Back before Red Duck existed, King Cnut Ale by the UK's St Peter's Brewery got Scott Wilson-Browne thinking. A hopless beer that set out to recreate ales as they might have been back in Medieval times, it ultimately inspired this. The label declares: "EXTREME ALE" and with good reason. Featuring a mix of grains, oats and spelt - some of which was "scorched" in the kettle - as well as stinging nettles and homemade hawthorn berry juice, it is as weird as they get; one that most people will probably want to share and experience rather than knock back for mere refreshment. Pouring an opaque, dark brown with a thin, brown head, it boasts a pretty thick body that belies its relatively low alcohol content. The aroma is both smoky and earthy, with dark roast and burnt coffee beans coming through as it warms. There's a faint whiff of tartness too, but nothing to prepare you for the intense and lingering fruity sourness that awaits once quaffed. Decidedly odd.
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