Brewery: High Falls
Location: Rochester, New York, USA
ABV: 5.1%
Version: 355ml bottle

The High Falls Brewing Company is one of the oldest breweries in the USA, having originally been founded in 1857 and undergone a number of name changes over the years, with the name Genesee lasting from 1878 until 2000, when it became High Falls. As well as brewing their own beers they also import and distribute beer from further afield, including Thwaites from the UK and Toohey’s from Australia.

Launched in 1960, Genesee Cream Ale is a pale golden colour and gives off an odd aroma. There’s a hint of caramel initially, but the over-riding smell is of what I can only describe as sweaty damp hay. With a far from good start, I was quite hesitant about the tasting. The flavour is thankfully quite mild - there’s hints of malt, fruit and wheat with some sweet creaminess but overall I just found it stale and not very pleasant.