Spring Training continues to deliver
The Cambridge Brewing Company has a seasonal IPA going at the moment called "Spring Training". It's hopped with Palisades and Ahtanum, two hops I'm not very familiar with. Ahtanum is being pushed as a substitute for Cascade in these hop-shortaged times.
I've had it quite a few times now, on draft at the CBC, at home from the growler and on Draft at Redbones. It's been consistently delicious - I'd say it's my favourite East Coast IPA at the moment. However, last night was the first time I've had it cask-conditioned (we managed to luck into the last of the cask at Redbones). It's different. Overall it feels a little lighter in both body and in hops. That may be an illusion due to the drinkability of the cask version. It always amazes me how smoothly a pint of cask conditioned ale goes down. The lower carbonation and the slightly warmer temperature seem to remove all barriers between the pint and the mouth.
It's probably the most English American cask-conditioned beer I've had. The lighter body and the generous but not overly so hopping makes it similar to an English summer ale. The hops are still American (not unheard of in English beers), but not as overwhelmingly so as the pacific northwest "C" hops. By contrast, Nora's second beer was Racer 5, an IPA from a west coast brewery, Bear Republic. This beer is heavily hopped with Cascade, Centennial and Columbus and the citrusy northwest hop flavour and aroma burst out of the glass and take over your tongue.
I've had it quite a few times now, on draft at the CBC, at home from the growler and on Draft at Redbones. It's been consistently delicious - I'd say it's my favourite East Coast IPA at the moment. However, last night was the first time I've had it cask-conditioned (we managed to luck into the last of the cask at Redbones). It's different. Overall it feels a little lighter in both body and in hops. That may be an illusion due to the drinkability of the cask version. It always amazes me how smoothly a pint of cask conditioned ale goes down. The lower carbonation and the slightly warmer temperature seem to remove all barriers between the pint and the mouth.
It's probably the most English American cask-conditioned beer I've had. The lighter body and the generous but not overly so hopping makes it similar to an English summer ale. The hops are still American (not unheard of in English beers), but not as overwhelmingly so as the pacific northwest "C" hops. By contrast, Nora's second beer was Racer 5, an IPA from a west coast brewery, Bear Republic. This beer is heavily hopped with Cascade, Centennial and Columbus and the citrusy northwest hop flavour and aroma burst out of the glass and take over your tongue.