Real Ale

Our Cask-Conditioned Beer List for 2025

Real ale is also known as “cask conditioned” beer; the fundamental distinction between real and other ales is that the yeast is still present in the container from which the beer is served, although it will have settled to the bottom and is not poured into the glass. Because the yeast is still alive, the process of fermentation continues in the cask or bottle on the way to the consumer ensuring a fresh and natural taste. Of course, no extra carbon dioxide or mixed gasses can be applied to the beer.

Scroll down for Beer Tasting Notes (or view in your copy of the Festival Programme)

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Brewery	Beer	ABV	Location	Style	GF/V/UF	Ref
Abbeydale	Drop By Your Local	4.1%	Sheffield	Pale	GF	1
Alter Ego	Incognito	5.8%	Alfreton	IPA	GF, V	2
Bang The Elephant	Input	4.0%	Nottingham	Pale	UF	3
Bank Top	Bad To The Bone	4.0%	Bolton	Best Bitter		4
Bank Top	Flat Cap	4.0%	Bolton	Pale		5
Ben’s Brewery	Identity Crisis	3.8%	Chorley	Pale		6
Big Trip	Main Character Syndrome	4.0%	Manchester	NZ Pale		7
Big Trip	Brand New Beer Launch – Name TBC	4.5%	Manchester	Cryo Pale		8
Blackedge	Citra	3.9%	Horwich	Pale		9
Blackedge	Pike	4.0%	Horwich	Pale		10
Blacklodge x Thornbridge	Elephants and Acrobats	4.2%	Horwich x Bakewell	NZ Pale	UF	11
Bowland	Hen Harrier	4.0%	Clitheroe	Golden	GF	12
Brass Castle	Morph IPA	5.0%	Malton	IPA	GF, V	13
Brids Cross	Dead Moon	4.3%	Rochdale	Best Bitter	V	14
Brids Cross	Baum Rabbit	4.2%	Rochdale	Pale	V	15
Clay Brow x Tank Bar 41 Ormskirk	Pizza Cat	6.2%	Skelmersdale	Hazy IPA		16
Daleside	Pacesetter	3.4%	Harrogate	Golden	V	17
Escape	Erik Weisz	4.4%	Westhoughton	Citra Pale	V, UF	18
Kirkby Lonsdale	Radical	4.2%	Kirkby Lonsdale	Red		19
Lakes Brew Co	Best Bitter	4.5%	Cumbria	Best Bitter		20
Lakes Brew Co	Pale Ale	3.4%	Cumbria	Pale		21
Lancaster	Red	4.8%	Lancaster	Red		22
Lune Brew	Pale Ale	4.1%	Lancaster	Pale	GF, V	23
Mallinsons	Motueka	3.9%	Huddersfield	NZ Pale		24
Mallinsons	Lupilin Trio (Rakau, Ekuanot, Azacca)	4.3%	Huddersfield	Pale		25
Marble	Divebomb	5.0%	Manchester	Pale		26
Marble	Earl Grey IPA	6.8%	Manchester	IPA		27
Neptune x Abbeydale	Sailing To Sheffield	5.4%	Liverpool x Sheffield	ESB		28
Nightjar	Chew Bubblegum & Kick Ass	6.6%	Hebden Bridge	IPA	V, UF	29
North Riding	US Session (v108) Eldorado & Columbus	3.8%	Scarborough	Pale		30
Northern Monkey	Mountain Goat	4.0%	Bolton	Pale	UF	31
Peerless	Little Eye	4.0%	Birkenhead	Golden		32
Peerless	Citruvian	4.8%	Birkenhead	Pale		33
Problem Child	Misschief	4.5%	Parbold	Strawberry NEIPA	UF	34
Problem Child	Big Girls Blouse	3.8%	Parbold	Pale	UF	35
Red Rose	Harlequin	4.0%	Darwen	Pale		36
Redwillow	Beer 3000	4.3%	Macclesfield	Session IPA		37
Redwillow	Sleepless	5.4%	Macclesfield	Red		38
Rivington	Bounced Right Back	4.2%	Rivington	Pale		39
Roosters	Golden State	4.3%	Harrogate	Pale	V	40
Roosters	Fort Smith	5.0%	Harrogate	APA	V	41
Serious	Whitewell	4.0%	Rochdale	Pale		42
Serious	Pacific Gem	4.2%	Rochdale	Pale		43
Thirsty Moose	Oot n’ Aboot	5.6%	Blaydon-On-Tyne	IPA	V, UF	44
Thornbridge	1838	4.5%	Bakewell	English Pale		45
Thornbridge	Jaipur	5.9%	Bakewell	IPA		46
Three Legs	Green Hop Export Pilsner	5.4%	Bexhill On Sea	Export Pilsner	V, UF	47
Torrside	Too Many Devils	7.4%	New Mills	West Coast IPA	V, UF	48
