Narragansett Cream Ale - Narragansett Brewing Co.

GiantCogs

Massachusetts

3.59/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Big improvement over regular 'gansett. But Narragansett is one of those brewers (hello Sam Adams) where I actually prefer the light version to their flagship. The Cream Ale is even more up my alley.

Light and crisp compared to what I normally drink. It's a good get home from work a crack a cold one kind of drink. No need to think too hard, just eat some chips, man, and watch the Daily Show. I need to chill out. The train sucked so hard today. That kind of beer. A ready replacement for the normal Bud crowd. But, you know, with that thickness. Cream?

It costs too much though. As a sixer it was way more than normal 'gansett. Costs about the same at the bar though. Don't get it. Tall boys rule though. Tall boys forever!

I like to compare beers to metal bands. If the Naragansett Cream Ale was a metal band it would be Killer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B6mpM-d58Y

Serving type: can

04-05-2013 01:39:54 | More by GiantCogs

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured into a pilsner glass, color is straw gold, light paleness - head is great, frothy, thick (1") and clings well.

Smell is subdued on a cold pour, pilsner malts, bready/biscuity, hints of some floral hops.

Taste is sweeter malt flavors upfront, pilsner, biscuit/bready, light toast, very crisp finish, hops are balancing the sweeter flavors, but no discernible flavors.

Mouthfeel is very crisp, more so than i like, a little biting from the carbonation and bittering hops - mouth presence is nice after the crispness fades.

Overall, very nice take on the cream ale style, a little smoother creaminess in the mouthfeel is all i see missing.

Serving type: can

02-09-2013 23:00:04 | More by mvanaskie13

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Grabbed a sixer of this for $6, can't beat that deal! Poured the final can into a glass for review.

Pours a slightly hazy straw gold. A nice finger-width of white froth sits on top. Decent lace left behind after each sip. The aroma is grassy, slightly floral and sweet, hay, lemon. Good carbonation. Not too thin, but definitely an easy one to quaff. Grassy hops make up the bulk of the flavor, but there is a slight buttery creaminess that smooths the edges out. Mild bready aftertaste. This was what I expected it to be, a nice refreshing tasty ale. I really enjoy what these guys put out.

Serving type: can

12-03-2012 13:17:38 | More by Onenote81

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.73/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Narragansett Cream Ale has a thick, creamy, off-white head, a clear, bubbly, golden appearance, and a little bit of lacing left on the glass. The aroma is of faint, stereotypical beer smell with a pine and citrus whiff. Taste is of an underlying metallic character, unfortunately, but one can pick up citrus, pine, sweet barley malt, and sugars. Mouthfeel is light to medium, and Narragansett Cream Ale finishes crisp, clean, refreshing, mild, and a bit metallic. Overall, aside from the metallic aspect, it is still a good beer, and I think it’s worth giving a try.

RJT

Serving type: can

11-11-2012 23:32:34 | More by RonaldTheriot

Etan

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pint can, extra from Valdieu. Thanks!

A: Pours a translucent light gold with a nice white head. Plenty of good lacing, too.

S: Some floral esters, lots of bright grain, maybe a hint of hoppiness.

T: Floral hop notes and esters, slightly sweet breadiness, a bit of hop bitterness.

M: Light-bodied yet certainly "creamy."

O: A simple, great beer. Too bad I can't get it regularly in Chicago.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 02:08:43 | More by Etan

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

3.78/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brought a few cans back from a recent trip to Western Mass. Haven't seen it around here (Seacoast NH). 16oz can poured into a chilled pint glass.

A: Clear dark yellow brew with a vigorous fizzy head that settles quickly but leaves a thin layer of foam on the surface.

S: Mild cheap beer smells, a bit of light malty sweetness. Not much going on, possibly because it's served cold as intended.

