[as Amiata Bastarda Nera, ABV 10.0%] Il naso vira verso caffè e castagna. La finezza olfattiva ɜ elevata, permanendo in maniera apprezzabile. Il manto birroso superiore resiste abbastanza. La grandezza delle bollicine è medio-fine. Il colore è scuro impenetrabile. Il corpo è strutturato. Il dolce è medio in buona armonia con l'amaro medio. La forza gustativa è elevata e la maniera in cui permane è buona. Le sensazioni boccali finali risultano di birra beverina. Il retrogusto è intenso. Sulla lingua arrivano sentori di caramello, miele, frutta secca, agrumi, arancia e castagna.

33cl can from Abeervinum, Rimini, Italy. Pours black, with limited light brown foam. Aroma is of chestnuts, coffee, some dark chocolate and burnt caramel. Body is average, with low but a little tickling carbonation. Taste has a very nice burnt bitterness, with a little sweetness behind as well. Final is long and very enjoyable.

On tap at Frisches Bier in the company of Kostas, Friday 13th March 2020. Pours black with a beige head. Lots of liquorice, there is also a linger of tartness. Soft mouthfeel, almost a touch of smoke, there is not but it did seem like it. Good.

Tap at True brew. Roast, coffee, tart grains. Black, creamy brown head. Medium full dry coffee, good broad roast notes, light sweetness, dark sugar, aromatic roast grains, coffee retronasal.

The imperial stout in a series of chestnut beers in which this Toscanian craft brewery apparently specializes; at La Tana. Thickly lacing, towering high, rocky and ’papery’, pale beige head over a jet black beer. Unusual aroma (certainly for the style) but not all unpleasant: cookie dough, brownies, sweet roasted chestnut, hazelnut oil, chestnut liqueur, moldy walnuts, blackberry jam, old dusty cocoa powder, caramel, burnt sugar, black tea, bitter chocolate, coffee grounds. Sweet onset, lots of pear, banana and brambleberry, sourish undercurrent, medium carbo, thick and smooth, slick mouthfeel, bit buttery even, thick caramelly and mildly chocolatey malt body, bitterish and earthy, somewhat spicy finish, the sweetness of the chestnut overlying all of this, warming alcoholic tail. Different and sweet in a rather unique way, but this is clearly one that will divide opinions depending on the consumer’s expectations.

Bottled. More or less black colour with a rich brown head. Aroma is alcohol, some sourness, mild nuts, ripe fruits and some raisins and mild ashy notes. Flavour is alcohol, some ripe fruits, raisins, ashes and some mild alcohol notes to it. Also the flavour does have some kind of tart/sour edge to it, making one struggle a bit with the drinking.

Tap at Tuulensuu. Opaque black color, small brownish head. Earthy, tart, a bit toasted aroma. Medium-bodied. Tart, berries, toasted, infected. No.

33 cl bottle @ Olut Expo Finland 2014. Batch #564: BBE 28.03.2015
No signs of ABV, but some markings on the label:
IBU 30 – 18˚
gradi 10.3˚
Aroma has licorice, stale floury tones and some nuts. Flavour has salty licorice, ash, floury tones and licorice root. Unusual, like a stronger version of Hiisi Kiira. Starts to feel medicine-like at the middle of the glass and gets also some spicy tones at that phase. I like the licorice tones here even though this is a bit too ashy and messy.