Torrside	Ariana	4.5%	New Mills	Pale	V, UF	49
Vocation	Chop & Change – Nelson Sauvin	4.5%	Hebden Bridge	Pale		50
Wakey Wakey	Shepherds Delight	4.1%	Rochdale	Red Session IPA	V	51
Wakey Wakey	Snooze Button	4.0%	Rochdale	Dry Hopped Pale	V	52
Weetwood	MadHatter	3.9%	Kelsall	Red		53
Whitworth Valley	I Wanna Beer-dored	3.9%	Whitworth	English Pale		54
Wigan Brewhouse	Landslide	4.6%	Wigan	NZ Pale		55
Wigan Brewhouse	Red Light Spells Danger	5.0%	Wigan	Hoppy Red		56
Wilde Child	Point Break	4.5%	Leeds	West Coast Pale	V	57
Wily Fox	Karma Citra	4.3%	Wigan	Pale		58
Wishbone	Hey Bert	3.9%	Keighley	Pale		59
Abbeydale	Black Mass	6.7%	Sheffield	Black IPA	GF, V, UF	60
Alter Ego	S’More Fire	5.2%	Alfreton	Campfire Marshmallow Stout		61
Bank Top	Port O Call	5.0%	Bolton	Speciality Mild		62
Ben’s Brewery	Salted Caramel Stout	5.7%	Chorley	Stout	UF	63
Blackedge	Black	4.0%	Horwich	Stout		64
Bowland	Deer Stalker	4.5%	Clitheroe	Stout	GF	65
Brass Castle	Cherry Bad Kitty	5.5%	Malton	Cherry Vanilla Porter	GF, V	66
Clay Brow	The Hooded Monk	5.8%	Skelmersdale	Oatmeal Stout		67
Cumbrian Ales	Vanilla Oatmeal Stout	4.8%	Cumbria	Vanilla Oatmeal Stout		68
Daleside	Old Legover	4.1%	Harrogate	Brown	V	69
Escape	Taxi For Cole	4.8%	Westhoughton	London Porter	V, UF	70
Farm Yard	Hoof	4.3%	Lancaster	Coffee Milk Stout	UF	71
Neptune	On The Bounty	5.8%	Liverpool	Coconut Stout		72
Nightjar	The Handbook For The Recently Deceased	5.2%	Hebden Bridge	Stout	V, UF	73
North Riding	Bakewell Tart Stout	5.5%	Scarborough	Stout	UF	74
Northern Monkey	Reeny’s Beans	4.0%	Bolton	Coffee Mild		75
Pomona Island	Crazy World Of Half	5.0%	Salford	Brown	UF	76
Problem Child	Darth Vegas	4.1%	Parbold	Milk Stout		77
Red Rose	Treacle Miners Tipple	3.6%	Darwen	Dark Mild	UF	78
Thirsty Moose	Nowt But Stout	4.2%	Blaydon-On-Tyne	Oatmeal Stout	V	79
Three Legs	Schwarzbier	5.0%	Bexhill On Sea	Vienna Black Lager	V, UF	80
Vocation	Birthday Cake Stout (IN THE WOOD)	4.5%	Hebden Bridge	Stout (Served from the wood)		81
Whitworth Valley	Stout Out To My Ex	5.2%	Whitworth	Chocolate Stout		82
Wigan Brewhouse	The Night	5.0%	Wigan	US Porter	UF	83
Wilde Child	The Magic Bean	4.4%	Leeds	Coffee Stout	V	84
Wily Fox	Dublin Up	4.5%	Wigan	Irish Stout		85
Wishbone	Abyss	4.3%	Keighley	Stout	V, UF	86

Tasting Notes

Ref	Beer	ABV	Tasting Notes
1	Drop By Your Local	4.1%	Support your local pub! A classic pale ale, dreamed up alongside our team from our own local, The Rising Sun – now our Co-Owners too! Hopped with Willamette, Cascade and Centennial. Best enjoyed in good company
2	Incognito	5.8%	A West Coast IPA hopped with some classic American ‘C’ hops; Columbus, Centennial and Chinook for maximum pine and pithy grapefruit aroma
3	Input	4.0%	Session pale dry hopped with Strata
4	Bad To The Bone	4.0%	Cascade and First Gold hops come together to create a strong yet balanced spiced citrus flavour profile, with a rich warm malt base
5	Flat Cap	4.0%	Flat Cap is our Most popular beer by far, with subtle spice notes underpinning the balanced Citrus and Floral aromas creating a wonderful session beer
6	Identity Crisis	3.8%	Our latest creation at 3.8% a very sessionable easy drinking pint
7	Main Character Syndrome	4.0%	Bright, bold tropical and citrus flavors and aromas just jump out of the glass. Mngo, passionfruit, grapefruit and lime, just fruit forward loveliness!
