In World Beer Festival Raleigh’s cask ale section, you will find nine beers that have been cask-conditioned. Cask-conditioned beers are usually defined by a few characteristics: these are beers that complete a secondary fermentation in the cask; they are kept and served at cellar temperature (52-57° F); and cask-conditioned beers have less carbonation than those dispensed using carbon dioxide. This results in a softer, more creamy mouthfeel, and the slightly warmer serving temperature allows additional flavors and aromas to emerge.
You can read more on cask-conditioned beers here, and you can sample the following nine examples at World Beer Festival Raleigh on Saturday, April 2. See the full lineup of beers and ciders to be served at the festival here.
Big Boss Brewing Co. Coconut Stout
A special toasted coconut-infused stout from Big Boss Brewing Co. At 5.5% ABV, this beer is lighter in alcohol than their core stouts and the basis for a number of their experimental beers.
Bombshell Beer Co. Amber Conquistador
An American amber ale cask-conditioned with dried guajillo peppers, fresh anaheim chilies, tamarind and dried hibiscus. 5.7% ABV. 26 IBUs.
Carolina Brewery Pamlico Pale Ale with Simcoe Hops
Carolina Brewery’s Pamlico Pale Ale is a brand new addition to their 2016 year-round line up. This clean, crisp ale with Ahtanum, Galena and Cascade hops was designed for the great outdoors with a light body and fresh hop finish. In this cask, the Simcoe hops help to complement the citrus flavors already present in the beer while adding a more complex tropical fruit finish. 5.4% ABV. 45 IBUs.
Crank Arm Brewing Co. Rickshaw Rye IPA with Jalapeño & Pineapple
Crank Arm Brewing put a whole jalapeño with chunks of pineapple in its Rickshaw Rye IPA. This American Style IPA gets a 24% dose of rye malt to add complexity and a slight spiciness. In addition, the brewery used American variety Columbus and Nugget hops to give a unique flavor and aroma. 7.2% ABV. 54 IBUs.
Four Saints Brewing Co. Dry-Hopped Bitter Brothers ESB
This cask is dry-hopped with Target and Goldings hops. The roasty, nutty, and caramelly ESB serving as the base beer for this cask is the result of Maris Otter and Biscuit malts vying for your attention to notice their own special toasted qualities. The smaller Caramel malts just sit back and watch the show, playfully catching your tongue every now and then. The Chinook hops’ rich, herbal smokiness plays referee, stepping in to break up the skirmish when needed and reminding the two malts that it’s only by working together does anyone become memorable. 5.9% ABV. 47.5 IBUs.
Lost Province Brewing Co. Orange Sunshine IPA
Lost Province Brewing has incubated its IPA on sour bitter oranges. The base beer is an easy-drinking IPA brewed with Galaxy, Belma, and Chinook hops. 6.7% ABV. 59 IBUs.
Lost Province Brewing Co. Lost Province IPA (keg for comparison)
This easy-drinking IPA is brewed with Galaxy, Belma, and Chinook hops. This brew exhibits bright citrus, melon and peachy-mango notes in the aroma, with a supporting resin and piney base to the flavor profile. The combination of lingering hop bitterness and high attenuation give this beer a dry finish that invites additional drinking. 6.7% ABV. 59 IBUs.
White Street Brewing Co. Domillo Double IPA with Pineapple & Mint
This cask is a special edition of White Street’s Domillo Double IPA with pineapple and mint added. The base beer is a limited small batch designed to showcase the beauty and power of America’s best hops. It’s double dry-hopped with Calypso, Amarillo and Citra to deliver pungent notes of tropical fruits and pine. Domillo! 9.8% ABV. 80 IBUs.
Abita Brewing Co. Bourbon Street Chocolate Coffee Stout
This is a cask conditioned version of Abita’s Bourbon Street Coffee Stout with the addition of cocoa nibs. The brewery aged its imperial stout in bourbon barrels for eight weeks to absorb all of the flavors from the barrel. After aging in the barrels, espresso dolce beans are added which gives the beer a nice coffee flavor and aroma that complements the roasted flavors from the malt. Finally cocoa nibs are added and the beer is cask conditioned which blends the chocolate and coffee flavors with the wood, vanilla, and bourbon flavors from the barrels. 10% ABV. 18 IBUs.
Blue Point Brewing Co. RastafaRye Ale dry-hopped with Citra Hops
The base beer for this cask is an award-winning ale that made its first appearance at the 5th Annual Blue Point Cask Ales Festival. The people there liked it so much that Blue Point decided to keep brewing it, year-round. RastafaRye Ale is a copper-colored hearty rye malt that’s blended with the perfect amount of fresh West Coast hops. It’s got just the right balance of rye to offset the hops’ spicy, floral characteristics. 7.6% ABV. 40 IBUs.