S:t Patricks Day at Akkurat

As usual Akkurat also offered a number of cask conditioned ales. For the first time I was able to sample one of my favourire Swedish beers on cask, Jämtlands Porter. Unfortunately it was not quite the treat it is on draught and bottle. Still very much worth seeking out though... Of the British cask beers the Scottish Caledonian's anniversary ale scored the best, but also the other two were well recieved by the group.

Of the Belgian style beers we tried this evening, the two non-Belgians outclassed the Belgians themselves. Neither of the three sweet fruit flavoured gueuzes from Mort Subite or the also overly sweet Stille Nacht could threaten the tasty Canadian double dark abbey ale La Maudite from Unibroue in Quebec, let alone the Dutch Trappiste ale La Trappe Enkel, the weakest of the four outstanding brews from the monastery De Schaapskoi.

We also got to try something very unusual: A high class English lager. It was Freedom Pilsener, a complex unpasteurized pilsener brewed according to the German Reinheitsgebot by Freedom Brewing Co. in London.

Still the winners of the evening are not yet mentioned: The two Czechish draught beers Staropramen Premium, their stronger (12% Balling/Plato) light pilsener and Staroceske Tmave, a dark beauty, walked away with the two top position in our rating this night, despite the very high standard of the beers.