8	Brand New Beer Launch – Name TBC	4.5%	A Brand new beer brewed for launch at Wigan Beer Festival – so new, we didn’t even know the name at the time of printing – NEW BEER ALERT!!
9	Citra	3.9%	Single hopped blonde with US Citra hops to give a clean refreshing mango &tropical; fruit flavour with a hint of lime in the finish
10	Pike	4.0%	A pale golden ale well hopped with US Cascade, Summit & UK pioneer hops. Plenty of citrus sweet hop flavour and aroma with a lasting bitter finish
11	Elephants and Acrobats	4.2%	This sessionable pale uses galaxy leaf hops as a base, boasting flavours of fragrant stone fruit like papaya and peach on the palate. The juiciness of the galaxy is well-balanced by the Nelson Sauvin dry hop, giving a unique tartness to the beer with a light smooth bitterness on the finish
12	Hen Harrier	4.0%	Our top flight spectacular golden pale ale, refreshing beer filled with soft citrus and peach flavours
13	Morph IPA	5.0%	Morph: Our morphous core cask IPA. This time, it’s a Brit Hop IPA, showcasing the best hops the UK has to offer! Godiva and Harlequin hops deliver fresh tropical, citrus flavour. Let us know what Morph IPA style you’d love to see it transform into next!
14	Dead Moon	4.3%	Dead Moon is a deeply smooth Best Bitter. The flavour starts with a bitter sweet burnt toffee character and hints of marmalade on toast, but a resinous bitter finish draws you back in for more
15	Baum Rabbit	4.2%	Named after a mysterious, ghostly rabbit from Rochdale, this pale ale has malt flavours of freshly baked bread, digestive biscuit and a hint of honey sweetness. Balanced against this is a subtle bitterness and flavours of citrus and tropical fruit from Ernest and Harlequin hops
16	Pizza Cat	6.2%	Single hopped with GALAXY, A creamy full bodied mouthfeel with tropical aromas of grapefruit & orange peel , lead to a finish of a pithy bitterness
17	Pacesetter	3.4%	A refreshing, golden beer with a hoppy aroma and crisp palate, A subtle aftertaste makes this a wonderful quaffing beer
18	Erik Weisz	4.4%	One of Escape’s best sellers. It’s unfined but incredibly clear and vegan friendly
19	Radical	4.2%	Ruby red beer brewed with Maris Otter,crystal malt, black malt with a couple of hop varieties creating a sweety malty beer
20	Best Bitter	4.5%	All the nostalgic notes of the great best bitters that came before resonate in this brew. A solid malt backbone gives way to celeia hops and for that all important bittering, first gold
21	Pale Ale	3.4%	Pale, Hoppy and easy drinking
22	Red	4.8%	A premium strength, ruby beer. Robust and malt-dominated, fired by a spicy but sweet fragrance. An impact beer designed to leave lasting impressions both visually and on the taste buds
23	Pale Ale	4.1%	A modern classic, ultra pale ale with a gentle haze, brewed with American hops giving Citrus, mango and stone fruits and just a little Pine from it’s blend of Citra, Centennial and Mosaic, this one is for whenever, no special occasion needed to enjoy this very sessionable beer
24	Motueka	3.9%	One of our range of single hopped beers brewed only using Motueka hops from New Zealand. This is a blonde beer with a juicy, fruity hop aroma, a bitter taste and a hoppy fruity bitter finish. Lovely!
