Tom Caxton - Real Ale


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I spotted a dented can of Tom Caxton Real Ale offered at a reduced price just as I was leaving a store and I couldn’t resist buying it. Following a success with Tom Caxton’s ‘Best Bitter’ a year before, I fancied trying another of his products. However, I was put off buying Caxton kits because the price (£15 at least) seemed a bit high for a single can kit. Single can kits usually require fortification with a mix of spray malt and brewing sugar, which pushes the cost up by another £5. Considering this, it has been easy to find many other more attractive two can alternatives costing the same price or less.

Tom Caxton’s Real Ale kit comes with a sachet of hop powder called a “hop enhancement system” which, if used, increases the bitterness of the final drink. I am very nervous about using these sachets as I have found the level of bitterness produced by them can be unpleasantly intense. If I do end up using them I would choose only to use a fraction of the full quantity supplied. In this case I sprinkled only the smallest couple of shakes onto the brew, about as much as I would put pepper on a pizza, however I was immediately worrying about how it would effect the taste. After a full week of fermenting the ale was transferred to a carboy to be fined. Normally I rack and clear my ale in a simple fermenter bin but because this time I used a carboy I could closely observe the clearing process. Over a three day period I watched the ale turn from a muddy looking stew into a dark, glossy ale - quite fascinating.

12 June 2013. Transferred the ale to the barrel. A small taster at this stage suggests that the added ‘hop enhancement’ was probably unnecessary. I would guess this ale is quite hoppy in its natural state with no need of enhancement whatsoever.

After a month in the barrel Lee and I are both quite pleased with this brew. Despite it being an “old fashioned” single can kit, I reckon Tom Caxton Real Ale can be relied on to provide an excellent pint. At the time of writing this review we have four beers on tap out of which Tom Caxton Real Ale is the most preferred. As a reference the other ales are, Woodfordes Wherry (which for some unknown reason has emerged a little more bitter than usual), AoB London Bitter, which is way too bitter, again on account of adding (tot much) hop enhancement and finally Milestone Old Home Wrecker, which is quite simply a weird tasting ale by any measure.