D'uvaBeer

Another beer-wine hybrid from Italy: apparently the premise was a Belgian strong ale, to which must of Freisa (an Italian red wine grape variety) was added for refermentation. I had similar Italian experiments before and keep fond memories of them, so I expect a lot from this 2011 vintage bottle (to be consumed before end 2015, according to the back label). Pours a deep, warm and ’autumny’ coppery amber colour, lightly hazy with low sparkling, under a regularly shaped, lightly lacing, moussy egg-white head retaining well around the edges in the first instants, but quickly disappearing altogether, so that the content of the glass (especially in the oversized wine glass I’m using) eventually looks more like some wine-based apéritif than a beer. As more of the bottle is emptied in the glass, the overall looks become increasingly headless and murky. Strong aroma of rosé wine, FFF (freshly fermented farmland) but remaining elegant in some sort of way, old dry sherry, strawberry wine, elderberry syrup, ripe purple gooseberries, balsamico, pickled gherkins, candied orange, melting brown sugar, honey liqueur. Vividly fruity onset, blue grapes as expected, along with passion fruit, strong red raspberry and bittersweet prunes, soft carbo but still quite tingling seen this bottle’s age; supple, vinous mouthfeel, deep and restrainedly caramelly malt sweetish base supporting a sherryish and raspberry vinegar tartness which makes up the core of this beer and lending this a sour-sweet effect not unlike an ’oud bruin’ (Flemish sour ale). This ’sherry- and berry’-like fruitiness continues deep into the finish, drying the mouth cavity in a gentle but certain way, becoming even a slight bit lemony every now and then; oxidation is there, but is apparently very restrained even at four years of age and does not conflict with other flavours - it blends in nicely, as in a high quality oloroso sherry. Hops are nowhere to be seen; a liqueurish alcohol glow is there, but only subtly so and not becoming astringent. Bizarre, but it does have a theme: ever since Baladín introduced craft beer to wine-soaked Italy, this country has spawned an array of innovative craft brewers which, instead of reacting against their own ancient wine culture (which I have the impression Spain is doing now), have embraced it and made (still little exposed) cross-pollinations between both, of which this one is an excellent example. Especially with the head having left (grape pits are known for being counterproductive towards head formation - ask Cantillon), I almost felt like I was rating some fortified wine instead of a beer - but fortunately the old familiar malts weren’t that far away. Succulent late night sipper worth cellaring for some years. Va bene!

On tap at Craft Clerkenwell. Hazy russet. Fruity aroma. Some sourness from the tart fruit. Extremely tasty. Good cherry.

It has a hazy red colour. This one has a woody aroma. Light sourness. Quite dry too.

Tap @ Speakeasy, Tallinn. Pours hazy amber-red with beige head. The head stays for a moment. Aroma is sour, berries, wood, sweetness. Flavor is sour, barnyard, berries, malt, yeast, wood, some sweetness, and touch of alcohol. Overall: nice brew.

Wee bottle webb SB cons 2015-04-02 Duved AR: sweet cherries, youghurt, wee sourness AP: reddish ruby, fizzy dirty beige demisnshing head F: sour, vinegear, kriek, yoghurt naturelle,

330ml bottle [2012 vintage]. Clear, dark copper, red-brown colour with effervescent, average to huge, frothy, rapidly diminishing, off-white head. Intense, sweet-ish fruity aroma, notes of red berries, grapes, oak, vanilla, leather, a touch of cinnamon, nutmeg, almond biscuit (speculoos), a vinous touch, some sherbet. Taste is sweet-and-sour vinous, slightly dry hints of oak and leather, tannin, vinegar, red berries, sherbet, a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg, some lemon juice; soft palate with spritzy residue. Rich and complex, absolutely convincing, an amiable invitation to discover the style.

Draught @ Tallinn Craft Beer Weekend 2015
Aroma is rather acidic with vinegar and tart berry juice. Also some lactic tones. Flavour has lactic tones, tart berry juice and some sweet berry tones. Not that aggressive but the lactic notes disturb me here.

Draught @ TCBW 2015

Pours dark orange with a large foamy head. Aroma of sourish berries, tart grapefruit, funky yeast and farmyard. Taste is sweetish, funky and slightly sour with some tartish grapefruit notes, berries and farmyard. Finish is sweetish and farmyardy with some hints of sourness. Okay.