365 different beers from 365 different breweries in 365 days with random musings on beer, food, music, sports, dogs and anything else interesting along the way
Day #491 Roma / Birradamare, Fiumicino, Italy
Previously from this brewery: Kuasapa, more Kuasapa, Rossa, and more Rossa
Was just looking through my fridge, and I realized I now have some greatly out of season beers that need to be addressed. There's some Christmas ales and some barleywines, both of which grow less enticing with each day closer to summer. Now, I'm by no means a beer snob (I prefer the label, "beer geek"), so I don't believe styles of beer can only be consumed at certain times of year. You want a shandy in December? Fire away! Perhaps this blog needs an "odd beer" week and try to get some of the beers geared toward winter cleared out. Anyone want to come over and join me? Let's do it!
Today's beer, on the other hand, is both appropriate and not - a bottle of Roma, a Marzen style beer from Birradamare in Italy. Marzenbier means "March beer" in German, and is brewed in the spring (appropriate!) to be consumed at Octoberfest (oops!). Eh, I'll allow it.
In the glass, you see an amber color, with a wispy slightly off-white head. The aroma is a blast of candi sugar and lightly toasted malt. When you take a sip, you find a plethora of sweet malt, bread, and some dark fruit. A touch of earthy bitterness to round things out. Not bad, even if it's not quite October yet.
Ciao!
This beer (and Kuasapa) came in an 11.1oz bottle. I hereby admit I'm not looking forward to a trend of beers in bottles smaller than 12oz, even if it is a fun shaped and well designed bottle smaller than 12oz.
Thing to Think About Today:
I'm currently sitting in the yard, enjoying a beer outside while the dogs snooze and enjoy a gentle spring breeze. Was contemplating earlier today that I need a boat. I think the dogs would like that, and we all know the ladies do (wink, wink). So, another selection from the Yacht Rock playlist today: Seals and Crofts and Summer Breeze. Ever so slightly out of season for spring, sort of like my beer. It still works.
Birradamare 'na Biretta Kuasapa is an American Pale Ale. I can't lie. The bottle caught my eye on the shelf and I couldn't resist it.
It poured a hazy chestnut color with a small head. It smells of pine hops with a hint of caramel. It drinks with a thinness but is very flavorful. Lots of hops. Honey. A bit of soap.
Beer #488 Kuasapa / Birradmare, Fiumicino, Italy
Previously from this brewery: two looks at Rossa(1) andRossa(2), a bock beer
Keeping things short today; another basketball game tonight, and really don't feel like writing this post-game. I will however, pause to announce that Blog Named Brew has found a home on Instagram. If you like beer porn, please feel free to follow BlogNamedBrew. Please follow - you know I have low self esteem. Thanks!!
Today's beer is an Italian selection, a bottle of Kuasapa from Birradamare that's been sitting in the fridge for longer than necessary. In the glass, you see an amber color with a thin head, and your nose finds a very pleasant, fresh lemon aroma with plenty of malt. When you take a sip, you get an earthy, dry mix of pine and citrus, with ample grassy notes. Rather well done beer, and definitely not what I expected. If you see this oddly shaped bottle out there, give it a try. I think you'll like it.
Fun bottle, good beer
Per their website, this beer is a blend of American and European hops. Works for me!
Thing to Think About Today:
I have no cute connection between the brewery, beer, or anything else. I'm tired, and my brain is fried. Therefore, I'll stick with my same theme from Tuesday and drop some more Vampire Weekend, my always ready to go summer music. This one is Step, an as-of-yet unreleased single off their new album (coming May 13!). Enjoy, peoples.
This is the face that waits for me to get in bed every night. He sits on my side warming my spot, then he moves over and cuddles like it is his job.
***
Tonight's beer is the Baladin Wayan--a sour beer, a.k.a. my favorite kind of beer. OK, total correction here. Wayan is listed on both Baladin's website and Beer Advocate as being a saison. Strange. It was decidedly sour and was advertised as such. A sour saison? Indeed.
It poured a bright copper color with a thin white head. It had a light funk in the nose but there was also an underlying floral almost fruity scent. The flavor lived somewhere at the intersection of light sweetness and tart. It reminded me of fresh lemons and biscuits. It finished nice and dry--leaving me wanting more.
