“This year our favourite festival turns 30 , and to celebrate we’re going off piste- a kettle sour spiked with Beetroot and infused with blood orange and mint. It creates a startling crystal pink beer with citrus palate and lifted aromas. Go Fringe Festival.”

Glassware: poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance: pours a massive 2 finger width tan head full of small to large bubbles in ascending order. Great retention. Just sits there. Black as the ace of spades. Lots of lacing of the glass as we admire the thickness of the head.

Aroma: rich. Its full of those smoked malts, espresso, ash, brine, leather and gamey flesh. Can get a whiff of definite pepper. It sticks in the nostrals. Slight booze but so mimimal given this beast is 12%.

Flavour: wow..rich is the word that keeps popping up. Strong upfront espresso bitterness and smoky malt, with booze heat, ash, and salt. The oyster is obvious too. Can feel back palate pepper heat too, which must be this native kiwi pepper leaf. It reminds us a bit of ancho chillies when used in stouts.

Mouthfeel: thick, luscious, creamy, and sticky on the lips. Its bitter then trails off and leaves a alcohol cloud in your mouth combined with the pepper heat. Its not overpowering. Very well balanced for 12% alc vol. Low carbonation obviously. Decent length on the palate. Just endless smoked malt.

Overall: this is certainly one to cellar. Its bold. If you aren’t a fan of smoked malt, this aint for you, despite the label completely underselling the smoke as being “a touch”. Its gamey, its salty, its beefy.