I've got to say, I'm impressed.
I'm going to keep this as analytical as possible.
The cask was delivered about 8:30am on Wednesday morning. As with all casks, I left it for two days to chill to cellar temp before racking it. In the space of 5 minutes I rolled it around the cellar, racked, vented and tapped it. I then poured it, straight away, into a glass:
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/d...00507-2239.jpg
That's not a trick of the light, that's how clear it came out. You can clearly see the gold caps of the Bulmers behind it, as well as the dark writing of the Corona box.
It smelt fine, had a loose head (straight from the cask) and tasted slightly fresh. Not hugely noticeable, but to a regular Pedigree drinker I would expect them to notice it wasn't quite perfect, if not exactly that it was a little 'green'.
On Friday evening, after about 13 hours with a soft peg, it went on sale to the regular Pedigree drinkers. The previous barrel of Pedigree ran out after 3 of the 4 had had a pint, so the 4th was given the Fast Cask straight from the barrel. I asked if it tasted a little fresh, and they all tasted it. Absolutely fine was the response.
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/d...00507-2247.jpg
The one in the pint glass is the last of the 'traditional' Pedigree. The 1/3 pint glass one is the Fast Cask, from a swan neck without sparkler.
Saturday, I had the sparkler on, and the lacing and head retention was spot on. Again, regular Pedigree drinkers were happy with the pint.
This morning, with the barrel well tipped, I thought I'd test it a bit more. So I shook it up:
Unfortunately I wasn't thinking clearly - the jug I poured it into is a little old and cloudy. So I went and grabbed a pint glass and this was the result:
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/d...00507-2240.jpg
Again, the clarity is second to none.
The taste, for me, was spot on from the second day. I couldn't fault it, in any way. None of the customers commented.
The thing is, I feel like a cheat. Traditional Pedigree takes a few days to settle, and a few more to condition fully. This Pedigree I would happily rack, vent, tap and sell within minutes.
So from me, a huge thumbs up. It saves me time and space, is just as good as the original, and to top it off is suitable for vegetarians. No downsides.
Would you drink it though - if you knew?
Cheers
