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Casks of Black Oak At Fort York

Post details, reviews and recaps of interesting beer events in Ontario and elsewhere here.

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old faithful
Bar Fly
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Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:00 pm

Post by old faithful »

The question as I read it was when barrel aging of beer was first practiced. All beer stored in wood and for however long takes some flavor from the wood regardless of its prior use. Depending on the history and condition of the charred whisky cask acquired to house the beer first mentioned above, the whisky it used to hold may have a lot, some or no influence in the beer. An oak cask that never held anything before would however lend at least oak tannins to the brew, as e.g., the pin did that held Ron's IPA at Granite that used to be put on the counter there on some Friday nights in past years. So I read the question in the broader sense. If one takes it in the narrow sense of an ex-bourbon cask or Canadian rye cask or Scotch whisky cask that has residual flavours from the former contents, I agree that Upper Canada's pin of almost 20 years ago did not (as far as I know) have such a history.

Gary

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Rob Creighton
Bar Fly
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Location: Dundas, ON

Post by Rob Creighton »

Gary, thanks for the reminder. The U.C. pins were sourced by Brewmaster Viv Jones from a contact of his at Bass in England and as far as I know had never been used for anything other than ale.

The fun part of the journey to Babbages was fining and hopping the cask, one at a time from the fermentor, then carrying it on my shoulder down to the Queen streetcar and getting strange looks from the driver and riders as I rolled the cask up and down the streetcar with my foot. Steve Bracegirdle and his wife were the owners of Babbages at the time and was truly an early adventurer in beer. I don't know what became of them.

old faithful
Bar Fly
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Post by old faithful »

Time to do another cask ale dispensed from thumb-taps, Rob! :)

Gary

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Rob Creighton
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Location: Dundas, ON

Post by Rob Creighton »

I'm sure the Volo cask ale festival will see several if it happens.

Cheers

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JWalter
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Location: Mississauga
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Post by JWalter »

Ken & Adrian - Loved the Whiskey Barrel aged Brown Ale at the Fest, Great Job!

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JerCraigs
Beer Superstar
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Joined: Sun May 25, 2003 8:00 pm
Location: Toronto

Post by JerCraigs »

JWalter wrote:Ken & Adrian - Loved the Whiskey Barrel aged Brown Ale at the Fest, Great Job!
Seconded. Now get on that oak aged imperial stout already.

Actually i would love to see a version of the Nut Brown made with the higher gravity first runnings then whiskey barrel aged. Mmmm...

midlife crisis
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2009
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 7:00 pm
Location: Toronto

Post by midlife crisis »

Also, thanks Ken for making enough Hop Bomb that there has been a cask at Volo this week. Enjoyed some a great deal on Wednesday evening.

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