Here is the description from Baladin's translated website: It comes from a mixture of cereals, barley, spelt, wheat and evokes memories of sunny fields and orchards that with their scents blend well with its hints of orange blossom, pear and bergamot. Crisp and very refreshing, golden color load is slightly turbid, sometimes opalescent.
What I thought was an interesting beer is now even more interesting.
Beer stats
Style: Saison
ABV: 5.8%
IBUs: 8
Rating: Great
Previously reviewed from Baladin:
I nearly drop some bodies after Blogger steals my post about Nora, an Egyptian ale. Am I right, Snoop?
Gary's review of Super, a Belgian strong pale ale
Beer #451 La Nove / Birrificio L'Olmaia, Siena, Italy
Previously from this brewery: First one!
Dearest Facebook,
I hope this message finds you well. I would sincerely like to punch you in the throat; repeatedly and violently if at all possible. Please unfuck your current nonsense at your earliest convenience, because it's negatively impacting my satisfaction right now.
Faithfully yours,
This Guy
I freely admit I like Facebook. It lets me do one stop shopping to catch up on the happenings of my family and friends, see some pictures, get links to interesting articles, play Words With Friends, and just stay connected to life in general. Look, I'm just not the guy who has the time or desire to call up all of my friends and see what they're doing. Too much work. A quick glance at the internet here and there and I'm good.
We all have the same complaints about Facebook, so I'm really not breaking any new ground here if I gripe about the nonsense you have to wade through to enjoy the site. I mean, we all have those friends who over share. I don't mind them over sharing somewhat unimportant things, but I do mind when they completely over share absolutely useless nonsense. If you're that person, allow me to break some news to you:
1. Just because I didn't "like" the picture of a cancer survior I don't know doesn't mean I support cancer. It just means that me hitting the 'like' button isn't going to cure cancer. Is there still someone out in the world there who doesn't know how much cancer sucks?
2. I don't care what you have for breakfast every morning, but here you are updating your status AGAIN to let everyone in on what you eat for every meal. Can you just summarize at week end?
3. I don't fucking care how many squares you see (or don't see) in the picture.
4. I'm not an imbecile, so yes, yes I can in fact think of a town in Pennsylvania without the letter 'E' in its name. Really not that hard at all.
4. No, your link to whatever left/right wing group with proof that Obama is a terrorist/Romney kills poor old people will actually NEVER get me to subscribe to your political ideology.
This doesn't mean I don't like you and don't want to see some of what's happening in your world. Therefore, I take full and complete advantage of the "hide" feature, where I can choose to subscribe to some of your posts, some of your updates, all of your posts, or (don't hate me) NONE of your nonsense. It has made Facebook much, much more enjoyable. Look, if you don't want to see my links to beer reviews, but you think I post awesome pictures from the 90's thanks to my scanner, you can fix this to your liking! You won't hurt my feelings, trust me.
Except.
Except that today, for some unknown reason, Facebook has decided to reset ALL of my carefully curated selections on what I see and from whom and when. My Facebook today was an explosion of crap; an electronic Mt. Vesuvius covering my screen in nonsense and killing all the things I do want to see in its path of wanton destruction. Every time I try to reset my preferred settings, Facebook ignores it like a six year old ignoring their mom when it's time to put the bike away and do homework. "Just five more minutes, Mom, and then I'll come inside," said Facebook, as it pedaled a tiny bicycle away, laughing as it thinks it got away with some big scam.
Is this happening to anyone else? Did I do something to piss off Mark Zuckerberg I'm not aware of? If someone knows how to fix this so that my choices stay fixed, I will award you some fabulous prize and be forever in your (Facebook) debt. I'm serious. I know how to change the settings, but they won't stay changed. And clearly I need help.
Perhaps a beer will help get my blood pressure back down to a more non-life threatening number. Tonight I'm going with a beer I had last night with dinner. I don't usually venture into the city on a school night, but a trip to Alla Spina makes it worthwhile. My beer for the night was La Nove from Birrificio L'Olmaia in Italy. In the glass, this beer had a dark amber hue, with a lingering white head. The aroma was light, but had notes of citrus. The taste had a nice mix of bitterness balanced with some caramel malt. Not overly hoppy, despite being described as a hoppy Belgian ale. Definitely enjoyable and refreshing, although next time I'm there I may not order a beer that costs as much as my entree.
