Breaking News: Robin Hood Cream Ale is Back: Hide the Women and Children

Pittsburgh Brewing has been on a roll bringing back nostalgia to their line up. With the help of Pittsburgh-based creative group, Top Hat, they’ve really revitalized Iron City’s branding and look (I know, I made fun of the creepy IC light melty man figures and I stick by that). A big part of this push has been reintroducing some of the brewery’s older labels. The most recent of which, as part of a collaboration with Dancing Gnome Brewery, is Robin Hood Cream Ale.

Robin Hood Cream Ale can best be described as a beer nobody remembers what it tasted like, but had a sweet can. In an interview with the Trib, they all but admit so:

"Pittsburgh Brewing has made many products but Robin Hood stood out, Butler said. It was one of the most collected beer cans, Butler said, and one of the beers most-asked about on social media via direct message" [via Trib]

Cream Ale as a style really isn’t all that popular anymore. The most famous is Genesee Cream Ale, an excellent budget beer in bottles and on draught, but in a can, to quote a friend of mine, “tastes like blood”. So luckily the beer is less a true Cream Ale than it is Cream Ale inspired according to Dancing Gnome Brewery owner Andrew Witchey:

“It is difficult to modernize that classic style,” he said. “So we used our knowledge and put together a beer that is cream ale inspired. We are proud of what we’ve come up with.” [via Trib]

While I can’t claim to be the best drinker on the Jagoff Sports staff, I’m definitely always down to try whatever. So, I went to Dancing Gnome's Sharpsburg Brewery and picked up a couple four packs.

Pictured: The Original Robin Hood Cream Ale Can vs. the new Dancing Gnome Can (Photo by Sean Holmes)

As you can see the cans are a bit different than the originals. They do both come in pints which is rad. The new cans use the Dancing Gnome paper labels, but if you look at the bottom of the cans, there's a reminder who's behind this all.

In terms of taste these are really solid. Nothing too life changing, but if you're looking for a nice lighter beer, they're great. There's not lingering after taste or sharpness to them. They're a good beer to sit in a baby pool and drink away the existential dread of the modern world.