Cask and Nitro

I'd love to try Guinness on cask for comparison (I'm serious). This will never happen, but it would be interesting.

 

Guinness was on cask in Ireland long after it went keg everywhere else.Perhaps that's where the myth that it tastes better there came from.

 

I haven't yet had a beer on nitro that I enjoyed. Flattened out any of the good flavors in the beer and replaced it with stale creaminess. Yuck.

 

I'm not taking you to task for anything. My post was as neutral as I could imagine it. Your 'anti-nitro' opinions are more than welcome to me because I find them interesting. I thought I made that clear when I said you and others are welcome to enjoy anything you choose.

 

I had a cask black IPA at the Pike in Seattle yesterday. It was awesome. I am seeing them pop up all over like you suggested. Its awesome.

 

Brings back memories of Tetley Bitter in the 80s. By Christ that was an outstanding beer. How similar is Tetley Cask?

 

you should never, ever equate cask with Nitro. They are entirely different.

 

The landlord is Julian Grocock who is CEO of SIBA and should therefore know his beer.He tells how he drank some Wolverhampton brewed Tetley's and thought he was still drinking the stuff from Leeds.It's his biggest selling beer.So the Tetley's Cask is a pretty good clone of Tetley's Bitter of yore.

 

Noted, thanks.

BTW, SIBA??

(I doubt it's the electrical wholesaler based in L'borough. :-). )

 

It's the Small Independent Brewers' Association which is a body representing independent brewers. It was set up by Peter Austin.
SIBA has come to represent the broad spectrum of the UK independent brewing sector. There is no longer a ceiling on membership and SIBA is now one of the most authoritative and respected bodies in the brewing industry.
http://siba.co.uk/

 

Oh man. I have to try that. There's no escaping it. Thanks!

 

I had my first cask beer the other day at Green Man's. I didn't like it. Wish it was COLD!

 

asking for cold cask beer is like asking for hot ice-cream.

 

Why should beer be cold? That's what macro brewers push so you don't notice that there's nothing there.Beer was around for thousands of years before refrigeration.

 

Thanks for that...my first chuckle of the day.

 

Freewheel Brewing in California is doing all cask ales. They don't even have kegs. Also, I just saw a Union Jack IPA on cask, so apparently Firestone is dipping their toes into cask ale too.

 

I'm going to be the cynic and argue that the average beer geek love firkins for the same reason they love whalez - the limited quantity and distinction that sets it off. "Oh, you have 10 beers on tap and only 1 on cask? That's obviously the one that I want!"

I base this on the number of friends and strangers I've heard order a cask beer, complain that it is "warm and flat" and then order a second.

 

Those friends/stranger made zero mention how the cask delivery creates a smooth mouthfeel and that the warmer temperatures permit the flavors to shine?

I can certainly understand the comments of "warm and flat" since a cask beer has lower carbonation and it is served warmer then ‘regular’ draft beer, but no mention of the positive qualities?

Cheers!

 

There's both types certainly, that is some people who understand what cask is and like those aspects.

However, I think there is definitely a population that sees a choice between "imperial stout" or "cask-conditioned imperial stout" and orders the one with an extra word in it.

 

Since you made mention of cask-conditioned imperial stout I figured I would offer up that at last Sunday’s 7th Annual Yards Real Ale Invitational they had a cask of George Washinton’s Reserve which is their 7% ABV Strong Porter which was aged in Bourbon Barrels. That beer was glorious served on cask!

Maybe some of your friends (and you?) who understand what cask is would enjoy George Washington’s Reserve on cask even though it is warm and flat?

Cheers!