Prickly Wit
Real Ale Brewing Company

While I can attest that Real Ale is putting out some very decent and drinkable beers, I think this one should be filed in the "experimental" category and left at that.

It looks fairly good with a cloudy yellow-gold body and creamy bright white cap that holds well and leaves nice lacing.

The nose, however, is a bit harsh with notes of phenols, vegetals (avacado?), and just some minor notes of wheat and yeasty spice. There is a nice note of citrusy lime. It comes and it goes, getting better here and there, but basically remaining kind of raspy. Perhaps that's just the prickly pear talking, but it's kind of an eye-opener.

The flavor is similar, and to be honest, not much better. Some solvent sneaks into the mix, and it's just harsh... leaving the palate coated and unpleasant. It's mildly astringent, and the lacquer-like quality lingers. Whatever this beer may have been at first, it no longer is in the end - again, think experimental! I give them great credit for trying it.

This beer was brewed once for the 2007 Brewer's Association Craft Brewers Conference and Brewexpo America (April 18-21 2007 in Austin), and a friend brought me a bottle in his wooden leg.

The label described this beer as a "double wit," which I don't believe is a legitimate style, but is a fair description of this beer. It has very strong clove, coriander, and sour notes and manages to take a style that is usually described as refreshing, and makes it very hearty. Nonetheless, as a fan of "big" beers, I really liked it.

Appearance is an opaque straw color with some soapy head. Aroma is coriander, clove and some sourness. This beer is made with prickly pear puree, and I don't know what that smells like. In flavor, it really is "double" the coriander of what I'm used to. It is only 6.5% ABV, but I still felt a certain warming immediately after I drank it. The refreshment is brewed right out of this beer, but I still enjoyed it; it does scratch your "I want a beer" itch quite capably.