Differences Between Keg And Cask Ale

Over the years, keg beers have gotten a lot better. If a cask beer is in poor condition, it's actually possible for a fresh keg beer to be much better tasting. Even though this may sound absurd, it's very common for someone who's unfamilar with cask ale to not be able to taste the difference between keg and cask beer.

The warm temperature that cask beer is famous for doesn't apply in the summer months all that often these days, as temperature control units in pubs have beer run through coolers. The fact is, some pubs will run cask ale lines through lager chillers in order to get the beer below the maximum temperature required, so cask ale may very well end up just as cold as a keg lager.

This isn't really a good thing, as ale requires a cool rather than very cold temperature to bring out all of its flavors. In a well run pub however, the cask ale will be served at the right temperature - cool but not too cold.

The smell of cask ale is much fresher and more wholesome than keg beer. Keep in mind, the aroma of cask ale doesn't have the stored up impact of bottled type beers, as this beer has already been exposed to the air for a couple of days - meaning there is no impact when you transfer it to your beer glass.

Normally, the aroma wil be released into the air when it has been warmed up, which will probably happen when you get near the bottom of the glass.

The flavor of cask ale is very similiar to the aroma in it, which is very fresh and delicate. Unlike other bottled beers, the flavor of cask ale is even more noticeable than the aroma. At first, the aroma is very slight, although the flavor more than makes up for it.

The intensity of the flavor will depend on the style of beer. The CO2 bubbles themselves will have very little flavor, therefore a mass of bursting bubbles against your tongue will prevent the actual beer from making contact.

With cask ale, there is little to no carbonation, so more of the flavor will connect with your taste buds. You should be able to note the fruity taste up front, with balance in the middle and bitterness in the end. The flavor of a cask ale is much more noticed than keg or even bottled beer.

Bottle conditioned beers will also have this type of flavor profile, although they'll need to be prepared and conditioned well in advance, meaning that the bottle will need to be opened and allowed to settle for a while. Cask ales offer the conditioning being done fro you, so you won't need to do it.

The most important aspect of cask ale is how it feels in your mouth. It shouldn't be fizzy. If it is, it's either a keg beer or a cask ale that's been put on too soon. There will be a natural feel in the beer, a life that makes you want to drink it.