A SMUGGLED CEDAR CREAM ALE FROM TRAFALGAR BREWING

Here’s another chapter and verse from my periodic beer swaps with the swarthy, swashbuckling Canadian “Peet”. He traded me this TRAFALGAR CEDAR CREAM ALE, admitting straight-up that he knew nothing about this Oakville, Ontario brewer nor this beer, but that he thought it would be “interesting” in any case. Cedar. Cream. Well, let me tell you, it was quite interesting, and a far cry better than the D+ this thing is currently rating on Beer Advocate. I don't know anything about cream ales, so I had to close my eyes & ears and drink like Helen Keller would. It sure was a live one! It bubbled and bounced around even on the tongue – exceptionally carbonated beer. I got the taste of tangerine in this one – definitely not orange, as it was a little more sour and earthy than your basic “fruit beer”. Could it have been a plank of cedar? Let’s see what the brewer themselves say:

Cedar Cream Ale is an easy drinking, amber coloured ale. Brewed in the North-American style of cream ales, its sweet subtle nose is derived from the addition of cedar chips during fermentation and ageing. Pairs well with BBQ dishes such as steak and hamburgers.

How about that. I think it was perhaps a little less “easy” than they do, but it was solid enough. Peet thought I was gonna hate this one, but I’m going with 6/10.