Loverbeer: D’uvaBeer (Italy: Sour Ale: 8% ABV)
Visual: Very robust cloudy and ruddy red. Large head that disappears to a coffee froth smattering pretty quickly.
Nose: Gooseberry. Shortbread and malt biscuits.
Body: Malt biscuits. Smoked meat. Slight cherries. Cider back. Raisins. Beer broth.
Finish: Smoke. Tannins. Dry and cleansing. Tart apples or cider. Raisins. Cloves. Malt biscuits.
Conclusion: I’m still trying to work out where I stand on this one. The sample I had intrigued me, the first sip of a full glass let me down. Now I’m at the half way point and it’s starting to win me back once more.
It is a beer that is slightly slow to develop, but when it does you get dark fruit layered over a cider like back. There is an omnipresent malt biscuit character. Malt biscuit over a tart backed beer? You can see my confusion surely?
Maybe it is because the tartness is so light for a wild beer, seemingly mellowed by the malt biscuit influence. It is like trying to examine two very different beers poured into one and then discern which characteristics belong to each.
While it doesn’t have the widest set of flavours, it does have a few base notes that it leverages well. I’m near the end of the beer and coming to the conclusion that it isn’t a show stopper but it’s ok, and the interesting elements it has have made it a good companion for the passing of an hour while reading (Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson in case you’re wondering)
A lightly sour dark fruit and raisins filled beer with a bit of Belgium led character behind. Both pleasant and fun. And soothing. Crap, you shouldn’t use “Both” with more that two characteristics. Ahh, you get the point anyway.
I’ll settle at describing it as an odd beer that earns its way. Not great but no regrets.
Background: Picked up at Brewdog Bristol. I’ve not tried any loverbeers before but since my experience with the new Italy craft beer scene has been pretty good so far I thought I would give it a go. It was bloody hot when I was drinking this, and I was having a glass of water between each alcoholic drink, so it warmed up pretty fast despite the fact I was hogging the air con.
