The 1st Annual (hopefully) Real Ale Festival was held in Chicago, Illinois 4th, 5th, and 6th of October, 1996. It was organized by Ray Daniels and Steve Hamburg and sponsored by the Craft Beer Institute, Goose Island Brewing Company and the Chicago Beer Society (1996 AHA Homebrew Club of the Year).
On the evening of October 4th, a Real Ale tasting seminar was held by Mark Dorber (Cellarmaster at The White Horse on Parsons Green, London, England) at the Siebel Institute of Technology. There were about 75 people were in attendance. Six beers were served, Mark Dorber gave a bit of history on some of the beers and attendees were invited to share their impressions of the beers. The beers were:
Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 5 PM, the actual festival was held at Goose Island Brewing Company, 1800 North Clyborn, Chicago, Illinois. The beers were served either on handpump or gravity - one was available both ways. The kegs were stillaged on scaffolding-like stands on three levels. Glycol chillers and insulating covers cooled the beers to around 55 F, and although at times the beers got a little warmer, they never got too warm to be enjoyed.
The beers were grouped into three Bars: Goose Island Bar, Cascade Bar, and Goldings Bar. This proved to be a little confusing to some. I overheard one patron say "I don't like Cascades, I'm going to stick to the beers at the Goldings Bar." The grouping, I presume, was rather random and the names of the two bars had nothing to do with the hops used in the beers. At the Great British Beer Festival, the bars are named after defunct breweries. Perhaps next year the bars could be named after classic US beer-drinking establishments (Gingerman, Toronado, Lion's Head Ale House, Brickskellar)?
In addition to the tasting sessions, there also was a homebrewed bottle-conditioned English-style beer competition which was judged on Saturday morning at Goose Island and several Cellarmanship seminars that were held by Mark Dorber.
The cost was $60 for the entire festival, $35 for just the two tasting sessions (Saturday and Sunday) and $20 for a single tasting session. The "entire festival" and "two session" price included a commemorative glass and 15 beer tickets. The "one session" price included a commemorative glass and 7 beer tickets. Each ticket got you 1/2 US pint of beer and you could buy more if you needed more. Heavy cotton, embroidered polo shirts, hats, glasses and pump clips were available for sale and the handpumps that were used for the festival were available for $295.
When the doors opened on Saturday, it was quite crowded for the first hour or so, but after a short while the wait was never more than a minute or two for a beer. Sunday was at a much more relaxed pace and there were never any queues for beer.
Photos from the 1996 Real Ale Festival
It is important to note that "cask-conditioned," although misused by many breweries, when used in below specifically means that the beer has undergone secondary fermentation in the serving cask. These are my personal tasting notes - the scoring I used was that typically used in homebrewing competitions. Scores in teh 20's are good beers. A beer that scores in the 30's is definitely a very good beer. To score in the 40's means that the beer is outstanding in it's style.
Goose Island - PMD Mild - handpump
Goose Island Brewing Company, Chicago Illinois; Dark Mild; Hoff-Stevens;
nice dark malt and ripe fruit aroma; deep garnet colour; very soft palate; low bitterness - malt dominates the flavour; medium-light body (but very rich and full for such a low-gravity beer); 37/50
Goose Island - Honkers Ale - handpump
Goose Island Brewing Company, Chicago Illinois; Pale Ale; Hoff-Stevens;
lots of malt and spicy hop aroma; deep amber, great head (a sparkler was used); lots of hop flavour; malt backs up the hop flavour nicely; interesting toasty flavours; medium body; this is a tasty beer; 36.5/50
Goose Island - Hex Nut Brown Ale - handpump
Goose Island Brewing Company, Chicago Illinois; Brown Ale; Hoff-Stevens;
lots of diacetyl, but not unpleasant; very smooth, nutty flavour; low bitterness - malt dominates; light and refreshing body; nice, soft palate; smooth finish; very good balance for the style; 36/50
