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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 2010 is our 14th Festival. As in 2009, we plan on offering over 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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BRITISH BEERS AND CIDERS
The following is the final 2009 British 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. The following beer descriptions are based on the Good Beer Guide or on information supplied by the breweries, as indicated. Last Updated: March 29, 2009, 4:08 pm Elland Brewery (Elland, West Yorkshire, England) - Beyond the Pale — Kicked
Gold-coloured, robust, creamy beer with ripe aromas of hops and fruit. Bitterness predominates in the mouth and leads to a dry, fruity and hoppy aftertaste. -- Good Beer Guide 2009 Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Friday Elland Brewery (Elland, West Yorkshire, England) - Demon's Eye — Not Served
Deep copper coloured strong ale with juicy sweet malt flavours and satisfying subtle bitterness -- long drinking and moreish. -- www.eandsbrewery.co.uk Cask on: — Cask kicked: Greene King Brewing (Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England) - Old Speckled Hen — Kicked
Smooth, malty and fruity, with a short finish. -- Good Beer Guide 2009 Cask on: Saturday — Cask kicked: Saturday Hambleton Ales (Hambleton, North Yorkshire, England) - Stud — Kicked
This wonderfully smooth drinking beer began life as an 'Autumn Special' but immediately became the most popular special we have ever produced. Straw coloured, the Arome hops give a delicacy and subtlety to the robust full-bodied flavour. Voted 'Best Beer of the Festival' at the Richmond and Dales CAMRA Festival October 2004. http://www.hambletonales.co.uk Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Friday Hook Norton Brewery (Hook Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England) - First Light — Second cask pouring to the end
A very pale, light brew with a complex hop aroma. The continental type palate is from the high proportion of malted wheat, which is used in addition to malted barley. Styrian Golding hops are added, which give a fruity nose, with hints of watermelon and lychees. -- www.hooknortonbrewery.co.uk
Cask 1 on: Thursday — Cask 1 kicked: Friday Hook Norton Brewery (Hook Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England) - Hooky Bitter — Kicked
A classic golden session bitter. Hoppy and fruity aroma followed by a malt and hops taste and a continuing hoppy finish. -- Good Beer Guide 2008 Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Friday Hook Norton Brewery (Hook Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England) - Hooky Gold — Kicked
A golden, crisp beer with a citrus aroma and a fruity, rounded body. -- Good Beer Guide 2009 Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Hook Norton Brewery (Hook Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England) - Old Hooky — Kicked
A strong bitter, tawny in colour. A well-rounded fruity taste with a balanced bitter finish. -- Good Beer Guide 2009 Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Saturday Oakham Brewery (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England) - Attila — Kicked
Fruit notes and elder flower on aroma. Taste of ripe red berries and citrus fruit with a long bitter fruity finish. 2009 Supreme Champion Winter Beer of Britain -- www.oakhamales.com Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Thursday Oakham Brewery (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England) - JHB — Kicked
Citrus hop character dominates this golden ale. Dry on the palate with a long, dry, faintly astringent finish. 2001 Champion Beer of Britain. -- Good Beer Guide 2009 Cask on: Saturday — Cask kicked: Saturday Ridgeway Brewing (South Stoke, Reading, England) - Bitter — Kicked
Uses Challenger and the new Bodicea hop. -- Good Beer Guide 2006 Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Ridgeway Brewing (South Stoke, Reading, England) - Foreign Export Stout — Kicked
Roasted malts and leaf hops initially provide an aroma of breakfast coffee and fresh spices that gradually fades to reveal licorice, caramel, and raisin notes that are products of the aging process. Beneath all this change sits a solid and resilient backbone of bitter English hop. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Thursday Ridgeway Brewing (South Stoke, Reading, England) - Ivanhoe Pale Ale — Kicked
Traditional warm, roasty, and fully-rounded English malts are punched up by a subtle yet direct shot of aromatic and refreshing English hop bitterness. Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Thursday Ridgeway Brewing (South Stoke, Reading, England) - Oxfordshire Blue — Kicked
Cask 1 on: Wednesday — Cask 1 kicked: Thursday Westerham Brewery (Edenbridge, Kent, England) - Black Eagle Special Pale Ale — Kicked
A golden ale using the finest Maris Otter pale ale malt and a small amount of amber malt which imparts a dry, biscuity flavour. Hops are First Gold and Cascade for an added citrus quality and a fruity, slightly spicy note. Bronze Medal SIBA SE 2005. -- www.westerhambrewery.co.uk
