Don’t you just love a bargain? Most people do. When I lived in Rhode Island more than a decade ago, there was a retail chain called Christmas Tree Shops that built its business on that very slogan. In fact, they assigned it a catchy little tune and used it in their radio and TV commercials.

I didn’t buy my bottle of Cricket Hill Brewing Cricket’s Nocturne Dark Lager at Christmas Tree Shops. Still, it was quite the bargain at a mere $4.49 for a 22 ounce bomber bottle. In these days of ever-increasing beer prices, that is a true steal indeed, and something I see less and less of. The alcohol content of this beer is not all that far off from the price at 4.5% by volume, and both mean you can drink the beer without too much worry.

The brewery says this about Cricket’s Nocturne:

A dark lager that combines a mild crispness with subtle toasty, chocolate notes to make it the perfect thirst quencher on days when there's a chill in the air. It’s a great accompaniment to hearty winter meals, or dessert by the fireside.

Here’s what I say:

Cricket’s Nocturne Dark Lager pours to a dark brown color with a humongous gushing head of foam (my bottle anyway) and a soft nutty malty nose. Taking a sip, the beer has a soft chocolaty malt character with a decidedly toasty nutty profile and cookie-like flavors throughout. The finish is balanced with grassy hops, though a very subtle sweetness sneaks through. Overall, I found this to be a very nice, very drinkable Munich Dunkels that really grows on you.

Cricket’s Nocturne Dark Lager is not an overly complex beer, but it does have its charm, and plenty of flavor. Extra credit for the great price ratchets this one up from 4 to 4.5 stars on the Bruguru scale.



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