Creemore Springs Kellerbier - Creemore Springs Brewery Limited

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Creemore Springs release party at Victory Cafe. Very very fresh. Had this on tap, will be released in cans...just as now-unfiltered. Peachy cloudy appearance with long lasting white generous head, leaving lace traces. Yeasty and spicey and malty aroma. Medium mouthfeel, the yeast cushions but above average carbonation offsets this and prevents a full two pints from being consumed, still very drinkable. Significant hops, including dry hopping, I like the unfiltered taste. Drying finsh. Bang on style, it hits the ontario market between the eyes, and just as Creemore brought craft back in Ontario about 20 years back, this will be a paradigm shifter.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2009 00:58:34 | More by northyorksammy

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Can: Poured a bright lightly hazy copper color lager with a large foamy head with average retention and some lacing. Aroma of dry caramel malt with floral undertones and some clean crisp hops. Taste is a well balanced mix between some floral malt with notes dry caramel and a light green hoppy finish. Body was quite full with good carbonation. Very well done though additional hops would have benefited this beer as well as slightly less filtration.

Serving type: can

10-20-2009 02:19:51 | More by Phyl21ca

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice light copper-shaded can, lots of old-world brewery imagery.

This beer pours a slightly muddled medium orange hue, with a few fingers of thick, foamy off-white head, which leaves a nice web of lace as it recedes. It smells of caramel malt, bitter citrus hops, and crisp grassy hops. The taste crisp bready malt, and citrus and grassy hops, that mellow a bit as it warms. The carbonation is moderate, the body solid, smooth, and a little creamy, and it finishes dry and saltine cracker-like.

This is a very enjoyable lager - crisp (oh, I said that already), fresh, and substantial. Too bad I only have the one.

Serving type: can

08-28-2009 22:48:46 | More by biboergosum

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.09/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Tasted at the Mondial de la Biere in Montreal:

Cloudy amber; ample head that leaves ring lace.

Earthy and malty aroma. Some farm to the nose.

Sweet berry-like malt up front. Good white pepper hop in the swallow. Complex full body with a low carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2013 00:51:24 | More by smcolw

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

473 ml can, from LCBO.

Pours a very lightly hazed dark orange, some copper highlights, nice and thick white head forms, slowly settles down to a thick ring, some lace chunks stick to the glass. Smell is nice, very malty, signature Creemore breadiness, some toasty malts and caramel, earthy, some floral, nice light citrus hops, grassy, lightly solvent, but smells good. Taste is similar, dry and toasty up front, bready, caramel sweetness through the middle, very grassy hops, some citrus and floral, touch of fruit in the finish, almost a little tannic and grapey, nice dry finish, solid bitterness. Mouthfeel is light bodied with low to medium carbonation, just right. Nice lager with some great character. Looking forward to the hoppier batch 2.

Serving type: can

08-06-2009 22:05:27 | More by Viggo

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy orange with a soapy cap of white foam. Head retention was average, but it left a lot of clumpy lace on the glass. Malty aroma, bready with some caramel, lemon citrus hops, a bit floral and toasty, slightly spicy. Dry, biscuity malt up front with solid but balanced bitterness. Nice malt flavours, bready and toasty, some caramel sweetness follows. Hop flavours were earthy, lemony and floral with lingering peppery spice. Medium bodied with medium to low carbonation, quite smooth. I was quite impressed with the amount of flavour and character jammed into this beer. Very tasty.

Serving type: can

08-17-2010 01:29:54 | More by DrJay

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Almost appearing as if it were conceived in sanguine, Creemore's Kellerbier sits a lucid honey tone flushed in flaming copper-amber highlights. It is transparent but by no means clear; leaving the beer unfiltered not only results in the added advantage of being more vitamin-rich but also a naturally cloudy complexion as well.

Kellerbiers have notoriously low carbonation because they are left "ungespundet", meaning much of the carbon dioxide created in fermentation is allowed to escape. Notwithstanding, this head initially ballooned up a full three fingers before ultimately disappearing; soapy, sparkly vestiges of its vertical prowess remain marked along the height of the glass.

Despite being dry-hopped with whole-leaf tetnang and saaz hops - in supposed "generous" amounts no less - this aroma isn't terribly aromatic and certainly nothing like boastful of its contents. Still, take thoughtful breaths and your nasal passage is bound to fill with the fragrant, earthy, floral, near-spicy bouquet of two of Europe's finest hops varieties.