T/M: Rigorous carbonation, thin body but not watery. Mild generic hop flavor and a light malt backbone. Some acidic kind of flavors going on, semi-fruity. Taken as a whole, almost like a weak champagne. Much more like champagne than Miller is, heh.

D: Chuggable. Pretty good stuff, considering what it is/ what it's supposed to be/ where it comes from, etc. A really solid cheap beer.

Serving type: can

10-21-2012 23:30:11 | More by BeerNinja007

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

16oz can poured into an imperial pint

Fills the pint glass beautifully. A golden body with a two finger bone white cap. Good retention, with some clingy lace. The nose is of cereal-like grains and some bitter, earthy hops. Corn sweetness and some undercooked bread are also present. On the palate, corn sweetness and undercooked white bread lead the way before a decent hop bitterness helps to cut through the sweetness mid palate, however more corn/cereal grain sweetness comes back in the finish. Light bodied with mild carbonation. A smooth, crisp beer with a drying finish. A pretty good cream ale, but I wish it was a little less sweet in the finish. Not a bad beer with a pretty excellent price point.

Serving type: can

10-21-2012 21:57:27 | More by ColForbinBC

gatorguy

Virginia

3.43/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Golden color, similar to AALs or pale lagers. Finger and a half white head that fades quick, leaves some lacing.

S - Sweet grains, malts.

T - Corn, smooth sweet malt profile, and earthy bittering hops. No frills here. The creaminess does assert itself toward the end and plays into the finish, which is slightly dry and clean.

M - Light and smooth. Good carbonation and body. Nicely done.

O - Not too much to say on this one, tastes like a normal 'Gansett lager but with more malts and hops. That said, it's a nice beer especially for a hot day. Not sure about $9 for 6 pints though, I'd rather save the $3 and just get the lager.

Serving type: can

09-06-2012 18:00:56 | More by gatorguy

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Into a pint glass:

A: clear golden body that leaves a fluffy two finger white foamy head. The head slowly dies into the body after a minute. No carbonation is seen rising and barely any lacing is left.

S: more hops than the malts (kinda surprising, but not bad).

T: hops dominate over the malts

M: light and feels great on the tongue with a slight bitter aftertaste and finish

O: this is a decent beer that I would have again.

Serving type: can

09-04-2012 23:00:37 | More by kangarooAdam59

aranheaney

New York

3.03/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Found this on the Cape and couldn't resist, especially when I say it was now made by the Rochester Brewing Company. Price point didn't hurt, under $6.00 for a six of pounder cans. All that being said, I think this is pretty much Genny Cream Ale in a different package, I'll be eager to do a side by side taste test, however until then, check my review of Genny Cream Ale for this one's specifics...

Serving type: can

09-02-2012 21:32:46 | More by aranheaney

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.08/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from the 16 ounce can into a perfect pint glass.

Pours golden light, active bubbles, good head of remaining foam. Chalky malty nose. Smooth lagery beer taste, citrus close. Creamy mouthfeel. Mild mannered, if not a touch sour. Good clean fun, though hardly remarkable.

Serving type: can

08-26-2012 15:30:00 | More by KTCamm

Thickfreakness

New York

3.58/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass. Nice clear golden pour with a fluffy two finger bright white head. The etching on the bottom of the glass gives off fantastic carbonation.

S- Not very much on hand here. Definately more hoppy presence than most cream ales. Slightly sweet and delicate graininess. Slight hints of wet hay.

T- Decent grain flavors. Very mild, but it has a little touch of hoppy tang on the back end. Nice balance of sweet and hoppy for a cream ale.

M- Sweet/hoppy/creamy. Roll on the tongue nicely. The hops lend a nice little bitterness to a brew that usually has none.

O- A really well done cream ale. Way to take a simple style and kick it up a notch! Wish more brewers would experiament with this style. Perfect for a warm night.

