Owen Ogletree and Don "Dr. Brewski" Beistle arrive at the 2013 Great British Beer Festival in London
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Great British Beer Festival
List of Real Ales Sampled
- August 2013 -

Owen Ogletree
Southern Brew News Columnist
Editor: www.ClassicCityBrew.com


Don Beistle
Southern Brew News Columnist











Ranking very near the top of our “beer nirvana” list is the sublime joy of a fresh, well maintained, real cask-conditioned ale. Look below for the impressive list of real ales Owen and Don managed to sample at the largest cask festival in the world - London's Great British Beer Festival...








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Real ale (also called cask ale or cask-conditioned ale) is young beer with some residual sugar and active yeast cells that is placed in sealed metal casks.  The typical cask has a volume of 10.8 U.S. gallons and is called a “firkin.”  In the sealed firkin the beer undergoes a special conditioning process whereby the yeast produces a soft carbonation and complex flavor components and then settles to the bottom of the cask with the help of finings such as isinglass (made from fish swim bladders). After a time, excess carbonation is vented and a serving tap is hammered through a spout on the cask. The beer is served without pasteurization or additions of artificial carbon dioxide or other gasses.



Great British Beer Festival

Beers Sampled - Owen & Don - 2013

·       ARKELL'S, BRAMLING X 4.2 Single hop varietal gives spicy blackcurrant notes.

·       B & T, TWO BREWERS BITTER 3.6 Hoppy amber session beer

·       BALLARD'S, MIDHURST MILD 3.5 Traditional dark mild, well balanced, refreshing with a biscuity flavour.

·       BANK TOP, DARK MILD 4 Rich malt and toffee flavours with bitter finish.

·       BELVOIR, DARK HORSE MILD 3.4 Classic smooth mild with full bodied flavours.

·       BEWDLEY, WORCESTERSHIRE WAY 3.6 A very refreshing session beer with citrus aftertones.

·       BRAINS, DARK Smooth, drinkable, clean mild ale.

·       BRISTOL BEER FACTORY, SUNRISE 4.4 Biscuit malt and lemon-flavoured Pioneer hops.

·       BUNTINGFORD, TWITCHELL Well-made, delicious, award-winning ale.

·       BURTON BRIDGE, XL MILD 4 Classic sulphurous Burton aroma with fruit and hops in the taste and characteristic finish.

·       BUTTS, BARBUS BARBUS 4.6 Quite fruity and earthy.

·       CANTERBURY ALES, PARDONERS ALE 3.8 Honey notes give way to spicy, orange and citrus hops

·       CASTLE ROCK, BLACK GOLD 3.5 Dark mild with hints of caramel and fruit balance by bitterness.

·       CERDDIN, CWRW TRI 4.5 A dark coloured beer with a toffee and coffee taste, with Fuggles and Goldings hops.

·       CONISTON, OLIVERS LIGHT ALE 3.4 Light mild with subtle Goldings hop flavour.

·       COTSWOLD SPRING, OLD SODBURY MILD 3.9 An unusual mild made with oats, rye and dark malts

·       COUNTRY LIFE, POT WALLOP 4.4 Very light straw coloured, easy drinking.

·       CROUCH VALE, CITRA 3.9 Refreshing zesty aromas top off a pale, light biscuity body with combined sweetness and bitterness.

·       CUMBRIAN LEGENDARY ALES, ESTHWAITE BITTER

·       DOGHOUSE, MILD 3.5 A traditional Mild, brewed with Mild Ale and Chocolate malt, Challenger and Fuggles hops.

·       ELLAND, 1872 PORTER Grand Champion Beer of Britain 2013 - An amazing, classic porter.

·       FARMER'S, A DROP OF NELSON'S BLOOD 3.6 Full-bodied beer, initially sweet, with hops and malt but, becoming very bitter in the aftertaste.

·       FLOWERPOTS, ELDER ALE 3.8 A dry beer, very light in colour with a hint of elderflower.

·       FULLERS, VINTAGE ALE 2013 Malty, toffee-like and warming.

·       FYNE ALES, JARL Well-made, delicious, award-winning ale.

