Petes Wicked Wanderlust Cream Ale

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

Poured brownish orange, clear with next to no head or lacing. Aroma was sweet malts and a tinge of lagerish bitterness. The flavor was sweet malt, bread and a touch of bitterness. A bit syrupy as it warmed, definitely not watery. Was just ok.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 6

So, I’m down the the last bottle of this six-pack. It’s a new beer so I figured I hadn’t rated it yet so I called it up. I took a sip and waited for the listing. I saw the average as 2.45 and though "huh? it’s not great, but it isn’t *that* bad." Then I took another sip, and you know what? It’s not that good, either. I donno, I think I was remenicing of the old Pete’s and thought that this was the best I’ve had from them in a long time and kinda wanted to think this was good; but it’s not. I bought it because I thought it was a Winter beer in the vein of Jubelale, SNCA, and many others of the like and I was disappointed when it wasn’t, but realized it was a Cream Ale and told myself it wasn’t bad. But I gotta say, even for the style it’s even less than average. Little aroma, no lacing, very little body, even the taste reminds me of A-B Select. Not much here to like. I don’t hate it, but again I’m reminded of how far Pete’s has gone downhill. Pete, if you’re reading this, either buy the place back and turn it around, or at least give them a call and ask them to change things to save your name.

Aroma: 2 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 2

10.17.04 12oz bottle, sample from sales rep. Golden, beechwood color with a greenish tint; ample, lasting head. Mild aromas of soggy bread mixed with bursting kernels of grain. Popcorn. Flavor is lighlty acidic, increasingly so towards the finish and after. Really grainy and chewy. Acidic rather than bitter. Palate is all over the place, light and effy, thick and coating, tingly acid, sweet, wet, dry, tart. No organization. Reminds of, well, reminds of nothing at all good. I can think of at least 400 other beers I’d rather drink.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Poured a light amber color with almost no head or lacing. Aroma was light i guess you would call it, llight hops Flavor was malty with a hop finish. Very easy beer to drink.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Nice golden color when poured. Actually a nice looking beer. Mouthfeel was nice and different. This is my first cream ale so it was not like other beers I've had. Flavor is malty and slightly sweet with a nice bitter aftertaste.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

I enjoyed this. Tastes like a good, hoppy pale. This is the first Pete's Wicked product I've had, and it was a good price where I got it and the labeling was interesting. I reccomend it.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

I'm not really sure what makes this a Cream Ale, or what really a Cream Ale is. Didn't taste all that "creamy" to me. Pours an dark golden color with a moderate head and some lacing on the glass. The head tapers off rather quickly. This seems and tastes more like a Lager to me. Malty, grassy aroma. Slight hoppy flavor with sweet malts mixed in and a bitter, dry finish. Not a bad overall beer and very drinkable. Nothing specatacular though.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Poured with the most unimpressive head I would've expected, although the carbonation was satisfactory and steady. The lacing was about null. The aroma was hard to pick up with hops being the feature (but light in the aroma). The flavor was malty and mildly bitter (balanced nicely, not too sweet), with a nice touch of hops to finish. The body was slightly creamy, but not thick or heavy. A very drinkable beer, this could serve me for sessions.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Karen and I went to her friend's place last night for dinner and drinks, and a good time was had by all. Of course, as the resident beer-geek of the bunch, I brought some of my "Sim-tennial 1½ IPA" homebrew, as well a mixed sixer of Bridgeport offerings for sharing. Once those were killed off, the beer selection in their fridge was decidedly less interesting. But I decided to give this a try, having not seriously thought about the Pete's Wicked line of beers since the 20th Century....

Now, I don't know Cream Ales very well -- they're much more of a Midwest/East Coast speciality, as far as I know..., and thus I didn't grow up drinking Genesee Cream Ale, for example. But I'll give this a fair shake, calling it as I see it.

This isn't bad. The mouthfeel, which some folks would probably refer to as being smooth and velvety and creamy, I feel is just too soft and mushy for my liking. Yeah, I do realize that's the intention of this style, so I certianly won't dock point s for that -- but, at the same time, doesn't really win me over, either.

At least the hop profile with this one is enough to do the job. Not enough IBUs to really scare anybody away from this, but enough to get the job done. I'm normally not a fan of Cluster hops, but I also know that they are pretty traditional for this style, and in this specific case, I think they work well enough.

Not sweet and cloying, which is the main reason why I've shyed away from this style for the most part. Quaffable enough, though I kept on wishing I was having something more challenging than this waiting for me in the `fridge. But..., for it's intended audience, it does the job.

"It's not my bag, baby...", but it's not drain-worthy, either.

Music: Skrew's "Burning In Water, Drowning In Flame".
//TB

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 6

Poured with a thick white head. Color is a very light amber with a fair amount of bubbles. Aroma is slightly hoppy with some oranges and a musty undertone. The taste is a little sweet. It has honey, peanuts and a grassy finish. the aftertaste becomes a strange combination of grass and copper. Unpleasant.