Told you I was at Alla Spina
This brewery can be found about two hours north of Rome, in case you happen to be in the neighborhood. And the name of the beer means The Nine in English, if you want something to talk about when you get there.
Thing to Think About Today:
Clearly we're thinking about friends here, and clearly Facebook has selected "No" on the note I sent in class today asking if it will be my friend. In the spirit of this unfortunate development, I present to you the Dandy Warhols singing We Used to Be Friends. I'm out of here....
Beer #302 'na Biretta Rossa / Birradamare, Fiumicino, Italy
Winding down a completely hectic but incredibly fun weekend, the highlight of which was a great come from behind PSU win over Northwestern on Homecoming. This team won't be the champions of anything due to the sanctions levied against them, but they're certainly earning space in the hearts of Penn State fans. Keep it up, gentlemen. Keep it up. It's a fun season so far, and Beaver Stadium will be rocking when Ohio State comes to town in three weeks. Can't wait.....
I made baked rigatoni for dinner tonight, a nice meal for a cold and dreary Sunday evening. And what better way to wash down an Italian meal than with a beer from Italy (even if it is a German style bock beer), the 'na Biretta Rossa from Birradamare, a brewery on the outskirts of Rome. It pours with a dark, hazy amber color and fluffy tan head. The aroma is of toffee and lightly roasted malt, and the flavor gives you more of the same with plenty of malt sweetness, along with toasted malt, some nuttiness, and a hint of cocoa. Nice beer for a fall evening, particularly when dinner in the oven is smelling so damn delicious.
What's not to love?
This brewery was founded in 2004, and the name roughly translates to "Beer to Love." Works for me!
Thing to Think About Today:
Your song to think about this evening came on twice on the drive home from State College. I'm a big fan of just shuffling through the iPod to see what comes up - usually Christmas carols, for some odd reason. Now you get to hear it as well. Sort of goes with the theme, no?
I'm such a sucker for a unique bottle. Throw in a good font and I'm all yours! That's pretty much how the decision to buy this beer went. Ooh. Cool bottle. Ooh! Look that font! Buy all the beer!
Anyways I digress. Brewed by Birrificio Ostiense Artigianale in Italy, the 'na Bireta Rossa is a German bock beer with a 6.3% ABV.
It poured a medium, hazy brown with a dense tan head. I could smell the caramel from a few feet away. Closer inspection revealed the aroma of figs. It drinks with a full, thick mouthfeel. It tastes of slightly toasted malt, earl grey tea and finishes with just the tiniest bit of hop bite. There's also some milk chocolate in there too.
The origins of Bock beer are interesting. Back in medieval days German monasteries would brew a strong beer for sustenance during their Lenten fasts. Some people believe the style has a pagan influence and should only be brewed during the sign of the Capricorn goat, hence the goat being associated with Bock beers. Basically, this beer was a symbol of better times to come and moving away from winter. I'll call it a symbol of better times as we move toward winter.
I'm attending my cousin's wedding today, so you get the short & sweet (but not as sweet as my bitchin' seersucker suit & pink bow tie combo).
Today's beer is the Dolii Raptor, a Belgian strong ale from Birrificio Montegioco. It pours a hazy, amber orange color with a thin white head. It has a honey and orange aroma, and the taste brings you flavors of citrus and malt, with a noticeable sweetness, and a dry, oaky finish. Really nice, complex beer. It's a potent 8.5% ABV, and I look forward to having this one again somewhere down the road.
This brewery started production in 2005, in a town located between Milan and Genoa. This special version of Dolii Raptor is aged in Calvados oak barrels previously used in wine production (regular versions of this beer are aged in other barrels). In fact, they offer a number of uniquely brewed or barrel aged beers, all of which sound delicious.
Thing to Think About Today:
The Olympics are underway, medals are already being handed out (not for you, Michael Phelps... yet), and I now need to glue myself to a television for the next two weeks. Let's kick off with some classic Carl Lewis highlights from his nine gold and one silver medal winning career spanning sprints and the long jump:
Today is all Italian, all the time. I'm just biding my time until my Italian dinner extravaganza hits the table. Gary is making the most delicious meatballs in the history of meatballs and his from scratch tomato sauce. Perhaps I should not have drank the beer I'm about to review last night and saved it for tonight. Oh well...it still works in my Italian themed Wednesday evening!
