Darwin Birra Brigante

Wow this is a lively one!  This ale is very impatient to get out of the bottle and no matter how slowly I pour, I still get a huge head.  I had to pause mid-pour so, as there's a little bit of sediment in the bottle, I ended up with a slighly hazy toffee coloured ale with a robust, abundant cream coloured head.  The head maintains a good layer and lasts right to the last drop, even drinking as slowly as I do.

The aroma is very appealing; sweet caramel, tangy hops and fruity spiced orange.  It also has the sour whiff of a trappist ale so I was really intrigued to have my first sip.  What an unusual flavour!  It's deliciously malty with a hint of spiced orange and sour hops followed by a bitter, slightly metallic finish.  It does have the taste of a trappist ale which makes it something quite different in a saison.

I don't drink many saisons as I find them too fizzy and harsh but Birra Brigante is lovely.  It is fizzy but it's not too harsh and it has a medium body.  It's one of the best saisons I've had and I'm most impressed.  I love the maltiness and the added flavour of the orange peel that really comes through without being pithy.

Well done, Darwin Brewery!  This is one saison Ale Be Seeing again.  Birra Brigante is an exceptional saison that not only tastes great but has an amazing story behind its name involving General Garibaldi, who famously visited Tyneside in 1854.  Click here to visit Darwin Brewery's website to read the full story behind the beer.

Brewed by Darwin Brewery, Sunderland

4.9% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Darwin Brewery

Birra del Borgo KeTo

KeTo is a porter from my Birra del Borgo variety pack of ales.  KeTo is a very dark brown almost black colour with a frothy light brown head that disperses rapidly, leaving a thin layer.  

Oh what a mouthwatering aroma!  It's VERY malty with hints of liquorice, chocolate and coffee; it's almost like you get a different aroma with every sniff.  Just like I was surprised with the taste from Cortigiana, KeTo also had a big surprise up its sleeve, namely a distinct smoky flavour.  Now usually this would make me retch as nobody likes to experience what I can only describe as licking an ashtray, but with KeTo it mixes surprisingly well with the sweet malt and hint of bitter chocolate.  The tobacco flavour is definitely there but it's not overpowering and works well with the complex flavours.  I also detected a slight spiciness that reminded me of cola.

It's very smooth and full bodied, as you would expect from a porter and it's so softly carbonated that each mouthful gives your tongue a little tickle.  Although it feels like quite a light porter, it packs a surprising punch at 6.5% ABV.  With the adventurous mix of flavours, it's something quite different and one I'd definitely recommend trying.

Brewed by Birra del Borgo, Italy

6.5% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Birra del Borgo

Birra del Borgo Cortigiana

As it's New Years Eve, I thought there was no better time to pay some attention to my severely neglected beer blog.  I am still alive and drinking beer so I'm making a New Year's resolution here and now to blog more in 2020.

I bought a variety pack of Italian brewery Birra del Borgo ales and first up is Cortigiana.  This ale is a cloudy golden yellow colour with a very frothy tight white head.  There is quite a bit of sediment so it needs a careful pour, if you can, but mine burst from the bottle with such force that I didn't quite get it all out of the bottle and ended up with a huge frothy head.

At first I thought that it smelled strangely of vinegar but this soon disappears to be replaced by a strong citrus and hops aroma.  Now normally I'm not a fan of citrus but this has such a delicious aroma of orange, grapefruit and lemon that I found it very appealing.  

The taste surprised me as I was expecting a huge blast of bitter lemon citrus but instead tasted a greater proportion of sweet sun-ripened oranges and zesty grapefruits than bitter lemons.  Blended with the sourness of the hops and a hint of herbal notes, the lingering bitterness is very pleasant indeed.

It's a full bodied ale which is very fizzy with relatively harsh bubbles, which tickle rather than tingle the tongue.  I was surprised how much I liked it and found it a very crisp and refreshing continental pale ale.  It hasn't converted me to pales but Ale definitely Be Seeing You again, Cortigiana.

Brewed by Birra del Borgo, Italy

5% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Birra del Borgo