25	Lupilin Trio (Rakau, Ekuanot, Azacca)	4.3%	Brewed using a fantastic trio of hops (Azacca, Rakau & Ekuanot), this is very pale blonde with a tropical fruit aroma and flavours of lime and noble hops. The finish is long and bitter, leaving pithy flavours at the end
26	Divebomb	5.0%	Crafted with crystal malts, Mosaic, and Centennial hops, it’s a flavour journey that hits all the right notes. Discover the harmony of hops in every sip
27	Earl Grey IPA	6.8%	Kees Bubberman (now of Brouwerij Kees) and John de Vries (now of Brouwerij de Molen) joined us originally to brew this smooth and citrusy India Pale Ale, which is fermented with timed additions of Earl Grey tea
28	Sailing To Sheffield	5.4%	A full bodied dark copper bitter with light flavours of citrus and berry fruits combine with biscuit malt leading to an earthy lingering bitterness
29	Chew Bubblegum & Kick Ass	6.6%	Crispy IPA with heavy strawberry notes from ‘Most’ hops. Floral and citrus flavours
30	US Session (v108) Eldorado & Columbus	3.8%	Version 107 of our US Session is dry hopped with El Dorado and Columbus . Flavours and aromas are tropical and stone fruit
31	Mountain Goat	4.0%	Cashmere pale with a soft oaty mouthfeel and flavours of lime, melon, peach and tangerine
32	Little Eye	4.0%	Golden, hoppy, malty
33	Citruvian	4.8%	Blond, citrusy, piney
34	Misschief	4.5%	A strawberry NEIPA
35	Big Girls Blouse	3.8%	Light hopped pale blonde session ale
36	Harlequin	4.0%	Dry, single hopped pale ale. Refreshing bitterness with a full-on zesty aroma from UK Harlequin hops
37	Beer 3000	4.3%	Redwillow’s 3000th Brew! As superbly brewed as the previous 2999. Generously hopped with Strata, Luminosa and Citra.