Serving type: can

08-22-2012 22:31:03 | More by Thickfreakness

Celtics76

Rhode Island

3.08/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Purchased a 6-pack of tallboy cans from Bottles on the East Side of Providence - looking for something light/refreshing as my brother Mitch will be coming over for a cookout on Friday. Decided to go local with this one.

Poured into a Boddingtons pint glass. Nice golden color with about an inch of head present. Has a standard lager-like aroma, nothing impressive. Basically tastes like your standard lager (such as Pabst) beefed up with some bitterness. I don't get why this is considered a "cream ale" - the only other one I've tried is Sixpoint's Sweet Action and it tastes totally different.

I don't know what else to say other than this is a smooth, easy drinking "cookout" beer that can be consumed one after another.

Serving type: can

07-25-2012 22:28:30 | More by Celtics76

rfgetz

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a lightly hazed, pale straw, fizzy. Faint scent brings notes of white bread, fresh grain. Taste a tad more strong than scent, lightly bready and grainy, faint grassy hop notes. Nice smooth and clean body with some heft. Good, refreshing beer to pair with the BBQ we were eating, would only seek out as a BMC alternative as its scent and flavor are not too strong.

Serving type: can

07-02-2012 15:19:47 | More by rfgetz

shand

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16oz can into a Sam Adams perfect pint.

Pours out a bubbly golden with two fingers of fluffy head. The aroma is creamy and lightly malty. The taste is excellent and just about exactly what I'd want from a cream ale. It's got a nice creaminess and grainiess, but it's got the right amount of bitter hops to stop it from being cloying while letting the cream aspects shine through. The mouthfeel is light and briskly carbonated, and the drinkability is great. This is just a great cream ale, an outstanding example of a macro style done with a craft level of care.

Serving type: can

05-30-2012 23:49:20 | More by shand

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Great golden color and crystal clear. Thick, long lasting, foamy head. Leaves plentiful ring lace

The aroma is like sour cream with a mild, peppery hop in the background.

First impression is of the thinnish body, but the lower carbonation gives the impression of a richer beer than it is. Good hop presence. This is a good beer without the low hop typical for a Cream Ale. A definite move up from the lawn mower beer category.

Serving type: can

05-27-2012 00:21:06 | More by smcolw

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours light yellow with a fizzy white head. No lace.

Light malt, some mineral notes in the nose.

Light malt is creamy and a bit sweet. Some mild bitterness to balance this out, with grain and bread in the works. Not macro but borders on it.

Lighter bodied, good carbonation.

I didn't hate this, but there are far better versions of the style.

Serving type: can

05-12-2012 00:23:49 | More by OtherShoe2

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a can of this at Julio's.

A - Poured into a Duvel tulip a bright, clear slightly darker than the usual straw yellow with a big, fluffy creamy two finger white head that faded to a nice thick blanket. Wow, impressive!

S - Aroma is pretty solid for a cream ale. Light sweet malts and some super, super faint hops. Very slight adjunct aroma.

T - Holy shit again. Very solid, mild, neutral...which you kinda want with a cream ale. Light sweet malts, very faint floral slightly citrusy hops. This is incredibly solid.

M - Mouthfeel is pretty good. Nice and crisp and refreshing, a bit too carbonated for me, but still great.

O - Overall...man oh man. I've had my fair share of cream ales but this one takes the cake. This really, really is an outstanding example of the style.

Serving type: can

05-10-2012 20:19:05 | More by rudzud

erosier

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

L: Pours a nice clear blonde color with a short and white colored head that leaves a bit of lacing down the glass.
S: Smells of sweet toasted malts and then a pretty decent citrus hop aroma at the end.
T: Tastes of sweet toasted malts, hints of lemon and then a decent citrus/grassy hop flavor at the end.
M: Crisp, clean, refreshing, perfect amount of carbonation, light feeling.
D: Very drinkable session beer with a good light feel to it. Great summer beer.

Serving type: can

05-02-2012 10:09:34 | More by erosier

brureview

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Narraganset is the baseball beer of my youth: it was advertised everywhere in the Boston area, especially on televised baseball games.I never drank much Gansett- this was the first time drinking the cream ale.

