So the beer ticking is getting a little out of control. This cask beer was sampled last summer at C'est What? in Toronto. At this point there may be over 200+ beers that have not been written up. About one beer a week is written up and sometimes I sample 2-3 new ones. This does not look good for completing my task of getting caught up. Today there was a bright note: I saw a new Phillips beer. It was a barrel aged Surly Blonde. These guys will barrel age anything. What is next? Barrel aged tap water? I didn't buy it. Anyways I digress.

Hopping Mad Cask (Granite Brewing) = 8/10

Ratebeer 3.47 86th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Citrus jumps straight from the glass into your sinus cavities. The hoppin' mad was creamy and barely carbonated, but certainly not lacking in mouthfeel. Mostly citrus (orange, not too much grapefruit) with a perfect accompaniment of pine. The dark bready malts did their best, but they were outnumbered. A light astringency stuck around just enough to make you want more. It is great to get a West Coast IPA in Toronto.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content +1 6%?
Value +1
Appearance +1

Yellow Snow IPA and New Year's Resolutions
Red Racer IPA
Shipwrecked Triple IPA

I like casks. Why do I like casks? It is not just because they contain beer; although that helps. I like casks because they provide brewers with an opportunity to experiment. Everytime you drink cask beer, you sample a one of a kind beverage. This beverage was hand made by the brewer especially for your tasting pleasure. Well maybe for you and thirty of your friends. Hopefully this trend will continue in Victoria.

Speaking of casks; Clive's Classic lounge has a Salt Spring Island cask on Thursday. How about we spare me the typing and read from the press release:

Our Golden Ale is most definitely a session ale – actually it won Gold for ‘best session ale’ at Vancouver Craft Beer Week last year. It also has won 2 national gold medals for ‘best cream ale’ and ‘best Golden/Blonde ale’ at the Canadian Brewing Awards. It’s light and highly quaffable, but with a really good balance of biscuity malt & citrusy hops. The cask version is dry-hopped with a special edition of our own Salt Spring Nugget hops. If you already like our Golden Ale, you will LOVE this aromatic casked version.

Our Golden Ale is a great beer with almost any kind of savoury food. It would be amazing with aged cheddar cheese, nuts, Italian food, pizza, beef sliders etc.

Sounds good to me. See you there

Don't forget this November 11th at 5pm - hey that's tomorrow! - there will be a Salt Spring Island cask at Clive's Classic Lounge in the Chateau Victoria. This will be a cask version of their Pale Ale. I have tried this one before and liked it. It claims to be a session beer, i.e. a beer that is lower in alcohol. I tend to classify 'session' beers as something under 5%ABV, like the beers at Moon under Water. But the cask will be 5%ABV so it is close enough.

Lets see what their write up sounded like:
"light copper....double-hopped with East Kent Goldings... nutty-toffee malts... flowery hops..."
Yup, sounds good I'm in. I hope no one comes; that way there will be more beer for me!

As my readers will know, all four of them, I rarely get out. This week I am temporarily a bachelor. As such, I am unable to cook for myself. Naturally this raises the question, "Who will feed me?" Since the cat was not forthcoming with a meal plan, I went to Clive's Classic Lounge for dinner.