An Italian craft brewer making a Belgian dubbel anyone?
That’s what I have here.
Beer brewed by Lambrate in Milan, a micro brewery attached to a pub.
I’d been told these beers were coming and I was very excited by the prospect.
Unfortunately for me the prices meant that I could only afford to choose one, but I have to say I think I chose pretty well.
Beautifully presented with the coolest label I’ve seen in a while wrapped around a shapely 750ml bottle, the beer pours exactly as you’d want from this style.
It’s warm sunny gold with a delicately luxurious cloud of head.
The aroma is delightful too, rich with orchard fruits, damp from dew, I’m afraid to say I’ve found a beer to make me wax as lyrical as the Pretty Things beers do.
On taking a big mouthful this beer sits somewhere between blonde, dubbel and saison.
An Italian Dubbel Blonde Saison perhaps?
Licks of runny caramel, honeycomb, and those baked things I used to have for breakfast when I lived in Pisa in the early 2000s.
There’s a big apple presence and a slightly steely yeast tang that only serves to make me love this beer more.
The sting of nettles and dry tree sap begin your journey into the finish, where there’s a splash of orange juice and a heap of green grape skins that’s perfectly fitting for a beer produced in Italy.
White pepper and the tiniest but most lovely pinch of chilli sparks away on your tongue and then leaves you with a superb dry bitter sweet aftertaste.
Superb.