Beer O'Clock: Orange CreamsicALE

Photo: Google

One of the things that I miss about being a kid in the summer is the Dickie-Dee person. I remember hearing the bells ringing from their handle bars long before you saw the person on the three-wheeled, freezer-forward cycle coming.

My friends and I would drop what we were doing and rush to our homes, begging our mothers to give us some coins so that we could get our favourite cool treats.

For me, I loved the Orange Creamsicles. I haven't had one in decades but I'll never forget the taste: a juicy orange popsicle shell with creamy vanilla ice cream inside.

Last year, when Farm Boy, our local grocery store, came out with its own line of sparkling water, I tried the orange-vanilla flavour and it brought back memories of my childhood summer treat. Of course, without any sugar, this is not a sweet beverage but it does quench my thirst and is my favourite flavoured sparkling drink.

When I learned that a Southern Ontario brewery came out with a creamsicle-flavoured ale, I had to try it. Would it remind me of my childhood? Let's see...

Orange Creamsicale (4.8% ABV, 5 IBUs)
Railway City Brewing Company
St. Thomas, ON

Appearance: a pale, hazy orange, like a watered-down Orange Crush, with a white, foamy head that settles to a loose, fine lace. There are fine beads of effervescence, similar to that sugary soda.

Nose: the aromas are quite closed, and it took some time for me to discern anything. At first, I caught hints of the malted wheat and gradually I could discern orange zest. But the aromas are subtle and I had to get my nose right into my glass to detect anything. As I drank more, I could detect hints of vanilla, but not much and I really needed to breathe in deeply.

Palate: again, the flavours in the mouth are subtle, though I could discern mild orange. I expected some creaminess, hoping that there was added lactose, which would make this more of a milkshake cream ale. I don't get any, can't see lactose on the label, nor can I find any mention of the use of lactose on Railway City's Web site. There's a bit of vanilla that comes through in the finish, which is short, but my mouth is not left with much in the way of residual flavour. It's a very light, thirst-quenching ale with light flavours.

Overall impression: on a hot day, this will quench your thirst. But if you're looking for a burst of flavour, if you're looking to be reminded of the flavours of a childhood ice cream treat, you may be disappointed. The orange is light; the vanilla is faint; and the cream is absent. This is not the Orange Creamsicle of my youth.

That said, I didn't dislike Orange Creamsicale. It was refreshing and easy to drink. But I was disappointed by the subtle flavour profile and the lack of any creaminess. I was set up to enjoy a nostalgic moment and was disappointed.

Kind of like when I ran home for change for the Dickie Dee person, only to find my mom had none.

In all honesty, I actually prefer the Farm Boy Organic Orange Vanilla Sparkling Water. I love so many brews from Railway City that I feel bad for this review, but it is what it is.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺.5

You can find Orange Creamsicale at your local LCBO. You can find Creamsicles, if you're lucky, in your grocer's freezer section. And you can find that refreshing orange-vanilla fizzy water at your local Farm Boy.

Cheers!

One Jumbo Beer

This is a first: never before have I consumed a beverage that commemorates a tragic moment in history. But it was fitting that I drank a tragically named beer on the anniversary of another event that ended in tragedy and also has Canadian ties.

On the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the largest ship in its day, I tried an IPA that was named for the largest elephant of its day.

The only disappointment I had with this beer is that it didn't come in a jumbo-sized can.

Dead Elephant India Pale Ale

Railway City Brewing Company

St. Thomas, Ontario

LCBO: $2.75, 472 mL can; 6.5% alc/vol.

This IPA is named for an event that occurred on September 15, 1885, in St. Thomas, Ontario—home of the brewery. Is it any wonder that a St. Thomas brewery that is named for the railway (which was once a major industry in the town) and by which the elephant met its demise? On that fateful day, when P.T. Barnum's circus was in town, Jumbo the elephant was in the railway classification yard when he was struck and killed by a locomotive. Legend has it that Jumbo tried to save a baby elephant, Tom Thumb, from being struck by the train. Wikipedia tells the story in great detail, so I'll send you there rather than having you read what I'd only be paraphrasing.

This post, after all, it about the beer, not a dead elephant.

Dead Elephant (the beer) is a gorgeous, clear, lightly glowing hue of amber—almost orange. The light, white foamy head lingers, and even as I slowly sipped the ale a full lace covered the top of the liquid.

On the nose, I caught faint traces of citrus and very light hops. The nose is quite deceiving, making me think that there wasn't going to be much in the way of flavour. I was wrong.

The IPA has a robust taste without being overpowering; almost like the gentle circus animal. It's full-bodied without bowling you over. I caught inviting notes of orange peel in the mouth. And although this is a strong ale, at 6.5 percent, the alcohol doesn't come into play on the flavour. Though, I did feel it by the end of the glass (having had no lunch didn't help).

Dead Elephant finishes dry, almost like tea. But I would have liked to have had a longer finish. Dead Elephant, it seems, comes to an untimely end, just like Jumbo.

I quite enjoyed Dead Elephant. It made for pleasant drinking on a Sunday afternoon. My only recommendation for the brewery is this: if you're going to name it after one of the biggest elephants known, the animal whose name now defines a size, put your beer in a bigger can. Call it jumbo-sized.

Then, you'd have an unforgettable beer. (Get it? Unforgettable? Elephant?)