As regular readers of World of Beer will know, I am no stranger to the world of cask-conditioned ale, sometimes known as real ale, having attended more than my share of cask ale fests and even judged at one or two, including the Great British Beer Festival. But the emergence of a handful of truly fine cask ales in my Toronto backyard recently gave me pause in May to consider anew the glory of "living beer."
While it's true that cask ale might not be to everyone's taste, and that beer from a poorly kept cask can make ordinary kegged lager seem like the second coming of the flavour gods, when done right cask-conditioned ale is truly a wonderful thing - fresh, flavourful, even quenching. I was reminded of this fact while enjoying a pint of a local pale ale, Tankhouse by Toronto's Mill Street Brewery, which is not ordinarily served cask-conditioned. In this case, however, it was served through a handpump at near-perfect cellar temperature, with just the right amount of carbonation and a beautiful, dry-hopped aroma and taste. In short, it was a beer I could get dangerously used to drinking.
Cellarmanship, of course, is another thing entirely, and there are more than one or two pubs in the city serving barely adequate to downright dodgy cask ales. In time, however, I hope that the breweries will take it upon themselves to help rectify the situation as much as possible. so that I and other real ale aficionados will be able to enjoy a quality pint from the cask not just in England, but in Canada and the United States, as well.
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