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NERAX is organized by CASC, the Cask-Conditioned Ale Support Campaign. CASC is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to boosting awareness of and demand for Real Ale in New England. The New England Real Ale Exhibition, benefiting the VFW, is held each spring at the George Dilboy Post, Davis Square, Somerville, MA. NERAX 2009 was our 13th Festival. As in 2008, offered about 80 firkins of Real Ale. Half U.K. beers from England, Scotland, and Wales; and half American beers from New England. All the beers are cask-conditioned, served by gravity or hand-pump. |
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AMERICAN BEERS AND CIDERS
The following is the final 2009 American cask list. On Saturday, we opened with a total of 38 beers. One British beer and thirteen American beers were still on at the end. Now that the festival is over, the beer has been drunk, and the stillage taken down. We look forward to seeing you at NERAX North this fall and NERAX next year! Not all casks are available at every session. To enhance your enjoyment, a beer will only be served when it has the correct clarity and carbonation level. Beers will drop bright at different rates due to a wide range of factors. Venting times to adjust the carbonation levels also vary. Thus some cask ales will be ready to serve before others and thus some casks as listed as being on the stillage will not served in some sessions. Though if a beer is listed as being on the stillage, and has been served earlier in the festival, it has a good chance of being served at the next session. As the festival goes on, we do our best to indicate which beers will be available each session. Please note that the final decisions regarding which beers are in proper condition to be served are taken by the cellar team just before the start of the session. All of the following beer descriptions are based on information supplied by the breweries. Last Updated: March 29, 2009, 3:56 pm Allegash Brewing (Portland, Maine) - Black — Kicked
Allagash Black, their Belgian style stout, is brewed with German 2 row barley, Torrified wheat and oats, balanced by a large addition of Belgian dark candi to give the Black a full and silky mouthfeel. Roasted malts give this stout its classic chocolate, toast and malty taste, and contribute to chocolate notes and a hint of roasted coffee in the aroma. The Black is fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Friday Amherst Brewing (Amherst, Massachusetts) - Anniversary Ale — Not Served
An aggressively hopped amber ale. Winner of a gold medal at the 2006 GABF Cask on: — Cask kicked: Andrews Brewing (Lincolnville, Maine) - Pale Ale — Kicked
Has a moderate hop aroma with a medium malt aroma, often with a low to moderately strong caramel component and earthy tones. Medium-low to medium-high fruity esters. Deep copper in color with good to brilliant clarity and a low to moderate white to off-white head. Has a medium bitterness with supporting malt flavors evident. This ale has a medium-full body and finishes dry to medium-dry. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Berkshire Brewing (South Deerfield, Massachusetts) - Lost Sailor IPA — Not Served
A medium bodied India Pale Ale that has been dry hopped to provide a very pleasing flora citrus aroma. The IPA has a well balanced malty sweetness and hop bitterness. A very thirst quenching IPA. Cask on: — Cask kicked: Bobcat Brewing (Bristol, Vermont) - AppGap IPA
A medium-bodied IPA, which merged the best ingredients from both sides of the pond. Brewed with English pale and crystal malts, this IPA is dominated with the Simcoe hop to provide a very aromatic hop presence with distinct bitterness and hop flavor. Cask on: — Cask kicked: Bobcat Brewing (Bristol, Vermont) - Prayer Rock Pale
A lightly golden American pale ale using 100% Cascade hops. A great introductory brew for the novice craft brew connoisseur, this session beer is an old dependable amongst our regular patrons Cask on: — Cask kicked: Boston Beer Company (Boston, Massachusetts) - Boston Blend Traditional Cider — Pouring to the end
A blend of bittersweet and culinary apples this traditional cider has been aged in wood for over a year. It has a wonderful complexity with apple and farmhouse character, as well as a clean crisp finish. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Boston Beer Company (Boston, Massachusetts) - Sam Adams IPA — Kicked
Sweet caramel aroma up front followed by a floral and citrus note from the German and American hops. We use Ahtum and Centennial American Hops. The beer lends a sweet pink grapefruit flavor in the beginning that finishes with a nice citrus bitter finish. This beer is also dry hop in the cask with East Kent Golding Cask on: Friday — Cask kicked: Saturday Bray's Brewing (Naples, Maine) - Winter Solstice — Kicked
Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Saturday Bru Room (New Haven, Connecticut) - Ballintine Bitter
Cask on: — Cask kicked: Butternuts Beer and Ale (Garrattsville, New York) - Porkslap Special Bitter — Kicked