St. Louis Cask Conditioned Ale - 4.9% ABV -
gravity
Schlafly Brewing Company, St. Louis, Missouri; Pale Ale;
slightly sulphury nose; a little ripe fruit aroma; slight haze, orange-amber colour; mild, smooth flavour; even balance of malt and bitterness; some sweetness throughout; medium-light body; a fine drinking beer, but subtle in flavour; a little more bitterness would be welcome; 29/50
60/- Dark Mild - 3.7% ABV - gravity
Highlander Brewery, New York, New York; Mild Ale; Firkin; unfiltered;
cask-conditioned;
a little black malt aroma with a little ripe fruit; deep red colour; clear; woody flavour with some subtle dark malt character; smooth flavour, but weak (even for a beer of this size); light body - a bit too light; a refreshing, session beer, but weak in body and flavour; 29/50
Ben Nevis 80/- Brown Ale - 5.6% ABV - gravity
Highlander Brewery, New York, New York; Scottish Heavy; Firkin;
unfiltered; cask-conditioned;
slightly woody aroma; lots of diacetyl; also cream of tartar and roses; lots of mixed fruit nose; deep amber; clear; woody flavour; a little sourness; diacetyl becomes rather strong as it warms; malt dominates in the foretaste and mid-palate; bitterness restrained till the finish where it dominates slightly; medium-light body; overall, a tasty beer; 35/50
Sledgehammer Stout - 4.6% ABV - gravity
Highlander Brewery, New York, New York; Stout; Firkin; unfiltered;
cask-conditioned;
lots of ripe fruit character and some gentle dark malt aroma; very inviting nose; opaque; dry throughout; smooth flavour - no sharpness; lots of dark malt flavour; bitterness comes through a little in the finish; medium-light body; a little chalky in the finish; 32/50
Beast Bitter - 5.3% ABV - gravity
Middle Ages Brewing Co., Syracuse, New York; Extra Special
Bitter; Firkin; unfiltered; cask-conditioned;
toffee, caramel, some ripe fruit aromas - very nice; great clarity; medium-dark amber colour; nice light caramel flavour; malt flavour up-front... bitterness comes up fast, lingering into the finish; excellent flavour balance; a little bit of astringency in the finish; medium body; very nice balance of flavours; 37/50
Wizard's Winter Ale - n/a - gravity
Middle Ages Brewing Co., Syracuse, New York; Strong Ale;
Firkin; unfiltered; cask-conditioned;
a little solventy; alcohol obvious in the aroma; dark amber; good clarity; slight solventy and very woody flavour; malt dominates; hops are in the background; does not taste as alcoholic as the aroma might suggest; a little bite in the finish; perhaps just a touch of astringency; medium-light body - I expected it to be quite a bit heavier; 31/50
Commonwealth Special Old Ale - 8.9% ABV - gravity
from oak
Commonwealth Brewing Co., Boston, MA; Barleywine; Wooden
Firkin; unfiltered; cask-conditioned;
fruity, raisiny, lots of mixed ripe fruit character in the aroma; lots of higher alcohols; little or no wood aroma; reddish amber; good clarity; nice flavour; a little alcohol bite; smooth bitterness; alcohol apparent; alcohol dominates the flavour slightly with malt and bitterness about even and just below alcohol flavour; some citrusy sourness (but not unpleasant); full body; more aging will soften the alcohol bite; 38/50
Anniversary Ale - 5.5% ABV - handpump
Commonwealth Brewing Co., Boston, MA; n/a; Firkin; unfiltered;
cask-conditioned;
resiny aroma - almost like turpentine; some dark grape esters; medium-dark amber colour; clear; solventy flavour - almost like turpentine; bitterness subdued; medium body; 27/50
Samuel Adams Cask Conditioned Ale - 5.4% ABV
- handpump
Boston Brewing Co., Boston, MA; n/a; Hoff-Stevens; coarsely
filtered; cask-conditioned;
malty nose with significant diacetyl; nice toasty aroma; very buttery; slightly hazy; amber coloured; very fruity flavour; bitterness in the background except for a few spikes of bitterness in the mid-palate; sweetish throughout; a little dry feeling in the finish; medium body; tasty beer but perhaps a little astringency in the finish; 33/50
Boylston Bitter - handpump
Back Bay, Boston, MA; Bitter; Hoff-Stevens;
nutty aroma with some caramel; medium amber; good clarity; caramel and raisins in the foretaste, bitterness creeps up in the mid-palate and finish; nice, dry, sulphate finish; medium body; clean, tasty beer with an interesting palate; 39/50