I wasn't expecting much.

The beer pours a four fingered head with some lacing, and a slight lemon smell from the head. The color is ice tea- pale gold.

The mouth feel is very smooth, with a touch of carbonation.

A nice clean finish with no characteristic flavors and a slight bitterness.

This is the new edition-much better than the older Gansett brew. It's a throwback to the older style of 50's-60's beers, but far superior to the macros of that era.

It's definitely worth a try- especially to taste an older style.

It's better on the warmer side which will bring out slight fruit to the finish.

Serving type: can

04-28-2012 02:00:03 | More by brureview

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to angrybabboon for throwing me a can.

Appearance: Perfectly, and I'm talking immaculately, clear gold with a super-white head. Head drops to a thin cap after a few minutes. Lively carbonation.

Smell: Grainy pale malts. Some grassy edges. Touch of corn and the faintest edge of earthy/floral hops. So mellow. So neutral. So very clean.

Taste: Slightly toasted, super pale, and just a touch grassy. Some mild apple flavors mixed in with the earthy/herbal hops. Spot on. Some sweetness, but it's less than corn sweet. Very mellow and unassuming.

Mouthfeel: Relatively light with a nice solid carbonation. Drinks clean and crisp.

Overall: Drink it from the can, drink it from the glass, it doesn't matter. It's a beer for drinking en masse on a warm day. I plan on doing this routinely.

Serving type: can

04-26-2012 00:37:27 | More by Goblinmunkey7

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a tallboy into a true pint, the beer is a pale, crystal clear, goldenrod coloring with a half inch of light, fluffy, white foam that slowly settles into a filmy coating and laces the glass as you drink. Aromas are roasted and creamy, with a subtle sweetness that compliments the biscuits backbone. Flavors are heavily roasted, with a dark, almost char highlight on the sweet and subtle creamy characteristics. Toasted grain flavors throughout, with a slight sour tang to it. The body is light and smooth until the end, when the carbonation gets the best of the beer, leaving a slight sharp finish in mouth. The aftertaste is a subtle roasted sweetness that remains light. Tasty beer.

Serving type: can

04-25-2012 23:46:29 | More by GarthDanielson

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this on 2012-04-25 in Columbia, PA

A - Perfectly clear golden-straw with a 1.5-finger white head that drops pretty quickly and leaves little lace.

S - Bready malt and light citrus. Fairly weak.

T - Biscuit, tart tangerine juice, herbal, decent hop bitterness into the aftertaste. It's a nice flavor; not boring.

M - Lighter than I expected but not watery. Medium carbonation. Crisp and refreshing.

O - A good tasting and sessionable brew with enough citrus and bittereness to keep it interesting. Wouldn't be the first beer I'd go to in this summer-day, easy-drinkin', low ABV range but it's worth checking out.

Serving type: can

04-25-2012 21:56:02 | More by Tucquan

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.73/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the 16 fl. oz can marked 0412-0431. Sampled on April 20, 2012. The pour is golden yellow with a huge, off-white head that lingers. The aroma is full of pale malts and grain. The body is light to medium with the emphasis on medium and it is also smooth. The taste has a definite grainy character but it is not offensive. There is a moderate hop bitterness at the end. this is a delightful cream ale supposedly based on a Pre-Prohibition recipe.

Serving type: can

04-21-2012 01:58:48 | More by puboflyons

kylehay2004

Florida

2.9/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: single finger head on a clear star colored body as expected.

S: light malt aroma but little else. Overall light on the nose.

T: breads, malts and grains with subtle sweetness.

M: moderate to high carbonation and very light bodied. Not overally creamy, I guess more so than the lager they offer but doesn't stand out.

Overall: Drinkable, not memorable.

Serving type: can

04-16-2012 01:58:29 | More by kylehay2004