Beer - #409 - Laughing Bones - Lazy Bones Cream Ale

I start Dry July with a beer that I've had on tap out on my travels. Laughing Bones Lazy Bones Cream Ale

For Laughing Bones Brewing Company brewed at Brothers Beer in the style that is Cream Ale and they are in Auckland, New Zealand.

I met the man from the brewery too when I brought this, as an aside.

Delivered in a 500ml bottle of a beer that is at 4.5% or 1.8 standard drinks,  and 150 calories (about 180 in the whole bottle).  At 31 IBU units this should be nicely drinkable, sort of Pale Ale or Pilsner level bitter.

An easy drinking session beer that won’t make you work to enjoy it. This is crafted to be smooth with a modicum of honey toasted oats and a yeast strain that leaves a fruity, very light, soft balanced palate. Perfectly hopped for a balanced experience this beer is made for you.

Bottle Conditioned this has sediment - makes note to self that I shall forget this forthwith and have cloudy beer.

This has a nice hoppy aroma on opening, sweet and inviting.



As you can see despite my best efforts my cup runneth over.. a lot, and from a goodly distance away, it's like a dervish going off in the glass.   A curse on it.

In the glass this carries an unusual aroma, and the taste is quite washed out but the high bubble carbonation.

There are hints of hops that I remember from the last time I drank this, but there isn't a lot of depth and body. There is the promise of a long finish but it doesn't quite get there.

I get that this isn't a Pilsner and therefore in my head the thought that less carbonation, and slightly more hops might improve this might be wrong. Less carbonation would.

As it warms up it don't really gain much more than what there is, the head thankfully dies away and it's not often you have to get two glasses to drink the one beer.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 5 a of its random all encompassing scale of things that remains a mystery. But it only goes to 10, so how hard could it be. 5 is average, and at the bottom end of average. This isn't a disaster of a beer, but there is wriggle room to make it better. I think I get what the brewer is about, the mystery yeast strain has potential to make this a really neat beer, it just needs a bit of oomph to get it over the line.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? For comedy value in trying to pour it it was ok, as a beer, no so much


2. Would I have another? This is a revisit, the tap and the bottle versions (aside the head) are very similar. I'm not sure I'd go a 3rd.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? If it was hot, this would be a quencher of little imposition. It's not something that I'd talk about though

Call me old school but I'm listening to  the band YES - including this track  "The Game" from HEAVEN & EARTH their new album

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhT1wy3jJNQ

Listening to this in the background as I unfold a beer I tried not to frown. It seems to be a series of two line phrases in poor poetry format, or psuedo-anthem. It's not 'rock' or particularly progressive.

 

CREAM ALE

A mild, pale, light-bodied ale, made using a warm fermentation (top or bottom) and cold lagering or by blending top and bottom-fermented beers. Low to medium bitterness. Low hop flavor and aroma.

Related articles

• Understanding Beer: Lagers, Ales and Acronyms


• Case File #37 - Cream Ale