Casks

Sweetwater’s Brew Your Cask Off!

By now you have had a beer on cask, or at least heard the term “cask.”  A cask beer is beer that is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and went through a secondary fermentation in the cask (keg) from which it is poured.  Continue Reading →

Smuttynose Extravaganza & Cask Tonight!

On Friday, Feb 12th, Taco Mac Metropolis will be tapping a cask of Smuttynose Old Brown Dog.  But it doesn’t stop there!!  6 unique kegs with accompany the cask, including 2 rare oak aged versions of Smuttynose’s small batch big Continue Reading →

Posted in 2010, Casks, SweetWater Brewing

Sweetwater’s Brew Your Cask Off!

By now you have had a beer on cask, or at least heard the term “cask.”  A cask beer is beer that is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and went through a secondary fermentation in the cask (keg) from which it is poured.  Why is this unique?  Cask beer is also be called “real beer.”  The glass of cask beer that’s in your glass is beer in the raw.  Beer in the natural state, straight out of fermentation.  Most of the time nothing was added to it to clarify it.  It’s not filtered, or changed.  There is even yeast still in it from fermentation.

This is a short description of cask beer in hopes that you will get a better understanding of  this weekend’s “Brew Your Cask Off” by Sweetwater Brewing.  Sweetwater invited various Atlanta bars, magazines, distributors and guest brewers to design a cask from a list of adjuncts (or additives.)  In the design process, one could chose hops, malts, yeasts, and adjuncts ranging from vanilla beans, to spicy peppers,  oak chips, tea leaves, various fruits, or cooking spices.  There are a few bourbon entries.  A certain Atlanta based beer mag used carrots.   Even nuts have been used in at least 2 casks.   However wild and crazy you wanted to be, it’s your choice.   A few weeks ago, each brewer(s) or group were invited to Sweetwater to brew their cask homebrew style on site.

Earlier I mentioned that secondary fermentation occurs IN the cask.  That’s still the case here.  Once brewed, each groups beer is added to the cask.  (The pic above shows the casks sitting and fermenting.)  Groups could chose a light or dark pre-brewed base by Sweetwater to fill the rest of the cask.  Yeast was then added, and then closed up.  The plastic pieces seen in the picture above are the airlocks.  Airlocks are added to the casks to let the carbon dioxide that is being created as the yeast turns sugar to alcohol bubble out, without exposing the beer to the outside air, and infection.

So, long story short — that’s how you get the cask beers being featured this Saturday.  Each one is unique, and handcrafted.  This time, by friends/ brewers you know.  Brew Your Cask Off is a really unique and fun idea. This event really puts people closer to craft beer, how its made, and what makes each beer unique and different.  I honestly can’t wait. Oh! and you get to vote for your favorite cask.

Brew Your Cask Off is this Saturday, March 20th from 6-10 pm

Tickets are $30 presale, and $35 day of.  Tickets are available at www.brewyourcaskoff.com . $1 of each ticket sold goes the charity with the most votes, so vote online when you go to get your tickets!

See you Saturday!

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, Rogue Brewing

CASK ALERT! Rogue Double Mocha Porter Today!

Here is a fun cask headed to Taco Mac Metropolis this Friday. Rogue Double Mocha Porter.  Double Mocha Porter is an imperial version of Rogues award winning Mocha Porter.

Double Mocha Porter was first brewed in 2007 as a small batch for the Oregon Brewer’s Festival as Imperial Porter.  Next stop, Imperial Porter appeared in the Rogue XS Series in the ceramic swing top 750 ml bottles.  The XS line has been discontinued, although you can find some rare bottles hanging around.  (Grab the Barleywine or DIPA if you find it!)  Here in 2010, Imperial Porter joins the “Double” line as Double Mocha Porter.

Double Mocha Porter (and Cask) has 10 ingredients –

Hops – Summit & Rogue Micro Hopyard Willamette. (Brewery grown)

Malts – C120, C150, Kiln Coffee, Black Chocolate, & Rogue Micro Farm Risk Malts

Yeast – Rogue’s Pacman Yeast

8.2 ABV,  78 IBU’s

Cask taps this Friday – 3/12, 6pm


by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, Heavy Seas

CASK ALERT! Dry Hopped, Oaked, Holy SHEET! TODAY!

Holy Sheet (Ãœber Abbey Ale), is a strong Belgian Dark Ale offering by Heavy Seas Brewing ( Baltimore, MD.)  Abbey ales fall into the Belgian Strong Dark Ale category and have more sweet flavors compared others strong darks.  The Belgian style yeasts tend to produce more alcohol, and at 9% ABV Holy Sheet has just that.  Tasting notes for Holy Sheet – you’ll taste some dark fruits – raisins, figs, dark cherries, and candied sugars.  Belgian yeast funk and some alcohol are present too.

This cask is actually dry hopped and oaked, so you’ll be looking for that increased complexity over what is already going on above.  I’m still awaiting word on which hop was used for dry hopping, but American Oak chips were added.  It is rare that I have seen an Abbey ale casked, oaked and dry hopped so this is a real treat.  Steve, one of the brewers at Heavy Seas is a cask genius and is responsible for the casks that have made it into Atlanta.  Every one I have tasted has been delicious.