A Special Bitter, dry hopped with Kent Goldings. Amber in color, mild spicy notes. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Cambridge Brewing (Cambridge, Massachusetts) - Sgt. Pepper — Kicked
Saison with green, black, white, red, and Tazmanian peppercorns. Grist of malted barley, wheat, and rye. Hopped with Tettnanger Tettnang. Very dry, crisp ale with subtle aromas of herbal green pepper, malt, and fruity/spicy yeast. On the palate, crisp maltiness followed by a subtle but lingering spicy heat and a very dry finish. Brewed for CBC's upcoming 20th Anniversary (It was twenty years ago today...). Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Cape Ann Brewing Co. (Gloucester, Massachusetts) - May the Schwartz Be With You — Kicked
Cask on: Friday — Cask kicked: Saturday Clipper City Brewing (Baltimore, Maryland) - Holy Sheet — Kicked
Clipper City's 'Uber Abbey Ale'. Aromatic and full-bodied, pouring deep burgundy in color – the color of a Dubbel, the strength of a Tripel. Cask on: Friday — Cask kicked: Saturday Clipper City Brewing (Baltimore, Maryland) - Loose Cannon — Kicked
An American IPA brewed with 3 pounds of hops per barrel and is triple hopped. It has a rich hop aroma and flavor. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Thursday Dogfish Head Brewing (Rehoboth Beach, Delaware) - Johnny Cask — Kicked
Dogfish Head's newest beer, also known as 75 Minute IPA, is a blend of 60 and 90 min IPA with fresh maple syrup and dry hopped with whole leaf Cascades. Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Thursday Gardner Ale House (Gardner, Massachusetts) - Naked Stout — Kicked
This crisp, dry, Irish-style stout is full of roasty flavor, yet low in alcohol, with a nice medium bitterness. It pours with a tan to brown head, and is surprisingly full in the mouth for a lower ABV stout. Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Saturday Gritty McDuff's (Freeport, Maine) - Best Bitter — Pouring to the end
Best Bitter is a copper-hued and well-balanced ale made with Yakima Golding hop flowers in the brewing of this beer for a fine dry finish that compliments the malty palate. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Gritty McDuff's (Portland, Maine) - Irish Red Ale — Pouring to the end
Along with pale ale and Munich malts they use a touch of roasted barley and a special German malt called CaraAroma, which gives the beer a deep red color and a toasted malt flavor. Magnum and Kent Goldings hops round out the beer with a deep bitterness and subtle hop aroma. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Harpoon Brewery (Boston, Massachusetts) - Harpoon Dark — Pouring to the end
Roasty malt character with cocoa sweetness balanced by Willamette hops. Dryhopped with German Tettnang Cask on: Friday — Cask kicked: Honest Town Brewery (Southbridge, Massachusetts) - Southbridge Ordinary Bitter — Pouring to the end
A light bodied, deep golden colored ale. Slight maltiness with a dry finish. Dry hopped with Kent Goldings. Cask on: Friday — Cask kicked: John Harvard's Brewhouse (Cambridge, Massachusetts) - JH Ordinary Bitter — Pouring to the end
Their bitter is light bodied with a full pallet of sweet malts and a touch of hop bitterness and aroma. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: John Harvard's Brewhouse (Manchester, Connecticut) - Manchester Mild — Pouring to the end
Easy drinking traditional English Pub-Style Mild Brown ale. Light in body and color and balanced with E. Kent Goldings hops Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Kennebunkport Brewing (Kennebunk, Maine) - Celtic Red — Kicked
Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Saturday Lowell Beer Works (Lowell, Massachusetts) - Bohemian Pilsner — Pouring to the end
Deep golden colored lager with a rich, clean maltiness and balancing hop presence. Made with all Moravian malt and dryhopped with whole Czech Saaz. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Maine Mead Works (Portland, Maine) - Semi-Dry Mead — Kicked
HoneyMaker Dry Mead is a dry white wine with a citrus-like floral aroma. Its well-balanced flavor begins with the buttery flavor of honey and yields to a subtle, smoky earthiness and a smooth, dry finish. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Thursday Marshall Wharf Brewing (Belfast, Maine) - Little Toot — Pouring to the end
A Small Beer brewed using the Parti-Gyle technique. This example is light in color and moderately hopped. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Martha's Exchange (Nashua, New Hampshire) - Velvet Elvis Vanilla Stout — Kicked
A sweet stout made with pure vanilla extract and vanilla beans. It is smooth and chocolatey with vanilla aromatics that also enhance the richness of flavor. It is a dessert beer that is not too heavy. Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Friday Mayflower Brewing (Plymouth, Massachusetts) - Golden Ale — Kicked
Mayflower Golden Ale is crisp and dry with a slight malt flavor and a subtle hop spice. This straw-colored ale provides easy drinkability for the novice yet plenty of flavor for the most discriminating connoisseur. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Mayflower Brewing (Plymouth, Massachusetts) - Oak Aged Porter — Kicked