Tea Party Porter - handpump
Back Bay, Boston, MA; Bitter; Hoff-Stevens;
mild dark malt nose; ripe fruit aroma; a little "cream of tartar" aroma; slight wine-like character; deep red colour; good clarity; black malt character restrained (good); sweetish throughout; a little more black malt character in the finish (not overdone); medium-light body; clean, nice, tasty beer; 32/50
Old Thumper Special Ale - 5.6% ABV - handpump
Shipyard, Portland, ME; Old Ale; Firkin; unfiltered; cask-conditioned;
slight sulphur and lots of higher alcohols in the nose; slight solventy/turpentine character; medium-dark amber; good clarity; mellow flavour; malt dominates in foretaste and mid-palate; bitterness rises towards the finish; does not taste as alcoholic as the nose might suggest; medium body; higher alcohols/solventy character a little excessive; 28/50
Longfellow Winter Ale - 5.5% ABV - both gravity
and handpump
Shipyard, Portland, ME; Strong Bitter; Firkin; unfiltered;
cask-conditioned;
red wine nose; good, solid, ripe fruit aroma; a little dark malt character in the nose; reddish-black colour; good clarity; some black malt flavour, but no sharpness (good); good, clean beer; dryish finish after a sweetish mid-palate; clean, tasty beer; oddly dark for a winter ale, but an interesting interpretation; 39/50
Alpha King Pale Ale - 5.0% ABV - handpump
Three Floyds, Hammond, IN; Pale Ale; Hoff-Stevens; cask-dryhopped;
unfiltered; cask-conditioned;
big hop nose - some Cascades and some other hops too; slightly cloudy; amber colour; bitterness strong; lots of hop flavour; malt nice, but definitely in the background; very drinkable for a beer of this bitterness; medium body; smooth, clean, high-intensity beer; 39/50 [later discussion with the brewmaster revealed that the beer is dryhopped with Liberty, Centennial and Cascade hops]
Little Dog ESB - handpump
Joe's Brewery, Champaign, IL; Extra Special Bitter; Cornelius;
wow! big hop nose; Goldings and other hops; very fruity; slight haze; amber colour; toasty flavour; lots of hop flavour; a little young - some grassiness (from dryhopping?); bitterness dominates the nice malt flavour slightly; medium body; very good beer but needs aging; 34/50
Vermont Pub & Brewery - Dogbite Bitter
- 5.6% ABV - handpump
Vermont Pub & Brewery, Burlington, VT; Special Bitter;
Sankey; unfiltered; cask dryhopped; cask-conditioned;
very fruity - almost like a cherry beer; some higher alcohols; slightly hazy; reddish-orange colour; some oxidation in the flavour; some wine-like character in the palate; slight sourness; bitterness dominates throughout, but really peaks in the finish; slight harshness in the bitterness; medium body; this beer seems to have suffered quite a bit in transit - I suspect is was much better at the brewery; 32/50
Bombay Grab India Ale - 5.2% ABV - handpump
Vermont Pub & Brewery, Burlington, VT; India Pale
Ale; Sankey; unfiltered; cask-dryhopped; cask-conditioned;
candy-like sweet nose; East Kent Goldings? amber colour; slightly cloudy; citrusy flavour; lots of hop flavour; bitterness dominates nicely; sweetish throughout underneath the bitterness; medium body; tasty, refreshing, good beer; nice balance for style: bitterness clearly dominant; 38/50
ESB - 5.5% ABV - gravity
Fuller's, London, England; Extra Special Bitter; Firkin;
unfiltered; cask-conditioned;
malt dominated the nose; slight woody character; reddish-amber; good clarity; malt, fruit and bitterness evenly blended in the foretaste; bitterness increases in the mid-palate and the finish; nice caramel notes; fruity throughout; bitterness really dominates in the finish (sulphate); medium body; outstanding beer; 45/50
Pedigree - 4.5% ABV - gravity
Marston's, Burton-on-Trent, England; Bitter; Firkin; unfiltered
; cask-conditioned;
very sulphury nose (hydrogen sulphide) - excessive, in my opinion; amber colour; good clarity; sweetish up-front, sulphur carries through to the flavour; bitterness creeps up in the middle, but balance is even at best; medium-light body; overall, the H2S is overwhelming; 28/50 [I've had this beer in Burton-on-Trent and it was far less sulphury there.]
