Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Beer Review: Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Cream Ale

Well yesterday was the first day of summer and what a better way to welcome the upcoming scorching heat with an orange flavored cream ale. I found this at a liquor store up in Boulder, CO but have since seen it popping up everywhere, even at Cost Plus.



Orange Blossom Cream Ale is a seasonal beer in the fastest growing category in the craft beer segment. Pour it into a glass and enjoy the wonderful fragrance of freshly peeled orange. Orange Blossom Cream Ale is brewed with sweet orange peel, orange blossom extract, and honey. 

Malts:
Pale, Victory

Hops:
First Gold

Alcohol:
5.2% Alc. by Volume

IBUs:
13



Appearance: Pours golden orange with a one finger white head. Slighty hazy with a small touch of lacing.

Aroma: Smells like those orange scented potpourris. 

Flavor: Bitter orange peel upfront, leading into a sweet honey/floral middle, ending with candied orange. Bitterness slightly balances out the sweet.

Mouthfeel: Low body with medium carbonation.

Overall: Not too cloyingly sweet, the orange is present but also lends a pith bitterness to the beer. Would be nice to have one on a real hot day by the pool, although not a fan of putting fruit in beer this would probably be nice with an orange slice. I am not going to be sexist and say this is a great girly drink (ok I guess I am) but if you are into Smirnoff ICE this may be somewhat up your alley. I would recommend toning down all the orange and adding some malt to add to the complexity. They say they use victory malt which would do this nicely but I wasn't able to pick any up from the tasting. I could have one of these beers but would wind up getting sick of it if I was trying to "indulge" that day. 

   

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