This photo hates me. It doesn't look like this in the photo manager. Arghz!!!
Birrificio Bruton 10 is an Italian abbey ale. It's also referred to as a double malt dark beer on the bottle's label. It poured an almost black brown with a thick tan head. It smelled vinous and rich. The mouthfeel was very thick. I thought the label stated the ABV at 7.4% but everything I'm reading online is reporting 10% ABV. Drinking it makes the alcohol very apparent so I'm going with 10%. The aroma is of dark fruit and reminds me of port. It's sweet and not at all bitter or hopped.
I would classify it as a quadrupel despite what the label states. Overall very good. It's going in my top 25.
Today's beer is the 10, or Dieci, from Italian brewer Birrificio Brùton. It pours a dark mahogany, almost black, color with a bit of tan, lingering head. Your nose picks up the aroma of rich malt and stone fruits, and you get flavors of tobacco, toffee, leather, dark fruits, and a rather strong malt backbone. Very complex, and quite potent at 10% ABV - I guess that's perhaps where the name comes from? Almost seemed like more of a barleywine than a quad, but whatever you want to call it, it's quite good.
Sexy time.
From the Google translation of the website, it seems that Brùton is named for a beer that was brewed in Crete back in ancient times. Or, maybe something like that - I really don't know, because the translation never comes out exactly right. If you see something from this brewery, buy it, regardless of what the name means.
Thing to Think About Today:
I should have planned this better - tomorrow night I'm making my now-legendary meatballs and sauce for dinner, so I could have had an entire Italian thing going on at once. Instead, I'll just go ahead and leave you with what most of America assumes life is like when you're Italian. Yes, The Sopranos. This ground breaking show paved the way for a gaggle of excellent cable shows (such as the all time best show ever, The Wire), and gave us an interesting perspective into New Jersey, "independent businessmen", creative problem solving, and the trash industry. It also probably caused you to start cursing more in your personal and professional life (at least, I did). While this clip is awesome, it isn't remotely safe for work, unless your employer loooooves profanity:
Beer #138 Seson / Piccolo Birrificio, Apricale, Italy
Great success! After forgetting how to tie a bow tie, it all came back to me. Which makes perfect sense, as it really is pretty easy to do. I think the issue wasn't that I'm an idiot, it's that I was working with a new bow tie, and I just wasn't used to the change yet. Or something like that.....
And why a bow tie you ask? Tonight is the Franklin Institute Awards ceremony! Some of the heaviest hitters in science and technology are feted for absurdly brilliant contributions in their fields. These awards have been given in one shape or form since 1824, so there's an amazing legacy of great thinkers and doers connected to these awards. If you have a minute and want to see what geniuses spend their time thinking about, click on the link above to see some of the discoveries made by this year's winners.
Most importantly, Marci is the driving force behind this gala! I'm sure we'll be linking some pictures over the next few days, but trust me when I say this is a tremendous event and attendees will spend the next 12 months of the year raving about the ceremony and dinner. Kudos, Marci for a job incredibly well done. You are awesome at what you do!
What better way to celebrate than with beer, no? Today's beer is the Seson from Piccolo Birrificio in Italy. This saison pours a clear gold with no head. There are aromas of wheat and grapes, and when you drink it you pick up a light citrus and grain taste, with subtle notes of pepper, oak and grape. At 6% ABV, this is an easier drinking beer, and definitely worth your efforts should you find it on draft or in a bottle. Marci has previously crossed this brewery (and beer) off her list - you can read about that here. The brewery website doesn't appear to be up and running yet, which is unfortunate, as I do enjoy reading about the history and the story behind each brewer. Maybe next time.
Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of science and some of the greatest minds of our generation, let's stop to think about science. Specifically, Weird Science. Yes, another classic 80's comedy - this one involving two nerds who create a supermodel. As you can expect, hilarity ensues.
Sadly, our heroes did not pick up a Franklin Award medal for their efforts here, but they still have time to continue advancing the field of "supermodel creation." Good luck, guys.