The generous dry-hoping is wholly apparent in the taste as well. That crudely earthy, leafy and pungent characteristic of the Noble hops is finely articulated, accenting a particularly fruity and floral mark on the beer. The fruitiness is pleasantly abundant for a lager and is likely assisted by a select, fruit-endowed house yeast.

On the malty side of things, there is a boat-load worth of grainy, biscuity, lightly toasty, caramel-braised Munich malt. It is hefty, chewy almost, but not too filling. It offers hints of apple and plenty of biscuity flavour. There are constant reminders of caramel and a light nutty, toasty sensation. What is the German word for "quaffable"? I better learn that one!

I'd still like to go to Franconia but it's nice now that I don't have to cash in any air miles to find delicious, well-made Kellerbier. By sticking to traditional guidelines, using whole leaf hops and leaving the beer unfiltered and unpasteurized, Creemore's done everything right. From delivery boy to brewmaster, this beer makes a genius out of the whole brewery.

Serving type: can

07-20-2009 19:37:23 | More by biegaman

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Golden-bronze with a very slight haze and tiny yeast globules floating about (not nearly as hazy as some of the one's you'll find vom fass). Not much head retention, but it leaves a nice lace.

S: Much more lager character than their other brews (slightly sulfury), definitely some saaz hops here (steelie mineral, grassy & floral), some light peppery spicing & biscuity malt.

T: The Pilsner malt is akin to a Bohemian pilsner... great stuff! I'm not a big fan of the Saaz, so I appreciate the hint of peppery tettnanger on the finish (for my tastes, it's too bad they didn't go completely Germanic and use Hallertau, Spalt or Perle instead of the Saaz). Balanced slightly to the bitter side. There's still a little carapils-like sweetness that you wouldn't find in the father-land.

M: Exceptionally smooth, moderate body that's lightly carbonated as the style dictates. Off-dry finish.

D: A very good drinker.

Serving type: can

08-05-2009 02:40:54 | More by Derek

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml can downed july 22 2009

A nice color, cloudy golden orange hue, nice white head with little lace

S fruity with some mild hops apple and peach perhaps

T nice kind of peachy not what i thought it would be but very nice. not what i think of when i drink a lager surprised but in a very good way

M/D mellow, little carbonation went well with the sun finished it before i finished typing these few words. what dose that tell you

Serving type: can

07-23-2009 06:38:56 | More by wordemupg

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Get this into BC in either cans of in six packs as I loved the slightly brewery funk that came from the nose and the way the beer seemed to open up with warmth ( not usual for most lagers). I found grassy notes and citrus notes depending on what sip I was taking. A very inventive beer from Creemore.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 18:00:28 | More by canucklehead

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

473ml can poured into a pint glass

Appearance - pours a cloudy copper orange colour with a huge foamy white head. I can't see a whole lot of carbonation. There is a slim amount of lacing left on the glass.

Smell - hops and citrus zest, floral/pine notes, and a pepper spice mix.

Taste & Mouth - there is an average amount of carbonation, hops up front and a pepper spice taste in the middle. Also a slight honey and fruit sweetness mixed in before a dry refreshing finish.

Drink - A decent effort from Creemore Springs. Not the best beer I've ever had, but one that I would probably buy again.

Serving type: can

08-17-2010 01:56:42 | More by spinrsx

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.47/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

When you open an Ontario lager, expectations are usually low. The best that can be said of most of them is that they are a step up from the mediocre mass-market brands, though sometimes that is only the teensiest of steps. Now Creemore steps into the fray with a new offering that blows most of its rivals out of the water.

In 2005 brewing juggernaut Molson bought the Creemore Springs brewery to gain a foothold in the 'super-premium' market. Creemore's products have always been solid, but never exceptional, and 'super-premium' only in branding. Its pils is passable, urbock okay, and premium lager decent for what it is (currently the 2nd highest rated American Pale). Fortunately, the folks at Creemore do have some creative leeway, and how they managed to persuade the Molson accountants to allow them to make a keller bier I will never know, but we should be thankful they did.

