What is Cask Ale?
Cask ale or cask conditioned ale - Unfiltered and unpasteurised beer which is "conditioned" (undergoes secondary fermentation) in the cask from which it is served, and dispensed without additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure. Cask can be called "real ale", a term coined by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), a British Consumer Advocacy group primarily responsible for the re-introduction of cask ales after they nearly became extinct in the late 20th century.
Caution! This beer may contain flavour - Most modern beer, including most draught craft ale in America, is cleared of its yeast after fermentation, and then is placed in a secondary tank, to be artificially carbonated. It is devoid of the flavours produced by the lees (settled yeast). It is then chilled, often down to nearly freezing, which removes even more flavour. This modern beer is highly carbonated (yet another flavour restrictor), and pumped out of it's keg under more pressure from carbon-dioxide.
Draught Beer - Cask ale sits on its lees after finishing its fermentation in the cask. This living beer undergoes secondary fermentation which naturally carbonates the beer in its cask. This natural carbonation, much smoother than artificial carbonation, has insufficient pressure to force the beer out of the cask. It has to be pulled, or "drawn" out by a draught engine (Draught or Draft means "to pull", like a "draught-horse").
These four beers are genuine cask-conditioned ales, stored in their own temperature controlled environment, separate from our normal "brite-beers" and served from our beer engines. Three of our most popular real ales are on the engines most of the time, and a 4th "rotating" beer completes the line up.
Caution! This beer may contain flavour - Most modern beer, including most draught craft ale in America, is cleared of its yeast after fermentation, and then is placed in a secondary tank, to be artificially carbonated. It is devoid of the flavours produced by the lees (settled yeast). It is then chilled, often down to nearly freezing, which removes even more flavour. This modern beer is highly carbonated (yet another flavour restrictor), and pumped out of it's keg under more pressure from carbon-dioxide.
Draught Beer - Cask ale sits on its lees after finishing its fermentation in the cask. This living beer undergoes secondary fermentation which naturally carbonates the beer in its cask. This natural carbonation, much smoother than artificial carbonation, has insufficient pressure to force the beer out of the cask. It has to be pulled, or "drawn" out by a draught engine (Draught or Draft means "to pull", like a "draught-horse").
These four beers are genuine cask-conditioned ales, stored in their own temperature controlled environment, separate from our normal "brite-beers" and served from our beer engines. Three of our most popular real ales are on the engines most of the time, and a 4th "rotating" beer completes the line up.
Name: Stonehenge
Style: India Pale Ale … IPA
Specifications: 6.7% abv, 72 IBU
Malts: North American Barley.
Hops: Cascade Hops and a blend of 7 “C” hops.
Dry, hop forward ale which we finish with a variety of northwest aroma hops.
Style: India Pale Ale … IPA
Specifications: 6.7% abv, 72 IBU
Malts: North American Barley.
Hops: Cascade Hops and a blend of 7 “C” hops.
Dry, hop forward ale which we finish with a variety of northwest aroma hops.
Name: Spitfire Amber
Style: English Style Extra Special Pale Ale
Specifications: 6.2% abv, 40 IBU
Malts: English Maris Otter barley and crystal malts, dark Belgian candy sugar.
Hops: English Admiral and Fuggles
Toasty malt flavor characteristic of English Maris Otter malts with toffee and caramel notes from the candy sugars. Classic English-style ESB
Style: English Style Extra Special Pale Ale
Specifications: 6.2% abv, 40 IBU
Malts: English Maris Otter barley and crystal malts, dark Belgian candy sugar.
Hops: English Admiral and Fuggles
Toasty malt flavor characteristic of English Maris Otter malts with toffee and caramel notes from the candy sugars. Classic English-style ESB
Name: Coal Porter
Style: American Robust Porter
Specifications: 6.2% abv, 29 IBU
Malts: North American barley with English roasted and crystal malts
Hops: Tomahawk and English Fuggles
Medium bodied porter with a moderate hop character that allows the roast malts to shine
Style: American Robust Porter
Specifications: 6.2% abv, 29 IBU
Malts: North American barley with English roasted and crystal malts
Hops: Tomahawk and English Fuggles
Medium bodied porter with a moderate hop character that allows the roast malts to shine
Name: Burton Strong
Style: Best Bitter Ale
Specifications: 5.0% abv, 30 ibu
Malts: UK Maris Otter with English roasted and crystal malts
Hops: Admiral, Fuggles, and East Kent Goldings
Classic British session ale, medium bodied with moderate hop bitterness. The water for this ale is "Burtonized" with large amounts of mineral salts used to transform Salem's soft water profile to mimic that of Burton-on-Trent, lending to a bright hop finish.
Style: Best Bitter Ale
Specifications: 5.0% abv, 30 ibu
Malts: UK Maris Otter with English roasted and crystal malts
Hops: Admiral, Fuggles, and East Kent Goldings
Classic British session ale, medium bodied with moderate hop bitterness. The water for this ale is "Burtonized" with large amounts of mineral salts used to transform Salem's soft water profile to mimic that of Burton-on-Trent, lending to a bright hop finish.