo of RickS95
Reviewed by RickS95 from Indiana

2.73/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5
16-ounce tall boy.

The appearance is better than I expected after some of the previous reviews. It's a milky, apricot-orange color, very wheaty looking. As others have noted, the head is immense. Mine retained fairly well, several minutes before it started falling, leaving miniscule levels of lace. The head has only the faintest tint of pink to let you know it's a fruit beer.

The scent has some nice qualities: only a slight fruity smell, some sort of spice like cinnamon, and a tangy wheat smell. However, there's major carbonation and the champagniness of it overwhelms everything.

Unfortunately, the taste mimics the nose. It's very champagne-like and it's hard to distinguish other flavors. There's a tart cherry flavor present, but it's fleeting and you lose it due to the effects of the carbonation on your palate.

Slight tartness then nothing but acidity. Very kriek-like in that it doesn't go down easy, shredding your taste buds in the process. Extremely dry finish. Almost hot from the carbonation. Under it all, there is a tangy feel to it, with only a small hit of sweet.

Being from Indiana, I really wanted to like this. However, I don't. I do like that it doesn't appear to be an artificial fruit flavor, but the carbonation is so overwhelming that it's hard to drink. Even with only moderate ABV, it's a sipper. Not at all easy to drink.
Apr 20, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by RedneckBeerz from Massachusetts

Feb 07, 2013
Photo of barczar
Reviewed by barczar from Kentucky

3.37/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5
Opening the can is a bit foreboding, as the head engulfed the top of the can completely. As slow of a pour as manageable produced a clear golden brown color with perhaps a tinge of pink. There's a solid 3" cream head that dissipated fairly quickly, leaving spotty lacing and a half inch thick layer of residual foam.

Aroma begins a bit funky. It's almost like a farmhouse brew. There's an underlying subtle cherry note, and a hint of sweet caramel malt.

Flavor is far more cherry-forward, with bruised cherries forming the base flavor, and tartness at the finish that is accentuated by the high level of carbonation. There's a bit of bready malt, but it's only evident when the tartness subsides. Light phenols emerge as it warms.

Carbonation is super high, with the effervescence rivaling champagne. Body is moderate, but the carbonation gives a lighter impression.

An interesting beer. The flavor definitely seems natural, as opposed to extract, but the carbonation really shortens the experience. If they could get that under control, it might be much better.
Dec 18, 2012
Photo of deadonhisfeet
Reviewed by deadonhisfeet from Kentucky

3.08/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Poured from a can into a La Fin Du Monde snifter. The beer is slighty hazy and apricot-orange with a nice coarse head. I don't get much fruit on the nose at all. All I smell is bready malt and a faint herbal note.

Light body and bright feel from a high level of carbonation. Slightly sweet toast and cherry flavor up front. Not much tartness for a cherry beer. The carbonation opens up the palate nicely and excites the tastebuds, but all it does is pave the way for a slightly fruity sweet-tasting ale.

Overall not a bad beer, but far from great. There are fruit beers out there that are incredibly fruity, flavorful, and complex and blur the line between beer and wine. This is just a nice, refreshing ale with a slight taste of cherry. It was a nice accompaniment to the Saturday afternoon college football games, but I can't really recommend it.
Nov 17, 2012
Photo of DavoleBomb
Reviewed by DavoleBomb from Pennsylvania

2.77/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Poured into a snifter. Never heard of this brewery before, so I'll anxious to see what they got.

2.5 A: Hazed orange ruby red color. Three fingers of beige, fizzy head. Retention is poor and no lacing is left.

3.0 S: This has the cherry, but not much else. Sweet earthy cherry, minor caramel, yeastiness.

2.5 T: Again, cherry and not much else. Maybe some caramel and a touch of bready yeast. Not bad, but unimpressive.

3.0 M: Ligher medium body. A little bit too much carbonation. Minor creaminess. Smooth enough.

3.0 D: It is what it is. Probably aimed for female consumption. Simple and straightfoward. Still, no straight up fruit beer can hold a candle to the fruit twins.
May 30, 2012
Photo of bluejacket74
Reviewed by bluejacket74 from Ohio

3/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
16 ounce can. Served in a nonic pint glass, the beer pours a cloudy amber/red color with a huge off-white head. I couldn't get to pour the whole can into the glass at first as the head fizzed up so much. It took a while for the head to settle down before I could pour the rest of the can into the glass. Aroma is nice, but weak. The brew smells like some tart cherries and sweet malt. Taste is pretty much just like the aroma, it tastes like tart and sweet cherries, and some sweet malt. However, just like the aroma, the flavor is nice but weak. Mouthfeel/body is low/medium, it's a bit slick and creamy but has too much carbonation for my liking. Not bad, but just average overall. I'll have to revisit this one in the future since I have no idea how old or fresh this can actually is. $2.75 for a single.
Apr 22, 2012
Photo of tsauce2
Reviewed by tsauce2 from Indiana

3.27/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
P: 16 fl oz can into an imperial pint glass.