Cask 1 on: Thursday — Cask 1 kicked: Friday Westerham Brewery (Edenbridge, Kent, England) - British Bulldog — Kicked
A rich, full bodied best bitter in the traditional Kent style. Finest Maris Otter pale ale malt and crystal malt for colour and richness. Hopped with local Kent Northdown and Finchcocks' Whitbread Golding Variety hops for a full flavour and aroma. Gold Medal Best Bitter SIBA SE 2005 -- www.westerhambrewery.co.uk
Cask 1 on: Wednesday — Cask 1 kicked: Thursday Westerham Brewery (Edenbridge, Kent, England) - Finchcocks Original — Kicked
A session beer made using hops exclusively from the Finchcocks hop garden in Kent. Mid-gold session beer with hints of the Burton snatch on the nose (think struck matches), while wisps of citrus fruit float around in the background. The palate sings with citrus notes, a hint of resiny hoppiness as well as a crunchy biscuitiness that comes from the malt. The finish boasts more bitterness before a fade-out of grain dryness that reminds the drinker of the beer's grainy origins. A powerfully flavoursome beer for such a low ABV. -- www.westerhambrewery.co.uk
Cask 1 on: Thursday — Cask 1 kicked: Friday Westerham Brewery (Edenbridge, Kent, England) - Grasshopper Kentish Bitter — Kicked
A dark, malty bitter with nutty, roasted notes from the chocolate malt. This session bitter is hopped with Kent Target hops from the National Trust's hop farm at Scotney Castle and Finchcocks' Kent Goldings. A satisfying and flavoursome pint. Silver Medal SIBA SE 2006 -- www.westerhambrewery.co.uk Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Thursday Westerham Brewery (Edenbridge, Kent, England) - Special Bitter 1965 Ale — Kicked
A bitter to commemorate the year 1965 when the Black Eagle Brewery closed, Winston Churchill passed away and Robert Wicks was born. Brewed to a similar recipe that Bill Wickett used for his parting brew. Kent Northdown hops give a clean, refreshing full bodied flavour for which English ales are famous. Finchcocks' Kent Goldings for flavour and aroma. -- www.westerhambrewery.co.uk
Cask 1 on: Friday — Cask 1 kicked: Friday Westerham Brewery (Edenbridge, Kent, England) - William Wilberforce Freedom Ale — Kicked
Produced for Fairtrade Fortnight 2007 and to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act on 25th March, 1807. Traditionally floor-malted Maris Otter pale ale malt, crystal malt and Kentish hops combine with Fairtrade Demerara sugar to produce a deep golden ale. It is characterised by its mellow bitterness and long hoppy finish. -- www.westerhambrewery.co.uk Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday York Brewery (Mickelgate, York, England) - Centurion's Ghost Ale — Kicked
Dark ruby in colour, full-tasting with mellow roast malt character balanced by light bitterness and autumn fruit flavours that linger into the aftertaste. Gold for Strong Bitter at 2007 Great British Beer Festival. -- Good Beer Guide 2009 Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Wednesday York Brewery (Mickelgate, York, England) - Crystal — Kicked
Cask on: Saturday — Cask kicked: Saturday York Brewery (Mickelgate, York, England) - Yorkshire Terrior — Kicked
Refreshing and distinctive amber/gold brew where fruit and hops dominate the aroma and taste. Hoppy bitterness remains assertive in the aftertaste. -- Good Beer Guide 2009 Cask on: Friday — Cask kicked: Friday Harviestoun Brewery (Alva, Clackmannanshire, Scotland) - Ola Dubh — Kicked
An amazing thick black ale with rich chocolate flavours and a bittersweet aftertaste to savour. -- www.harviestounbrewery.co.uk Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Friday Inveralmond (Inveralmond, Perth, Scotland) - Ossian's Ale — Kicked
Well-balanced best bitter with a dry finish. This full-bodied amber ale is dominated by fruit and hop with a bittersweet character although excessive caramel can distracrt from this. -- Good Beer Guide 2009 Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Inveralmond (Inveralmond, Perth, Scotland) - Sunburst Pilsner — Kicked
A Pilsner style lager. A crisp clean palate with a pleasing nose from Hersbrucker Hallertau hops. Cask on: Friday — Cask kicked: Saturday Inveralmond (Inveralmond, Perth, Scotland) - Thrappledouser — Kicked
A refreshing amber beer with reddish hues. The crisp, hoppy aroma is finely balanced with a tangy but quenching taste. -- Good Beer Guide 2009 Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Breconshire (Brecon, Powys, Wales) - Ramblers Ruin — Kicked
Dark Amber, full-bodied with rich, biscuity malt and fruit flavours; Background hops and bitterness round off the beer -- Good Beer Guide 2009 Cask on: Wednesday — Cask kicked: Friday Breconshire (Brecon, Powys, Wales) - Red Dragon — Kicked
A red-hued premium ale brewed with a complex grist of Optic and wheat malts and a blend of hedgerow hops. -- Good Beer Guide 2009 Cask on: Thursday — Cask kicked: Friday Breconshire (Brecon, Powys, Wales) - Welsh Pale Ale — Kicked
Pale golden, mildly hoppped session ale. Brewed to an old Welsh style of pale ale. -- Good Beer Guide 2009 Cask on: Saturday — Cask kicked: Saturday |
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