Some work responsibilities brought me to Providence, Rhode Island to participate in a conference. I ended up leaving very early in the morning on a Sunday and had some time to kill. A stop at Harry's Bar and Burger was in the cards, as I was itching to try some of their sliders and get a drink while I'm at it. I noticed that they had a cask offering and was immediately drawn to it. Even better, it was from Firestone Walker (http://www.firestonebeer.com), which I've heard a lot of good things about.
It took a couple minutes to get my beer..it must have been almost empty as it took some serious effort. I guess I was lucky enough to get one of the last servings. I was warned that the beer would seem flat and would be closer to room temperature, and I was fine with that. The beer was served in your standard pint with a healthy two fingers of off-white head that had light retention but left a nice amount of splotchy lacing on the glass. Aromas of tangerine, apple, flowers, caramel, honey, and grass are detected. Casks always have this amazing way of making the aromas come out. Smells wonderful.
The punch in the aroma doesn't translate in the taste, as everything seems a little more muted. All the tastes are there, the citrus, caramel, pine, grass, and biscuit. Unfortunately, I found the beer to be a little imbalanced, leaving behind a bitter aftertaste that lacked appeal. Some might appreciate the funky aftertaste, I thought it to be more skunky than funky. Maybe it's because I ended up getting the bottom of the barrel. The brew was medium bodied, with little to no carbonation. I'm glad I tried it, but it was a pretty hefty cost for a pint, and I probably could have done better. That said, the draft selection was a little lacking and my curiosity got the best of me this round. I'd love to try the Pale 31 in a bottle, see how it stands compared to the cask version. Anybody else get a chance to try a Pale 31 cask? What did you think? Let me know!
Grade: C
Price Paid: $7.75 (16 oz draught)
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