Bottle, 330 ml at La Calamita beer&more, Rome. Pours hazy orange amber with off-white head. Citrus, hoppy, orange, toasted malts, some sweetness with bitter finish. Medium bodied. Nice.

Imperial chocolate stout from this Italian craft brewer, bottle from Saveur Bière. Tightly lacing, very moussy, creamy, pale beige, well-retaining head over a black beer with hazy mahogany-bronze edges. Aroma of a lot of bitter and ’fondant’ chocolate, even old chocolate bars, black peppercorns, cold black coffee, soggy rye bread (though no rye has been used), wet leather, vague hint of fermenting tree leaves and moldy acorn shells on a damp forest floor, old dusty raisins, dried blueberries, beef stock, faint hints of blue cheese, bayleaf, baked banana, leather, dry sage, cigar tobacco. Dry from the start, sharpish dried berries, nut shells but very low - if at all - sweetness, more sourish, umami and bitter at the same time, hints of dried mushrooms and black olive, softish carbo, smooth and thick mouthfeel but perhaps a tad less oily and viscous than usual for the style; deeply nutty malt middle, walnut shells even, lots of toasted brown bread, with a souring undercurrent of roasted barley; slight caramelly malt sweetishness as well. Develops a full-fledged coffeeish roasted bitterness in the end, where the presence of bitter cocoa is clearly noticeable - I even get the feeling I am drinking a bar of ’fondant’ chocolate in liquid form - along with peppery hop bitterness tickling the back of the tongue and a well-positioned ’afterglow’ of warming, gin-like alcohol. Coffee grounds-like roasted bitterness, a tad ashy even, goes down deep into the throat. Pleasant enough chocolate stout, not that far away from classics like Young’s Double Chocolate stout; on the lower end of the scale in terms of ABV for an ’imperial’ stout and in this particular case, I am wondering if an ABV of, say, 10% would not enhance the experience aromatically and flavor-wise. Yet, for what it is, this is a very good stout, doubtlessly suitable for extended cellaring as well. Enjoyed it a lot. Salute!

22nd September 2016
Billynomates solo hotel tasting. Hazy gold - amber beer, tidy pale cream colour head. Palate is airy and slightly soft. Modest fine carbonation. Sweetish malts, dry. Good Sorachi floral lemon cream. Very mild herb. Semi dry finish shows some spice. Nice beer but it’s more of a Sorachi IIPA than a Barleywine.

330ml bottle. Quasi black colour with average to huge, thick, frothy, fairly lasting and lacing, tan head. Chocolately, roasty, dark malty aroma, notes of dark chocolate, hints of mocha, weak piney and citrusy hoppy overtones. Taste is moderately bitter, roasty dark malty and piney hoppy, notes of dark chocolate, some coffee, a dusty and ashy touch. Malt dominated Black IPA.

Keg at the beer gallery Milan. A pitch black coloured pour with a sticky mid tan head. Aroma is nice rich dark choc, cherry, black fruit, choc powder. Flavour is composed of rounded mellow roast, rich dark choc, black forest gateau, cherry, . Palate is semi sweet, medium full bodied, moderate carbonation. Lingering bitter dark choc. Nice!

Keg at Lambiczoon Milan. A hazed golden orange coloured pour with a lasting sticky white head. Aroma is nice big tropical fruit, pineapple, Nelson, little caramel malts. Nice Hoppy nose. Flavour is composed of semi sweet malts, biscuit and caramel, tropical fruit, mango, pineapple. Little grain husks. Palate is grainy, moderate carbonation. Good IPA.

caña en el Lupulo 05..09..2016.(r161). sabores herbaceos verdes con toques de gengibre. normal. Cuerpo ligero a medio algo seco al final con amargo suave.

Caña en el Lupulo 24..08..2016. (r110). Color ámbar dorado poca espuma blanca. Aromas y sabores afrutados y maltosos ligeramente tostados. Cuerpo medio a intenso con cierta densidad y espumoso. bastante buena. Amargo suave afrutado duradero. Para repetir.