It was Brewer Chris Percello's debut as host brewer at this annual Fest of Cask Ales, and he had a very nice lineup of brews for cask lovers to try. On the hand pump was Climax Dave Hoffman's stellar IPA. This guy makes one helluva beer, no matter the style.
In kegs, from River Horse, came thier Special Ale and the Double IPA known as Hop-a-lot-amus. I found the Special Ale to be very intriguing, with notes of vanilla and oak-cast aging evident. A smooth-tasting and easy drinking brew, many folks at the Fest rated it very highly.
Yard's sent their Brawler, their interpretation of an English Mild session beer, and it, too won wide approval. it's not easy to make a smooth drinking, flavorful ale like this when it only comes in a hair above 4%. Their legendary Philadelphia, brewed with Pilsner malt, was also good, registering a 4.6% on the ABV scale.
Weyerbacher sent in a Winter Ale which appealed to many, but not as much as their Old Heathen Imperial Stout which garnered the most plaudits from the attendees. "Marathon Man" Jim Larkin, who arrived at noon and was still quaffing at 8PM, rated it as his top brew, with River Horse's Special Ale a close second. Of course, his opinions may vary if he's still there at closing--which is a distinct possibility.
Percello sent out Uno's perennial favorite Gust 'N' Gale Porter, and as usual, it did not disappoint.
In all, the Fest was a success again, as even erstwhile Uno's Brewer Mike Sella showed up to sample the fare (at his leisure now that he's brewing at another location, and could just stand back and enjoy). Mike was carefully cradling an Old Heathen, and smiling all the while. Check out the pics to the right.
Nice job from the new kid on Uno's block, though, and we look forward to a beer dinner. The target date is around Thanksgiving, so stay tuned to The PubScout's blog for details.
Cheers!
The PubScout
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