·       GREAT ORME, WELSH BLACK 4 Large amount of chocolate malt gives a velvety smooth rich coffee finish.

·       GREEN KING, IPA RESERVE Malty with a moderate hop backbone.

·       GROWLER BREWERY, NETHERGATE, UMBEL MAGNA 5 Smooth, creamy porter infused with coriander.

·       HAWKSHEAD, RED ALE Malty red ale with notes of butterscotch.

·       HOBSONS, BEST BITTER 3.8 A medium-bodied beer with strong hop character throughout. Bitter, but with malt discernible in the taste.

·       HOGS BACK, ENGLISH SUMMER ALE 3.9 Clean, slightly dry on the palate, bags of hop flavours at the finish without lingering for too long in the mouth.

·       ILKLEY, JOSHUA JANE 4 A highly hopped golden ale with a strong, bitter finish.

·       JENNINGS, SHEEP THRILLS 3.9 Smooth and creamy, light refreshing ale brewed using pinhead oats.

·       MIGHTY OAK, OSCAR WILDE 3.7 Roasty dark mild with suggestions of forest fruits and dark chocolate, the sweet taste yields to a more bitter finish.

·       MILTON, PEGASUS 4.1 Malty aroma and flavour balanced with some kiwi fruit and faint toffee. Pleasing dry aftertaste.

·       MOLES, TAP BITTER 3.5 A session bitter with a smooth, malty flavour and clean bitter finish.

·       MOORHOUSE'S, BLACK CAT 3.4 A dark mild-style beer with delicate chocolate and coffee roast flavours and a crisp, bitter finish.

·       PROSPECT, WHATEVER 3.8 Pale bitter packed with hop flavour and aroma.

·       PURPLE MOOSE, GLASLYN ALE 4.2 Plenty of hop in the aroma and taste. Good smooth mouthfeel leading to a slightly chewy finish.

·       RUDGATE, RUBY MILD 4.4 Nutty, rich ruby ale, stronger than usual for a mild.

·       SALAMANDER, MUDPUPPY 4.2 A hoppy fruitiness dominates this beer. A fruity nose gives way to a pleasant nutty character.

·       SALOPIAN, ORACLE 4 A crisp golden ale with a striking hop profile. Dry and refreshing with a long-balanced aromatic finish.

·       SAWBRIDGEWORTH, MANOR MILD 3.4 A traditional mild.

·       SHEPHERD NEAME, GOLDINGS Beautiful ale with pleasant Goldings hop aroma and flavor.

·       ST AUSTELL, TRELAWNY 3.8 Peach and apricot aroma with a toasted biscuit flavour balanced by a tangy hop bitterness.

·       ST AUSTELL, TRIBUTE 4.2 Pale brown ale. The aroma is of malt and fruity Oregon hops, with a balance of malt and hoppy bitterness in the mouth.

·       ST. AUSTELL, PROPER JOB A classic Cornish cask ale - beautiful and well balanced in every way.

·       THORNBRIDGE, WILD SWAN 3.5 Plenty of lemony citrus hop flavour, becoming increasingly dry and bitter in the finish and aftertaste.

·       THREE TUNS, 1642 3.8 Light, nutty maltiness and spicy bitterness.

·       THWAITES, LITTLE BEWDY 4.2 Pale ale brewed with Australian hops. Floral hop aroma and mellow hop character.

·       TRIPLE FFF, ALTON'S PRIDE 3.8 Floral hop aroma; initial malty flavour fades as citrus and hops take over, leading to a hoppy, bitter finish.

·       VALE, BLACK SWAN DARK MILD 3.9 Dark and smooth beer.

·       WALLS, SUMMER GOLD 3.6 A refreshing golden coloured ale, citrus in flavour.

·       WOODLANDS, MILD 3.5 A creamy, rich mild.

·       WYE VALLEY, DOROTHY GOODBODY'S MEADOW QUEEN 4.3 Brewed with Meadowsweet - a sweet-smelling herb with delicate creamy-white flowers.

·       YATES' (IOW), SUN FIRE 4.3 Amber/orange in colour with a citrus, floral aroma.





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