CRICKET’S NOCTURNE
Cricket’s Nocturne Dark Lager is brewed by New Jersey’s own Cricket Hill Brewing Company, which is located in Fairfield, NJ. Their first beers were produced in 2002, which were their East Coast Lager and American Ale. Their head brewer and CEO is Rick Reed. Cricket Hill’s “gateway philosophy’ is as follows: ”Our beers are all designed as session beers that are as gentle in style as can be. They are full bodied beers that deliver classic flavors in the middle of your palate then fade away to nothing with no bitter aftertaste. We are not trying to make a statement, or blow you away with a hop or malt bomb, we are simply showing the world what great beer tastes like!” To that end, they currently produce about 10 beer styles, some of which are year round and some are seasonal. I am a big fan of local breweries, and have had a number of their beers. For this review, I sampled their
I sampled the Nocturne from a 22 oz. bottle, which I purchased at Gary’s Wine and Liquors in Madison, NJ, which, by the way, has a very fine selection of craft beers, using one of my Chimay chalice glasses, although a pint glass might have been more appropriate (admittedly, I am still learning about beer style and glassware pairings).
A- Dark brown with a reddish hue. Thin tan-white head with minimal lacing
A- Smells of roasted malts, with some smoky undertones with some hints of raisins
T- Taste was of roasted malts, with some hints of chocolate and molasses. Some smokiness in the background. Taste is a bit weaker than expected, and dissapates quickly on the backend, but pretty good for a 4.75% ABV. Very little aftertaste.
M- medium bodied beer, on the dry side. A lot of crisp, overfine carbonation.
D- A very drinkable beer. Smooth, little aftertaste. Not a great beer, but a good sessions beer. Definitely worth trying. I will definitely buy another bottle.
Comments: A very solid beer, nothing exciting or earth shattering, but worth a try. I think this beer definitely fits right in with Cricket Hill’s philosophy of being a good, full bodied beer with nice, clean flavors. In my opinion, its the best beer that Cricket Hill has produced. I love being able to support local breweries, and this is one of New Jersey’s rising stars. I hope they continue this trend with their future releases.
Overall Grade: B+
