Picaroons Maple Cream Ale

Picaroons Maple Cream Ale is yet another offering from a brewery near and dear to my heart, the Northampton Brewing Co., out of Fredericton, New Brunswick. It's sold in in 500mL bottles, contains 5% alcohol, and is, according to the label, brewed using pure New Brunswick maple syrup.

This is a lovely looking brown ale--clear and topped with a tan head (Regrettably, I don't seem to have taken a photo). Again, according to the label, the stuff is "conditioned as a lager and brewed as an ale." It has a malty, slightly toasted aroma that features a dollop of pleasing maple sweetness. In truth, it's a somewhat thin bodied ale. It is malt driven, but mild. It's creamy mouthfeel is smooth and easy-sipping. Maple notes are present, but not dominant. This brew is a bit watery on the bitter side of the equation--there could be a bit more hop emphasis, though the creaminess is nice. It alo has a slightly toasty quality.

Not a bad maple offering. It isn't overly sweet, but I'd like a bit more ale body.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale

Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale is sold in 341mL bottles and contains 5% alcohol. It hails from Vancouver, British Columbia, where it is built by Granville Island Brewing. It's a very attractive brown coloured ale--it actually bears a slight resemblance to quality maple syrup--and it's topped with an off-white head that thins rapidly. There is very little carbonation.

Kitsilano has a mild aroma that is sweet and features some toasty malts. According to the label, this stuff is brewed using real maple sugar.  I was worried that it would be cloyingly sweet--it is sweet, but in a restrained, understated way. The flavour starts off malty, with some faint maple sweetness. The back end is toasty, with a slight bitter crunch.

This is not a bad brew, but I'd like a bit more body--I found it to be a bit too thin. This could possibly be fixed by upping the carbonation a bit. I really dig the toasty finish though.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.