38	Sleepless	5.4%	This American style amber ale made with red rye and generously hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Amarillo to give lush tropical fruit flavours over a rich malt body and a long satisfying bitter finish
39	Bounced Right Back	4.2%	A Pale Ale hopped with Citra & Rakau
40	Golden State	4.3%	A classic Rooster’s pale ale showcasing a blend of big hitting U.S. hops; Ekuanot, Cashmere and Mosaic. Aromas of tropical fruit leap out, leading to a palate of ripe pineapple, grapefruit and a soft peachy finish
41	Fort Smith	5.0%	Named after the town in which Rooster Cogburn lived, Fort Smith is a big and bold American Pale Ale, brewed using Citra and Chinook hops from the USA to create tropical and passion fruit aromas and a lasting, bitter finish
42	Whitewell	4.0%	Easy drinking session pale, light and fruity with a crisp finish
43	Pacific Gem	4.2%	Our ever-changing single hop pale. This version is brewed with Pacific Gem bringing subtle notes of blackberry and oak with a satisfying bitterness
44	Oot n’ Aboot	5.6%	A saying both Geordies & Canadians are familiar with, “oot n’ aboot” is our IPA. This brew boasts robust North American hops, yielding vibrant notes of citrus, mango, pineapple and stone fruits. complemented by a gentle malt character with a striking blonde colour and a touch of haze, its bold bitterness delights the palate
45	1838	4.5%	In 2024, Thornbridge Brewery worked to preserve a historic piece of British brewing heritage, the Burton Union system. They transported this iconic equipment to Bakewell, where it has been in active use ever since. Maris Otter malt with Savinjski Goldings hops to create a full-bodied beer with a light amber hue. Expect rich, biscuity malt flavours, balanced by floral hop notes and a crisp, refreshing finish
46	Jaipur	5.9%	A citrus dominated India Pale Ale, its immediate impression is soft and smooth yet builds to a crescendo of massive hoppiness accentuated by honey. An enduring, bitter finish
47	Green Hop Export Pilsner	5.4%	A special collaboration with Loughran Brewers Select and Hukin Hops just down the road from us. A green hop pilsner with Challenger hops
48	Too Many Devils	7.4%	Proper west coast IPA – clear, bitter, and full of resinous fruity hops
49	Ariana	4.5%	Single-hop pale brewed with new German hop Ariana, for an unexpectedly American hit of mango and orange
50	Chop & Change – Nelson Sauvin	4.5%	Our ever-evolving, single hop pale ale. Extra pale, wheat & jumbo oat base with Vocation yeast for fruity esters and a light haze. Nelson Sauvin hops deliver a crisp white wine flavour, with hints of freshly crushed gooseberries and green grapes
51	Shepherds Delight	4.1%	Crafted with the finest low-colour Maris Otter, wheat, and a blend of crystal malts, this Red Session IPA delivers a rich, smooth malt base and an eye-catching red hue. Generously hopped with Galaxy, Citra, Mosaic, and Nelson Sauvin, it bursts with vibrant fruit flavours
52	Snooze Button	4.0%	Wake up your taste buds with this smooth and juicy pale ale. Bursting with citrus, tropical flavours & notes of pine from Krush and Simcoe hops, it’s a refreshing sip to ease into the day—or kick back and relax with. Perfectly sessionable, Snooze Button lets you hit pause and savour the flavour
53	MadHatter	3.9%	In cask this is a great session beer, brewed with Amarillo hops from the USA to give spicy and floral character
54	I Wanna Beer-dored	3.9%	Hopped with English Bramling Cross and Mystic, to give a refreshing citrus aroma and finishing with a mild bitterness
55	Landslide	4.6%	Golden in colour. Brewed with NZ Hop Superdelic, producing aromas  of citrus, Tropical fruit and Candy
56	Red Light Spells Danger	5.0%	US style Red Ale with distinctive malt and hop character giving citrus/orange aroma
57	Point Break	4.5%	A well balanced west coast pale brewed using columbus, amarillo and comet hops; a solid bitterness and healthy malt backbone all add up to a fruity and refreshing beverage
58	Karma Citra	4.3%	Quadruple hopped to extol the magnificent virtues of the Citra hop. This exquisitely complex ale exudes intense citrus and tropical flavours, and guarantees to tantalize the palate
59	Hey Bert	3.9%	Single hopped Pale with American Jarrylo
60	Black Mass	6.7%	One of the world’s longest standing Black IPAs and a multiple award winner. Generously hopped with a mix of Columbus, Cascade and Green Bullet. Well-bodied with complex aromas of dark chocolate, pine, coffee and burnt toast, giving way to flavours reminiscent of bitter chocolate, fruitcake and raisins. A beast of a brew!
