old salt tavern

Even if the Nøgne Ø brewery is from Norway and not from England, the brewers are taking up a real English classic with Old Salt Tavern: The beer is one of the Extra Special Bitters and is reminiscent of the heyday of British brewing.

Before Pale Ale became a staple of the craft beer movement, it was a popular drink in England’s pubs. In the past, however, the variety was not called Pale Ale but Bitter. The bitter differed from the conventional, slightly milder ale in its stronger, balanced character and the right balance between full-bodied malt and bitter hops. There are several degrees of bitterness, the Extra Special Bitter represents the beers with the highest alcohol content and the most intense taste.

Nøgne Ø’s interpretation of a traditional Extra Special Bitter is a subtly balanced brew that excellently transports the tried-and-tested aromas of its ancestors into the modern age. The beer presents itself in a bright copper red in the glass and rounds off its handsome appearance with a magnificent crown of creamy, ivory-colored foam. Notes of sun-ripened grain, oven-fresh biscuits, tenderly melting caramel and green hops run like a red thread through the drinking pleasure and dominate both the scent and the taste. Old Salt Tavern is an original English specialty beer that’s hard to believe wasn’t brewed in Britain.