It was not by luck that the Newburgh Brewing Company began in the frank, no-nonsense town of Newburgh, New York. It’s still necessary to lace up your boots in the morning and get to work if you want to survive, and that attitude is precisely what the crew was born into and looking to put in each bottle of craft beer. Simple, straightforward beers for the folk of Newburgh, no matter their collar. Started in 2012, NBC has grown to include a half dozen permanent beers on their slate, all of them following old-world styles and expectations for quality. But while the recipes may be based in the old, the brewers embrace all that has evolved in the craft world over two and a half centuries. Based on a classic local creation, the Cream Ale is a light-bodied and slightly sweet beer with a refreshing snap to it. Serves well at 8°C and can cellar up to six months.
Pours a light golden colour with a slightly hazy body and medium carbonation. A thin, sticky layer of white foam rests on top.
The aroma hits you with fresh bread, lightly toasted grains, a touch of citrus zest, and a punch of herbal hop that opens up on the nose to a more flowery treatment.
Off the bat you’ll enjoy the light, snappy flavour of the malt and hop mix - it’s slightly sweet and bready, but with some lemony snap to it. The flavour mellows on the palate and brings in a candy floss sensation and effervescence that is refreshing and cleans up the palate. The whole flavour finishes off with a delicate fade, and leaves behind a slight chalky sweetness like you’ve just popped a stick of trading card gum in your mouth.
A pastrami sandwich on rye bread may sound like a cliche, but have it with this beer and you’ll realize why - it’s delicious.