61	S’More Fire	5.2%	A sweet milk stout with the addition of smoked malt to bring the fire and provide some balance and complexity to the sweet marshmallow
62	Port O Call	5.0%	Classic dark malt flavour profile and full body mouthfeel rounded off and wonderfully complimented by the added Ruby Port to give a lasting rich finish on the palette
63	Salted Caramel Stout	5.7%	Salted Caramel Stout
64	Black	4.0%	A velvety stout with intense roasted barley flavours and rich undertones of chocolate and coffee with liquorice finish
65	Deer Stalker	4.5%	Dark, rich stout full of dark fruit flavours. A superbly rich stout, strong in dark fruit flavours with a wonderful chocolaty finish
66	Cherry Bad Kitty	5.5%	A sweet cherry twist on our flagship vanilla porter. Like cherry cola bottles in beer form! This Rich and robust is a drinkable delight. Even if we say so so ourselves!
67	The Hooded Monk	5.8%	Ink Black in appearance , Beautiful aromas of Oats and dark malts combine as one , With a  deep mouthfeel that pulls you in to its moderately sweet taste
68	Vanilla Oatmeal Stout	4.8%	A dark, smooth and aromatic ale with delicate vanilla notes
69	Old Legover	4.1%	A well-balanced, mid brown ale, nutty in the mouth with a lingering hop and bitter aftertaste
70	Taxi For Cole	4.8%	Out latest brand new beer! This is a first for us and rare dark one from Escape
71	Hoof	4.3%	A coffee milk stout brewed with locally roasted beans from our friends at Atkinsons coffee roasters. Roasted coffee & chocolate notes on the palette rounded off with a smooth sweet finish from the addition of lactose. Pairs well with the morning paper
72	On The Bounty	5.8%	Rich and smooth velvet dark chocolate with notes of vanilla and a hit of coconut
73	The Handbook For The Recently Deceased	5.2%	Luxuriate in wintery roasted barley goodness with this deep, dark & surprisingly creamy Irish inspired stout. Heavy coffee bitterness from the malts alone, undercut with smooth chocolate notes & a soft aroma of blackcurrant from traditional Bramling Cross hops. It’s showtime!!!
74	Bakewell Tart Stout	5.5%	Stout brewed using five different malts including oats and English Bramling Cross hops, infused post fermentation with Bakewell Tart flavouring
75	Reeny’s Beans	4.0%	Rich and creamy Coffee Mild with gentle coffee notes with a residual sweetness
76	Crazy World Of Half	5.0%	American style brown ale, hoppy with biscuity malts and a touch of resin
77	Darth Vegas	4.1%	Milk stout
78	Treacle Miners Tipple	3.6%	Very Northern character. Intensely dark traditional Dark Mild. Sweetish with a hint of liquorice and more body than a standard mild. Bitterness comes through in the lasting aftertaste
79	Nowt But Stout	4.2%	A velvet-smooth, well-bodied triumph featuring rich chocolate, coffee, and light charcoal undertones. This deep and dark delight delivers a sweet essence, concluding with a satisfyingly balanced, bitter finish
80	Schwarzbier	5.0%	A limited run of casks of our classic Black Lager. Vienna lager malt base and additions of black malt and crystal for cocoa and roasted coffee flavours. UK Bullion and Cascade bring orange zest and floral bitterness
81	Birthday Cake Stout (IN THE WOOD)	4.5%	Celebrate 10 years of Vocation Brewery with our Birthday Cake Stout. It’s rich and velvety with a classic chocolate base, layered with flavours of warm vanilla, sticky sweet caramel, vibrant blueberries and a touch of cherry to top it off
82	Stout Out To My Ex	5.2%	Full bodied rich malty Stout, infused with cacao nibs and matured in cask. A velvety smooth chocolate finish with hints of vanilla
83	The Night	5.0%	Brewed using U.S Hop Centennial, bursting with Roasted Malt and Hop flavours with a well balanced finish
84	The Magic Bean	4.4%	Coffee Stout
85	Dublin Up	4.5%	A black, velvety Irish Oatmeal Stout. A rich and moreish, ebony coloured Irish Oatmeal Stout. The symphony of roasted barley and dark malts deliver Cappuccino and Mocha flavours on the palate,and are complemented by the clean bitterness of Fuggles & East Kent Goldings hops leading to a velvety, dry finish
86	Abyss	4.3%	Our Rich. Dark Stout, british hops