A: SRM is pale cherry/crabapple red. Translucent. Head is off-white, bubbly, dissipates to almost nothing. Light carbonation. Heavy lacing.

S: Tart cherry, brown sugar, hints of apple, malt, a touch of hop.

T: Light tart cherry hits, followed by a mild sweetness, malt, and light hop additions. Aftertaste is cherry and malt.

M: Medium body. Cherry tartness sends the palate in one direction, but the sweetness and malt give a feel of something like a cherry crumble. Bready feel mixes with cherry and brown sugar flavors to give a feel of a baked good. But, due to the light carbonation, this beer lays a bit flat on the palate. Dry and tart finish.

O: I like this beer. Feels like I am drinking an alcoholic cherry turnover. Great cherry flavor, both tart and sweet, bready notes, and a nice aftertaste. I would like a bit more carbonation. Overall, a pretty successful beer that I would buy again.
Jan 21, 2012
Photo of aasher
Reviewed by aasher from Indiana

3.13/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
This just arrived in Indianapolis yesterday. It pours a light bodied dull auburn in color, almost a bright translucent copper. It smells pretty light and the cherry is faint. It smells like a pale ale that may be past its prime, with cherries added. The flavor too is subdued. It's creamy and light but it's almost like a cream ale with light cherry. It's just too mellow for my liking. The flavor is also pretty short lived. The mouthfeel may be the strongest part of this beer. It drinks very light and moderately creamy. It's just too light. I'd say this is a work in progress.
Jan 13, 2012
Photo of Cresant
Reviewed by Cresant from Kentucky

2.06/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Served this 16 oz. can in a Sierra Nevada Hops glass. No date. The body was bright orange-gold with a brittle off-white head. Not the color I was expecting, not pink or red at all.

The smell was faintly cherry-like and somewhat metallic. Rather disappointing.

The taste was of stale cherries. Modest malts, modest hops. Disappointing cherry absence. This is a fall release and it is not quite winter yet but this one seems to have faded fast.

The mouthfeel had some zippiness up front but finished rather flat. I would like to try this one fresh but I fear it wouldn't be greatly different. This is the worst Great Crescent Brewery beer I have had.
Dec 20, 2011
Photo of brewdlyhooked13
Reviewed by brewdlyhooked13 from Ohio

3.77/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance - an iced-tea pour, a thin head of off-white foam has a little cling to it and holds a fair collar.

Aroma - a light cherry sniff. Not candy-like in the least, a good fruit balance between fruitiness and tart.

Taste - light grain start lays the foundation for the rest. A light fruit flavor of cherry, again staying well clear of any sugary sweetness. Mild tartness with an even flavor, nice. Ends with a mineral note.

Mouthfeel - smooth, level carbonation, moderate body.

Drinkability - light abv, good flavor, a very refreshing beer.
Jun 12, 2010
Photo of ltjska04
Reviewed by ltjska04 from Kentucky

3.42/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
From notes on a sample at the brewery:

A: Pours a reddish brown with very little head. Pretty clear.

S: Smell does have some fruity/cherry but it's not overwhelming or fake.

T: Fruit beers don't have a very good track record with me, and while this was a little different than most, the taste of cherries in beer doesn't sit too well with me. You can tell real cherries are used which I appreciate. They're a bit tart and sweet and almost in the background

M: Decent; no strong feeling either way

D: Even thought the cherry flavor isn't overpowering or fake I still couldn't see myself drinking much of this. But for a fruit beer not bad.
Jan 02, 2010
Photo of Infamous7100
Reviewed by Infamous7100 from Ohio

3.47/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Picked up a growler from this relatively new brewery just outside of Cincinnati. This batch of Cherry Ale had just finished the brewing process and I received the first "pour" from the vat.
Poured a garnet/amber/almost caramel color from the growler. A very nice look considering I was expecting something like that of Kool-Aid from my past experiences with fruit beer. Very little to no head.
Smell of tart cherries jumps at you right away. Brewer told me these are purchased fresh from Michigan. You can tell. It's not overpowering, so you can definitely smell the alcohol. Together it resembles the scent of a sweet tart or a light cherry wine.
Taste resembled the smell. Very tart on the side of my tongue but slightly sweet towards the back. The tartness gives way rather quickly, thankfully. I think the wine example is appropriate. It tastes like you think it would.

This is a good effort from Crescent, but fruit beers are not my personal favorite. I recommend having this with a steak in place of the traditional wine you might have now. I wouldn't session with it as it could get a little played out, but I wouldn't mine having it again.
Mar 26, 2009
Cherry Ale from Great Crescent Brewery
Beer rating: 77 out of 100 with 19 ratings