My brain is fried and I have the most random thoughts rattling around in the ashes. I spent all day reviewing and approving print materials. Are all the words spelled correctly? Are the ads crisp? Did any names fall off the donor and committee lists? Are the pages laid out correctly? Is the color right? Is this gold gold enough or is it too yellow-tinged?
No pressure. It's only a $7,000 mistake if there are typos.
As I started to type the name of tonight’s beer, Neneh Cherry’s Buffalo Stance leapt into what was left of my brain and now IT WON’T GO AWAY. Hence the piccolo, huh, sucka? Admit it. You know exactly what I’m writing about.
Now on to the actual beer review. The Piccolo Saison is from Piccolo Birrificio (Italy). It was fruity and earthy and incredibly fizzy. The color was hazy straw and had a medium head. It had a biscuity twang but left a very odd taste behind. As I worked my way through the glass, every once in awhile I’d get some very subtle hints of grape.
I regret to report that I spent this sunny, warm afternoon working on the one thing I hate more than anything else in the world: yard work. Yes, instead of sipping a beer, reading a book, getting started on some writing, going for a run, taking the dogs for a walk, or seven billion other things, I was cutting the grass. I know some people enjoy it, although for the life of me I don't understand why. I end up filthy and covered in bug bites, my allergies start raging, and for what? Two weeks later, you have to do it all over again. Seems pointless. Anyone have a goat they can lend me? If you think I'm kidding, I'm not. Goats are the answer.
Washing away the dirt from today's yard work will be the Contessa, a pale ale from Birra Amiata. This one came on draft at Teresa's Next Door, and showed off a copper color in the glass. My first reaction was that it if you closed your eyes, it tasted exactly like a pale ale you'd get from a California brewery. There are aromas of citrus and pine, and the taste brings you a floral, piney hop bitterness. Not too bitter though, this one definitely doesn't overpower. Very tasty beer, nice and mellow. There's obviously an interesting story behind the name on this beer, and quite frankly it's probably easier for you to just read it here.
Who has two thumbs and loves crappy photos from my phone? THIS GUY!
Thing to Think About Today:
Clearly, getting out the weed whacker put me into a bit of a bad mood earlier today. No worries, a little beer and some evening entertainment will fix that. And tonight, we're watching Jason Segel's 2011 reboot of the Muppets franchise. Yes, it's a kids movie. No, I don't care. Back in the day,the Muppet Show had great music and famous comedians, and was an absolute cornerstone of my childhood. I mean, I still hear the Swedish Chef in my head every time I read words from European languages. Therefore, I'll let Statler and Waldorf have the last word today:
It's amazing how some 9th and 10th graders could be so charming and entertaining, so comfortable in their own skin already, while others are awkward, spastic and generally asking for a punch in the chops. But I did get a compliment from one of them on the centerpieces I created so I have that going for me. He gets a gold star for the day.
***
Today I'm reviewing Panil Barriquee -- a Flanders red ale out of Italy. This one was had at Teresa's Next Door in Wayne (Pennsylvania). As you can see from the photo, it's batch #12 from 2010.
I would label the Panil Barriquee a great sour beer. It poured a reddish brown color with a big, thick head. It had hints of sour cherries and drank with the perfect amount of tartness while finishing nice and dry. It had hints of funkiness in the nose but wasn't overwhelming. I'd definitely recommend it as a good entry into the world of Flanders red ale. Cheers!
Things I learned today:
1. When you spend your entire day adding things to your to-do list, you never get around to crossing any items off.
2. I'm headed to Oklahoma next week. OKLAHOMA. Again.
3. If you're starving and craving sushi, you probably shouldn't sit at the counter with a front row seat for all of the sushi being made.
Today's highlight was without a doubt the aforementioned sushi bender at Bluefin. If I die from mercury poisoning in the next week
or so, you'll know why. You've already been told Bluefin is the best sushi in the Philly area, so I won't bother to remind you.
With that, it's on to the beer - Madamin by LoverBeer, an Italian brewery. A cloudy burgundy brown color in the glass, this beer has a mild aroma and an oak taste, which makes sense due to being aged in oak barrels. It's tart, with cherry and grape flavors, and ends with a sour finish. Not the worst beer in the world by any stretch of the imagination, but if you're in the market for a sour or a wild ale or a Flanders oud bruin, there are better options out there. I'd love to tell you more about the brewery, but my browser can't translate the webpage. So... yeah. Mi dispiace. That's "I'm sorry" for the non-paisanos out there.
