Cain's Finest Cask Lager
Robert Cain & Company Limited

 

 

(Notes of August 2007) Tasted by a half-pint at the Swim Inn, a JDW pub on West Street, Sheffield; served by a sparkler-pour.

A: straw in colour, coming with very low carbonation and a creamy white frothy head with brilliant retention.
S: light floral and citric hops abound, on a par with nectar-ish sour-sweet malts and refreshingly lemony sourness that earmarks a lagered bier, while a whiff of caramely sweetness hides at the back.
T: the swallow of aromatic & clean biscuity malts is ensued by a more assertive flow of nutty Czech/Moravian maltiness, while hop bitterness manifests itself slowly, backed by a touch of dry-ish toastiness. The aftertaste shows a faint sour touch, while the palate remains slightly chewy more like an ale than a lager bier.
M&D: nice to finally sample this beer on cask, which is smoothly-textured and reasonably flavoursome, although the hop profile is much less pronounced than a true Czech Lezak. The bottle version might be better, perhaps?

Brown 500ml bottle, with a special label to celebrate the '2008 Liverpool European City of Culture'. Best before Aug 2009, drank during my 'Lagers around the World' tasting evening.

This cost 89 pence from a cut-price store near me, I hope it was a steal.

Poured into a Duvel glass one and half times it was a slightly cloudy, light orange, dull old gold colour, with a huge foaming white head.

Almost odourless, it gets my standard lager score of 3 for aroma. Even as it warmed, no smell arrived in my nose.

This was the fourth lager during the tasting evening and the first with any real body and flavour. Grainy, some malt and hops, this is a good lager (not a style I drink often, apart for reviewing purposes).

Really enjoyed it, Cains brewery has gone into liquidation I believe, that's a shame because this is a fine product and I like their Real Ales. They also own/owned some lovely pubs in Liverpool.

Sampled at the CAMRA Paisley Beer Festival, April 16.

Pours a golden yellow with a bubbly white head. Surprisingly live carbonation for a cask lager. Nice lacing on the glass as well. Nose is sweet and very faintly medicinal. Biscuit malt with a faint medicinal hint in the taste leading to a nice long moderately hoppy finish. Not sure I like the medicine though. Intriguing mouthfeel; thin like a lager but smooth from the cask-conditioning. Over a rather drinkable casl lager, and a nice change from the some of the sickly sweet ones I've tried. Crisp and certainly a departure from the usual cask beers.