The first aromas you get from this brew are of oak, roasted coffee from Chocolate Malt and bittersweet chocolate from Chocolate Malt and Brown Malt. There is also a hint of smoke from Peated Malt. This full-bodied Wood Aged Porter is moderately hopped to offer a balance against the malt backbone. The hop flavor barely comes through and offers a mild earthy quality. There is a slight hop aroma from the East Kent Goldings used as dry hops in the cask. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Thursday Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewing (North Conway, New Hampshire) - Bear Peak Brown — Pouring to the end
An English style brown ale, caramel brown in color, both malty and bready in body, medium bitterness Cask on: Friday — Cask kicked: Opa Opa (Southampton, Massachusetts) - Opa Opa Brown Ale — Kicked
This full bodied brown ale has a sweet side that you'll notice right away, but as you get to knowit you might detect a little bite not enough to scare you away, but just enough to let you know it is in charge Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Saturday Pennichuck Brewing (Milford, New Hampshire) - St. Florian Doppelbock — Kicked
A German Doppelbock supplemented with brown sugar, dates, and star anise. Cask on: Friday — Cask kicked: Saturday People's Pint (Greenfield, Massachusetts) - Extra Special Bitter — Kicked
This rich malty beer is our take on the classic ESB style. The slight bitterness and hop character is provided by Willamette and East Kent Golding hops. This beer is also dry hopped with a good dose of EKGs. Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Saturday Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth, New Hampshire) - American Mild — Kicked
An American Mild, similar to an American IPA, but without the alcohol and a plethora of hop flavor and aromas. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth, New Hampshire) - Oatmeal Stout — Kicked
The addition of flaked oats add a 'smooth' texture to this big black ale. Lots of chocolate roasty flavors tightened up by an abundance of Pacific Northwest hops. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Redhook (Portsmouth, New Hampshire) - Copperhook — Pouring to the end
Their spring seasonal. Rich copper color, hopped with noble Saaz hops, And a touch of orange & grapefruit. Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Rock Bottom (Boston, Massachusetts) - Dartmouth Stout — Pouring to the end
Light and Very refreshing. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Rogue Ales (Newport, Oregon) - Double Dead Guy Ale
Deep amber copper color. Buttery peanut brittle, orange blossom tea aromas follow through to a rich chewy and fruity full body with nice notes of caramel drizzled dried apricot and roasted grains and spice. Finishes with a long, tangy grilled grapefruit and chocolate fade. Cask on: — Cask kicked: Run of the Mill Public House & Brewery (Saco, Maine) - Cassk-Kickin IPA — Kicked
An Extra Special IPA, cask conditioned for two months. Cascade hops were generously applied through the boil, and it was dry hopped as well. It has a slightly toasted malt taste. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Shipyard Brewing (Portland, Maine) - Fuggles IPA — Kicked
Feeling hoppy? Fuggles is a single-hopped ale that satisfies many an India Pale Ale enthusiast. A wonderful balance and deceptively smooth. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Smuttynose Brewing (Portsmouth, New Hampshire) - Star Island Single — Kicked
Their new year round beer is a straw colored, abbey-style single ale brewed with Turbinado sugar. This is the first time it's ever been presented on cask. Light drinking with a hint of coriander, this beer will surely become a habit. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Stone Brewing (Escondido, California) - Pale Ale with Coriander — Kicked
Their Southern California intrepretation of the classic British Pale Ale style. Deep amber in color. It is robust and full flavored. A delicate hop aroma is complemented by a rich maltiness. This cask has been spiced with coriander Cask on: Friday — Cask kicked: Saturday The TAP (Haverhill, Massachusetts) - Merrimack Mild — Pouring to the end
Cask on: Friday — Cask kicked: The TAP (Haverhill, Massachusetts) - Ragnar Baltic Porter — Kicked
Their Ragnar (pronounced Rug-nuh) Baltic Porter is an interesting brew. They made it with an all Munich Malt base and added a few of their favorite dark and smokey malts giving it a complex rich dark flavor to start. They fermented it with a German lager strain and stored it cold for several months to give it a crisp, refreshing finish. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Willimantic Brewing (Willimantic, Connecticut) - Stock Market Porter — Kicked
Unfiltered dark ale brewed in these times of uncertainty goes down smooth but comes back strong. Hopped with Vanguard. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday |
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