Hooray for crappy pictures!
Thing to Think About Today:
Enough about Italy for the moment. Considering the amount of sushi I consumed this evening, I feel this is a more appropriate thing for us to think about. Ladies and gentlemen, The Vapors:
Today was a Saturday that got better with age. Funeral in the morning in the rain, but that lead to a sunny afternoon spent drinking. Not a bad way to transition the day, no?
Sampled some very solid beers today, but one that stood out was a beer likely to get better with age, the Panil Barriquée from Birrificio Torrechiara. Should I ever find myself stranded in Italy, I'm now confident that I've picked up enough Italian so I can at least find a brewery. Which is where I'd want to be if I was in Italy anyway, so all good here.
This beer is a sour wild ale aged in oak barrels (barriquée translates to "barrel"), and it pours a reddish dark amber in the glass. There's a thin white head, and you're greeted with a sour and stone fruit aroma. The flavor has a great mix of sour and tart cherry, with a fantastic dry finish. You definitely pick up some of the oak barrel aging in this beer.
Shitty camera phone, represent!
For what it's worth, the version we drank came from Batch
12, bottle # 612. So, I'm guessing this is a limited production sort of beer. If you find it, drink one. Or two.
Thing to Think About Today:
It's Saturday night, and my evening will end with me watching a Julia Roberts movie. Which is to say, me playing on my phone while Marci watches Julia Roberts play the same character for the 453rd time. Yay.
Tonight should be more exciting. You know why? Because Saturday night's alright for fighting. You heard me:
An exceptionally trying week was capped off with an exceptionally trying Friday. What’s the answer to a terrible day like today? Italian beer. Mostly because the shape of the bottle makes me happy.
Tonight’s beer comes to me from Birrificio del Ducato via the Whole Foods in Devon, Pennsylvania. It is their barley wine -- L’Ultima Luna. It is aged for nine months in French oak barrels previously used to age Amarone della Valpolicella -- a wine that is very ripe, full bodied and raisiny. Check out the wikipedia entry on it. Quite interesting.
L’Ultima Luna translates to last moon and was created to celebrate the impending birth of the brew master’s first child. The beer man at Whole Foods said that it was one of his top five all time beer experiences. With that I was intrigued.
I popped the lid off the bottle, turned to throw it away and as I turned back to the bottle, the scent hit me immediately. I was enveloped in an aroma of red wine. The color was a deep, dark, almost muddy brown. As I worked my way to the bottom of the glass, I some ruby highlights became more noticeable.
A good swirl released the scent of milk chocolate and cabernet. Again as I worked my way through the glass, the smell took on the aroma of chocolate chip cookie dough batter. This beer drinks thick and has no carbonation. The flavor carries big, bold cabernet notes. I also got brown sugar, more chocolate and leather. I kid you not. Leather. I didn’t notice any hop characteristics -- just smooth malt goodness.
Would I put this one in my top five beer experiences? No, but I will put it in my top 25.
p.s. If you’re wondering about barleywine, here’s some intelligence. It’s most definitely a beer. In fact, it is a big beer - one of the strongest beer styles out there. They are typically lively and fruity, sometimes sweet, and can be bittersweet. The flavors can run the gamut from intense fruit to intense hops. Luckily I got intense fruit! The body is typically thick and the ABV is evident. They are usually great for cellaring and age quite well like a good wine.
Who knew you would get some knowledge with my usual ramblings! Cheers...
For the past year, I’ve been on the lookout for New Holland Brewing Company’s Blue Sunday Sour. Yesterday morning I hit the jackpot and am now in possession of TWO (yes, two) cases of it. The Blue Sunday Sour is part of New Holland’s cellar series and is heritage-blended from their library of barrel-soured beers. I’ve only ever had one bottle of it and I have clung to that memory for an entire year. It became my great white whale…ever elusive, haunting me. Sure I was nervous that I just spent a ridiculous amount of money on beer that may not live up to my recollection. Would the 2012 edition be as good as the one I had?