Owd Roger - 7.6% ABV - gravity
Marston's, Burton-on-Trent, England; Old Ale; Firkin; unfiltered;
cask-conditioned;
very, very fruity - raspberry, black currant; clean nose otherwise - no hops; good clarity; mahogany colour; caramelly flavour; some red wine character; bitterness is in the background; slightly woody character; medium body; excellent, complex, interesting beer; 43/50
Oyster Stout - handpump
Marston's, Burton-on-Trent, England; Stout; Firkin; unfiltered;
cask-conditioned;
a little sulphury; some black malt character in the nose; ripe fruit notes; slightly walnut-like aroma; black colour with red tint; good clarity; restrained stout character; lightish flavour; no sharpness - very smooth; medium-light body; tasty beer; ripe fruit very memorable; very smooth; 40/50
Special Bitter- 4.8% ABV - gravity
Young's, London, England; BItter; Firkin; unfiltered; cask-conditioned;
East Kent Goldings nose; some mild fruity notes; perhaps a slight oniony note; amber colour; good clarity; tasty beer; bitterness dominates just a little throughout the palate; a little sulphury; medium body; rich, tasty beer - full of flavour; 38/50
Pike IPA - 6.5% ABV - handpump
Pike Place, Seattle, WA; IPA; Sankey; unfiltered; cask dryhopped;
cask-conditioned;
some hop nose - Cascade? - definitely citrusy; nice malt aroma too; amber colour; slight haze; bitterness dominates throughout - especially in the finish; bitterness lingers well into the finish; clean; lots of hop flavour; medium body; tasty beer; 37/50
Pale Ale - 3.85% ABV - handpump
Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO; Pale Ale; Golden
Gate; unfiltered; cask-dryhopped; cask-conditioned;
a little bit of Cascade hop aroma - nice; some mixed fruit nose too; quite hazy; amber colour; smooth, sweetish flavour; some hop flavour; more hop bitterness would help balance the sweetness better; medium body; 30/50
Bridgeport IPA - 5.5% ABV - handpump
Bridgeport, Portland, OR; India Pale Ale; Firkin; unfiltered;
cask-dryhopped; cask-conditioned;
fruity; sweet-tart candy nose; light citrusy aroma; quite hazy; amber-orange colour; bitterness peeks out several times during the mid-palate; sweetish otherwise; medium hop flavour level; could use a little more hop bitterness to balance the sweeness; perhaps the sweetness is from excessive flavour hops; malt flavour a bit weak; body medium; decent beer - needs a little more bitterness for style; 30.5/50
Harvest Ale - 4.6% ABV - handpump
Flatlanders, Lincolnshire, IL; Sankey;
big hop nose; some smoky notes; definite burnt character (but an interesting touch); good clarity; medium amber colour; citrusy flavour; good, solid malt flavour; some smokiness in the palate; bitterness dominates slightly; medium body; nice, interesting beer; the smoky character in the nose and palate is a nice touch; 37/50
Scottish 80/- Ale - 3.5% ABV - handpump
Flatlanders, Linconlshire, IL; Scottish Heavy; Sankey; unfiltered;
cask-conditioned;
woody aroma; slight caramel nose; dark amber colour; very slight haze; light flavour, but not watery; smooth, soft palate; a touch of roast and smoky character; light body; nice beer; very well made; loads of flavour for such a small beer; 38/50
Brutal Bitter - handpump
Rogue Ales, Newport, OR; Bitter; Hoff-Stevens;
malt dominates nose; lots of melanoidins (Oktoberfest-like aroma); this beer screams Munich malt; reddish-amber colour; good clarity; smooth malt flavour; malt and hop balance even in the fore-taste, increasing into the finish; nice, dry finish (sulphate) - dry feeling lingers on the tongue; medium body; good beer, but perhaps the sulphate is a little high? I would expect more bitterness; 34/50
Shakespeare Stout - handpump
Rogue Ales, Newport, OR; Stout; Golden Gate;cask-dryhopped;
big, grapefruity hop nose - Cascade hops? some black malt and a strong
ripe fruit aroma; opaque; a little chalky flavour, but not too bad; mouth-drying;
sweetish throughout; lots of hop flavour (Cascades?); medium body; good,
flavourful beer, but that chalky character is slightly distracting; 37/50
Photos from the 1996 Real Ale Festival