The beer pours the colour of unfiltered peach juice, which reveals amber tones and a vague outline of my wife on the other side of the glass (while its unfiltered its by no means as hazy as a wheat beer). A good two fingers of white head set up camp, and gradually diminish, but never leave the party, casting off remnants on the glass. Fruity, floral and fragrant the aroma sure is enticing me with its mixture of ripe peaches and pears and its spicy notes. Extending to the flavour, these elements craft a delightfully drinkable beer. Upfront there's a great hop bite, which reasserts itself in the finish. What struck me about the hopping is that it seemed to arrive on the scene quickly, and then finish quickly and crisply without lingering in an IPA manner, and I think this is commendable in the type of beer a lager is trying to be. The malts provide an extensive fruitiness, with peaches (again), ripe apple and a touch of berry. Flower and herb garden flavours also abound, with floral elements, mixing with a touch of earth and some spiciness. The mouthfeel is an area that I feel this beer really excels. It has far greater texture than most lagers I've come across so far, revealing a depth only matched by cask conditioning. Like its carbonation, it is medium-light and restrained, but never watery and always satisfying. You could session this until you fell over.

So it takes Creemore, backed by the financial might of Molson, to show Ontario craft brewers how to make a lager with flavour. Now where do their beers fall? In the past they've been able to say they were superior in quality and flavour to their macro rivals, but now they've been surpassed, and have fallen into the no-man's land between two camps, having neither a big marketing machine, nor a lager worthy of note. Sammy may be right, this could be a paradigm shifter.

Serving type: can

07-21-2009 13:32:53 | More by bobsy

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From a Creemore variety 6 pack, comes in a 473 ml copper coloured can. Pours out a cloudy copper hue, with a spongy, rocky off-white head.

Crisp toasty grains on the nose, with a little bit of caramel, and a hint of citrus and funk.

Toasty grains up front in the flavour, mild citrus in the middle, with a green, leafy hop finish.

Light mouthfeel, smooth texture, low carbonation.

On the lighter, cleaner side for a Kellerbier, Creemore does it some justice.

Serving type: can

06-25-2011 01:04:44 | More by IronDjinn

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasting notes from 7/6/10

Poured in to pint glass

A - Golden orange, slightly cloudy with 2 fingers of thick bubbly head.

S - Crisp bready malts with a slight citrus nose and a touch of bitter hops to balance it out.

T - Slight bitter hop bite up front with some subtle citrus notes. A nice crisp bready malt backbone with a slight bitter hoppy finish. An excellent beer.

M - Light body, slight chew. Moderate carbonation.

D - A nice beer. One that I will definitely buy again.

Serving type: can

07-11-2010 23:47:46 | More by TheSevenDuffs

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 473ml can into a pint glass, can dated April 22. Smell is hoppy when I popped the tab, and pours a dark orange/golden red with a few fingers of head, dwindling to a thin layer with minimal, but chunky lacing. Again, smell is hoppy and slightly spicy. Taste is quite good too, not too bitter (although it finishes pretty bitter), floral hops, earthy malts and some spice again. Pretty organic feeling on the whole. Carbonation is a bit high, and has quite a dry aftertaste. Drinkability is great, glad I've stocked up on these cans!

Serving type: can

05-12-2010 23:24:26 | More by liamt07

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Hazy orange with a nice pillowy white head. Minimal carbonation.

S - Mango and other juicy sorts of fruit show up. Small hints of banana, grapefruit and pine are there too. Really nice aroma on this.

T - The fruitiness is there but less so. You can tell this has a nice malt backbone to go along with its hops. Really crisp, clean finish. Not alot of bitterness but enough to make you take notice.

M - Medium bodied. Lot's of carbonation. Smooth and crisp finish.

D - Really high. Enough flavour to keep a night interesting and a low enough ABV to session it. Carbonation might get to ya.

Serving type: can

10-02-2010 01:25:21 | More by tbeckett

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap:

Taps a roily dark amber with a 2 finger eocky cap rhat lasts moderately but laces well. Soft carbonation.

Aroma is pungent with bread dough, strian leafy hop ans some mustiness

Flavour is well balanced between brady toasty malts and styrian hop bite, wet finish, increased bittering.

Very fresh, flavorful, satisfying and clean. The kegged version is more like a keller with less carbonation than the canned version.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2010 00:32:11 | More by pootz

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a slightly hazy, dark copper colour, finger of head with solid retention and some nice sticky lacing.

S - Leafy green hops and a caramel malt backbone. Musty in nature with a bit of bready wheat as well.

