Oakham Asylum

Cask@Flower Pot, Derby. Amber beer with a light head. The aroma is toffee/caramel and the flavour is dry and toffee/caramel. Overall an average dry and toffee beer.

You better believe I was psyched when this cask showed up at Redbones on 6/12/07. This was the only English beer I missed at this year’s cask festival.
Just an ever-so-slight haziness to it, with a soft lemon-lime tinted golden body and a cascading, white/off-white head that is impeccably well retained and completely douses the glass in lace. While the haziness is slight, I just cant bring myself to give it a 4
Even out of a shaker, this stuff just pours on the fresh, aromatic, juicy dry-hopping and wonderfully attenuated malts that are dripping with light honey and fresh woodiness. Incredibly high strength of aroma. The hops just continue on endlessly and there’s a bit of crunchy/crackery-like maltiness to give it a little oomph. Definitely a strong house yeast character, kind of reminds me of moldy bread, or damp basements, but in a good way, if that’s possible. Flawless, as well.
Succulent, in a word, is the flavor, with no overdone bitterness, yet certainly a boatload of hoppiness. Orange peel, lemons, limes, white grapefruit and light melon, it unfolds upon a backbone of angelfood cake-like sweetness, yet with the same delicate, aerated mouthfeel. Some dustiness, woodiness and hints of quasi-funky house yeast all complete the picture, giving it that extra jab of character that makes well-done English beers that much more enjoyable and unique. Simply stunning and flawless of course. I could see giving this a perfect score, but perhaps the hoppiness could be toned down a little and the malt balance/complexity improved somewhat. As well, I’d like to see it just a touch more dry and with less dextrine comfort on the palate. Minor complaints though, this stuff is marvelous.

Cask. Pours a lightly hazy deep gold, which is further accentuated by a foamy, rocky white head that recedes slowly and imparts fine sheet lacing. The aroma is wonderful. Grassy and earthy hops take center stage, followed by plenty of caramel and dusty malts, lightly toasted grains, apple skins, gym locker, orange pith, grapefruit pulp and light stale notes. All these aromatic compounds, including the stale ones, lend to a well-rounded and enticing nose. Alcohol is undetectable. No DMS, no diacetyl, excellent. The flavor is moderately bitter, lightly to moderately acidic, with minor funk emerging. Sweetness from malt is pleasantly counterbalanced by toast and biscuit malt notes. This is really delicious and has far exceeded my expectations, which were rather high to begin with. The mouthfeel is lowly carbonated, soft, quenching, light-medium to medium bodied. Finishes citric, lightly acidic, with grapefruit and orange notes lingering. This is a fantastic morphed recipe of traditional English cask bitter and mildly aggressive American pale ale. A real treat I hope to enjoy again soon. Underrated.

Cask @redlight.Hugh thanx to Boboski and Gumby for this.Hugh grapefruit and hop aroma.Pours a cloudy amber color.Lots of citrus and hops on the flavor and not too bitter.The finish exposed the bitterness but not overpowering.Thanx Brent for featuring this.

Cask. Pours a hazy copper with classic foamy cask head. The head leaves nice lace down the glass in seperate rings from where you pause between drinks. Aroma is cidery, hops, unique. A little spicy in an unexplainable way. Like a saison but not. Taste is smooth and bitter. Citrus and a little tingly with a significant bitter finish. This was good. The beer itself is not outstanding but drinking it on cask is a treat.