a swift one - Keg - keep it light !!

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We have spoken several times about the advent of key keg beers, and their comparison with their cask brothers, and I must admit that I do prefer the cask products usually. However I can see a place for the key keg, and have no problem with drinking them, and if you have followed my beers of the week ,key keg often feature there. So I am not anti keg.

I am anti brown stuff in keg though.

I am yet to be convinced that dark beers succeed on keg, and it seems to be that brewers are wasting their time and money kegging stouts and porters. I came to this conclusion a few months ago, and several experiences over Christmas merely reinforced it.

I am not sure why they do not work but a conversation I recently had with a licencee made me think a bit. He said that a group often visited his pub and they drank a mix of beers, some cask, some keg. The keg beers they bought when they went in the pub and then allowed them to warm up before drinking. This made me think. I have had strong dark beers on keg that have tasted of very little, but maybe the chilling of the beer inhibits the stronger flavours in the malts.

I cannot remember a keg beer that has ever wowed me with it's malty taste or background. They are usually good because of the way they bring hops to the fore, or other subtle flavours. I appreciate wheat works, but not being a scientist I cannot explain why But the bigger malt hits seem to fail. I even managed to compare and contrast over the festive season with a strong dark beer on keg contrasting with the same beer in a bottle. The latter won hands down.

So brewers, just give it a bit of thought before you keg your dark beers. Are you getting the proper taste ? And more importantly, are you and the drinker getting value for money ?

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