T - Much like the scent with the leafy green hops dominating alongside a peppery spice and followed by a bready caramel malt. The bitterness is subdued and a touch of citrus is also noticeable.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and finishes with a touch of dryness.

O - Certainly a refreshing ale, and fitting of the style. The flavours are bold enough to be memorable, but mild enough to keep you coming back for more.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 23:38:42 | More by andrenaline

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy copper with a rocky, coarse head. Nose is caramel, herbal hops and rough graininess. Dry and fairly bitter with lots of nuttiness and hint of anise. Raw toasted graininess and the bare hint of citrus round out the flavours. A bit of a slick body with a sharp carbonation. Fairly drinkable.

Serving type: can

07-28-2010 02:24:02 | More by allergictomacros

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a deep cloudy orange colour with a thick white head. The head dissipated quickly without too much lacing. Smell is of grassy hops. As soon as it was poured I think I was getting a bit of sulfur, but this was much more muted after 30 seconds. Taste has a light bitterness of the hops, with some sweet bready malts. Quite smooth carbonation level. I could easily drink several of these in a row. I think I enjoyed last year's batch more, but maybe I'm remembering wrong. I still enjoy it and will buy it through the summer.

Serving type: can

05-17-2010 22:48:09 | More by kwjd

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - slightly hazy copper orange, tall white head dissipated slowly leaving consistent sticky lacing
S - grassy and herbal with bready grains and caramel, hints of lemon zest, and a light metallic hint
T - more pronounced herbal must hop quality, fresh cut grass along with bready and light sweet malt, flavours a little subdued but very clean and balanced
M - medium body with bright carbonation, a hint of unfiltered breadiness moves to a crisp clean slightly bitter finish
O - generally impressed with this offering, it is extremely easy drinking and well balanced, very enjoyable on this hot summer day

Serving type: can

07-31-2011 02:06:07 | More by joemcgrath27

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a beautiful orange haze with gold edges. The frothy off white head recedes quite quickly but leaves plenty of lace patches on the glass. The aroma is citrusy with a yeasty background. Herbal hop aromas also please my nostrils. The taste is full of lemon and pink grapefruit flavors with all sorts of herbal flavors in the mix as well. Black pepper comes to mind first. Fruity elements show with warmth (yeast?). Doughy malts provide abundant balance to the hops. The finish is wonderfully long and hoppy, I can taste the euro hops for a long time. The mouthfeel is well carbonated, but exceedingly smooth, medium bodied.

This is a fantastic lager. Only my second example of the style but very enjoyable. The good balance of hops, malt and yeast make it extremely quaffable. One of the best Ontario beers Ive tried.

Serving type: can

08-21-2009 00:13:06 | More by CAMRAhardliner

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Hazy deep copper colour, 1.5 fingers of white head, lace around the top edges of the glass. Smell is of bitter hop, a certain dry presence is there, nice malt backbone, floral, zesty citrus. Taste is of caramel, hops, citrus, grapefruit, peach, good bitterness nice malty finish. Light to medium weight, medium carbonation, full body. Enjoyable and refreshing, very drinkable, always enjoy seeing this come around.

Serving type: can

05-11-2011 01:22:54 | More by peensteen

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Beer is a cloudy copper with a moderately sized white head. Good retention. Decent lacing.

The beer really falls down for me in the smell department. I get almost nothing at all. A bit of yeast and a bit of light bready malt. MInimal.

Taste, thankfully, has more happening. Contains lemon, yeast, some light caramel malt and grassy hops. I get a very slight funkiness from the yeast, which is nice. Sort of a mix of bitter, sweet and sour, it that makes any sense.

Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. A bit bready.

Overall, better than I expected! Very refreshing.

Serving type: can

09-13-2012 02:34:59 | More by jrenihan

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

It's a blustery cold day - perfect for a hearty lager!

Poured into Creemore branded lager glass. Amber orange hue. Only slightly opaque, but the effect is there. Patches of lacing, a thin ring of head.

Nose is quite inviting. Leafy hops, tea, honey and a bit of malt.

A smooth, tart little brew. Not nearly as hoppy as last year's batch, but still a decent hop character. Malt and tea, a touch of bread or biscuits there as well. Dry finish.

Decent carbonation, slight creamy feel.

Another fine brew from Creemore; quite enjoyable this time of year. Not really a session brew - defionitely one to take some time with and enjoy.

Serving type: can

05-08-2010 20:57:03 | More by JohnnyBarman