The is cask is tapping at Taco Mac Crabapple this Saturday 3/6/10 as a finale to their anniversary week.  5 pm!  Special thanks to founder of Heavy Seas Brewing -Hugh Sisson. He personally sent this cask to Crabapple for this event.  I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Hugh on numerous occasions, and he is one of the nicest individuals I’ve ever met.

Taco Mac Crabapple – 3/6, 5 pm

685 Crossville Road, Suite 146
Roswell, GA 30075

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, SweetWater Brewing

CASK ALERT! Dry Hopped Sweetwater IPA Tonight!

Tonight, February 26th – a cask of Sweetwater’s IPA – dry hopped w/ Centennial hops  will be tapping at Taco Mac Metropolis.  Usual time – 6pm

Sweetwater IPA is unpasturized and unfiltered.  It’s a very citrusy and floral IPA that is extensively dry hopped. If I understand correctly, this cask has been dry hopped again with Centennial hops.

6.7% ABV

Taco Mac Metropolis 2/26, 6pm
933 Peachtree St NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
(678) 904-7211
by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, French Broad Brewing

CASK ALERT! French Broad – Wee Heavy-er

On Tuesday, February 23rd, Cypress Street will be featuring a cask of French Broad Wee Heavy-er Scotch Ale.  This scotch ale has a lot of malt character, with sweet notes of caramel.  Wee Heavy-er is sweet and roasty.

Non cask versions of this scotch ale are available in 22 oz bombers, and draft.  French Broad hails from Asheville, NC.  French Broad is actually 1 of 7 breweries in just Asheville alone!  They first opened their doors in 2001.  Up next the brewery is a beer based on Wee Heavy-er, called Wee Heavy-est – a Belgian Scotch Ale.

Wee Heavy-er is – 7% ABV, 22 IBU’s.

Cask will tap at 7 pm (2/23), as a part of Cypress Street’s Beer Geek Tuesdays.

817 W. Peachtree Street

Suite E125

(located behind the Biltmore at the corner of 6th and Cypress Street)

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, Now Tapping, Rare Opportunity, Smuttynose Brewing

Smuttynose Extravaganza & Cask Tonight!

On Friday, Feb 12th, Taco Mac Metropolis will be tapping a cask of Smuttynose Old Brown Dog.  But it doesn’t stop there!!  6 unique kegs with accompany the cask, including 2 rare oak aged versions of Smuttynose’s small batch big beer series.  Here’s your starting lineup —

Old Brown Dog CASK — Brown Ale, 6.7% ABV.  Dry Hopped with Willamette. Hoppy brown ale brewed with Willamette & Cascade. Full bodied, hoppy, with a nice malt backbone.

Baltic Porter — Baltic Porter, 8.7% ABV .  Creamy porter with hints of raisins, coffee, and chocolate.  Nice malty presence.  Usually released in 22oz bombers.

Imperial Stout — Imperial Stout, 10% ABV.  This stout has some noticeable hops, and coffee in the finish.   Carmel malts, and noticeable alcohol, but well balanced.

The Terminator G-Bock — Doppelbock, ?? %ABV.  Oak aged version of the offering.  Part of Smutty’s short batch series.  Full of caramel malts, bready malts.  Sweet in aroma, and some sweet in taste.  Lightly hopped. Drinkable.

Wheat Wine — Wheat Wine, 10.7% ABV.  Alcohol tones present in the barleywine reminiscent ale.  Citrus, fruity.  Some sweet and of course wheat.

Oak Aged Big A IPA — Imperial IPA, 9.6% ABV. Oak aged edition of this small batch big beer series.  Balanced IPA with grapefruit aromas and flavors.  Floral with some caramel malts.

Short Weiss — Berliner Weissbier, 3% ABV.  Strawberry aroma and flavor.  Fairly strong carbonation,  with some tart and some malts.  Also some citrus.  Somewhat sour — intentionally.

Cask taps promptly at 6pm, February 12th!

Taco Mac Metropolis

933 Peachtree St NE Atlanta, GA 30309

(678) 904-7211

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, Rogue Brewing

CASK ALERT! Dry Hopped Rogue Mogul Madness (Round 2)

2010 is off to a great start, especially in the aspect of casks.  Tonight, Friday 2/5/10, Rogue Mogul Madness Ale dry hopped with Amarillo.

Mogul Madness is a winter ale, seasonally released by Rogue Brewery, Newport, Oregon.  In the regular release of this ale, 15 ingredients are used —

Malt Profile — 2 Row, Munich, C -120, C-150, Kilncoffee, Carofa’s Special  2 Malts.

Hop Profile — Newport, Horizon, Simcoe, Centennial, Crystal 90, Amarillo, Rogue Farm grown Willamette.

Yeast Profile — Pacman Yeast from Hood River

The cask uses a 16th ingredient — (well, reused again) dry hopped Amarillo.   Dry hopping is the addition of hops to the fermenter or keg (in this case, cask.)   It doesn’t bitter the beer, but adds more of the aromatic hop flavors that get lost in the boil.  In the end, it’s a hoppier version of Mogul, unfiltered and unpasteurized.

Mogul Madness Ale is estimated at 6.5% ABV.   Cask tapped promptly at 6 pm.

Taco Mac Metropolis, 6pm (02/5/10)
933 Peachtree Street N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 631-6526
@tmacmetropolis (on twitter)

by Reid Ramsay