Silly me. After popping one open moments ago, I knew I made a good decision. It poured into my tulip glass a garnet hue. Very little head that left just a hint of lacing around the edge of the beer’s surface. There is oak in the nose along with balsamic vinegar with a nuance of sour cherry. The balsamic carries over to the taste along with the subtle cherry notes. There’s malt and oak flavors and it pinches your tongue in exactly the way a good sour ale should. It leaves my mouth feeling all tingly and finishes dry. At 8.5% ABV and knowing that I’ve got to make it until February 2013, one bottle will be all I need for today.
Alas this review doesn't count, as I crossed New Holland off the list with my review of Dragon's Milk found here.
Yesterday while out with friends, I had a Monk’s Flemish Sour Ale. This review doesn’t count either since it is brewed by Brouwerij van Steenberge and I crossed that one off the list at Teresa’s Next Door when I tasted the Klokke Roeland. I would describe the Monk’s as sweeter, slightly thicker drinking than the New Holland. The balsamic flavor is the first taste that hits you. It’s big and bold. More dark cherry flavor, too. While the Monk’s is good, I prefer the more nuanced flavors of New Holland.
So onto the actual review for tonight. LoverBeer Madamin. Described as a Flemish sour out of Italy, I figured I couldn’t go wrong. Sorry for the subpar photo. I only had the Blackberry with me. The LoverBeer smelled of fruity sourness. Not too much funk. It tasted of sour cherry and oak/red wine. There was another fruit flavor hiding in there…maybe plum? It definitely had the typical sour characteristics but it also was a bit too watery for me.
And there you go. The Three Little Bears review of sour ales. One is too bold, one is too watery and one is just right. On that note, I leave you with some lazy-ass dachshunds snoozing post-walk in the sun:
Tonight we drink a wild ale from Italy -- Rubus from Birra del Borgo. This one caught my eye because the bottle was really cool. Evidently I like the way Italians shape their beer bottles. Remember the Baladin post? I liked the shape of that bottle, too.
I popped the cap off the bottle and poured it into my trusty tulip glass. It poured out with absolute no head…like none…it looked so strange. The beer was beautiful in the glass -- a ruby-hued liquid. It smelled strongly of raspberries…very appealing. There was also the tiniest hint of malt sweetness. I gave it a good swirl and sipped it.
All I could think was WTF!?! My beer was bad. What happened to the delicious raspberry scent of this beer? Why did it taste so funky? To the Interwebz I went! Turns out that Rubus is a wild ale. The bottle is downstairs in my growing collection of empties and I’m too lazy to double-check, but I am fairly certain that the label didn’t state anything about it being a wild ale or, if it was, it was in Italian. So that would explain a lot. Now that I knew I was drinking a wild ale, the taste made so much more sense.
There was the tiniest bit of carbonation - at times it looked quite flat. Once you got past the tart citric flavor, there was some raspberry underneath. It also had a mildly funky sourness - almost like burnt lemons. I expected it to finish drier - but instead it was refreshing, which left me wanting more. Hopefully Whole Foods still has a few bottles hanging around the beer cooler!
And on that note, I wish you good night. Cheers!
p.s. This beer is filed under “Bizzare” on the Birra del Borgo website. Why does that make me so happy?
Beer #62 Nuova Mattina / Birrificio Del Ducato, Roncole Verdi, Italy
Yes, it's getting close to midnight and I still haven't written my post for the day. Took the train into the city to meet Marci and a dear, dear friend of ours out for dinner at The Farmer's Cabinet in Philly. Very good choice, very good food, and very good company.
They have a really interesting beer list, including some house beers produced by a brewery in D.C. Depending on how commercially available that is, my sample of the house beer may or may not make it to these pages. What will make these pages is the draft pour of Nuova Mattina from Del Ducato. It's a saison with a pleasing aroma, and brings flavors of yeast, fruit, and a very nice peppery tone. Per their website, it's brewed with chamomile, green pepper, ginger, and cilantro. Can't say I taste all of those, can't say they make sense being put together. However, once it's in your glass it works! Enjoyable beer worthy of your attention.
The name of the beer translates to 'New Morning,' which is fitting seeing how tomorrow is rapidly approaching. Apologies on the brief review, but it's getting late, and I'm getting old.
Thing to Think About Today:
I can't really name this blog post as I did without dropping this Whodini video clip on you, right?
