Birra Etrusca - Dogfish Head Brewery

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a two finger white head that vanishes leaving no lace. Crystal clear amber color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Honey and gentian root nose. Flavor has a lot going on - at least honey, gentian root - reminds me of juniper, higher ABV is hidden. Pricey as usual for DFH at $14.00 for a 750ml bottle from Tully's Beer and Wine Wells, ME.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 23:27:15 | More by jdhilt

Phillyz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.5%

05-19-2013 03:26:33 | More by Phillyz

beernads

Florida

2.75/5  rDev -26.1%

05-18-2013 07:01:35 | More by beernads

superspak

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle into signature tulip glass, bottled in late 2012. Pours slightly hazy orange copper color with a 1 finger foamy light khaki head with poor retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap. Minimal glass lacing and a ton of streaming carbonation that keeps the lace cap going. Aromas of apple, pear, raisin, banana, pomegranate, pepper, clove, bubblegum, honey, candi sugar, wheat, bread, floral, herbal, and earthy yeast spiciness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruitiness with malt and spicy yeast esters. Taste of apple, pear, raisin, banana, pomegranate, pepper, clove, bubblegum, wheat, bread, honey, candi sugar, floral, herbal, and yeast earthiness. Lingering notes of light and dark fruits, clove, pepper, bubblegum, honey, floral, herbal, wheat, and earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of fruity flavors with malt and yeast esters; with zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a slick, lightly syrupy, and moderately crisp mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with nearly zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent excellent ancient ale collaboration. All around nice balance and complexity of malt, fruitiness, and spicy ester flavors; and very smooth to sip on. Really enjoyed this one, as expected.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 04:21:45 | More by superspak

dan027

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.5%

05-17-2013 02:16:44 | More by dan027

Dcunicelli

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -32.8%

05-16-2013 21:46:55 | More by Dcunicelli

Zimm

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

05-15-2013 17:41:27 | More by Zimm

Partridge

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

05-14-2013 13:46:19 | More by Partridge

vrbulldog22

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

05-13-2013 18:47:02 | More by vrbulldog22

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -19.4%

05-10-2013 22:57:48 | More by mikeburd1128

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -19.4%

05-10-2013 17:17:26 | More by twenty5

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

22 ounce bottle - $10.99 at Bullock's Wine & Spirits in Woodstock, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy, burnt umber-hued body with a very thin, very brief, white head.

Smell: This is your big shot, Etruscans. Tangy, cutting fruit notes with a noted perfumy, redolent floral quality, also some aromatic, savory wood and a fair amount of spice and alcohol. It smells like decorative, small-sized soaps you're not supposed to use in a guest bathroom. Or a candle with a non-specific moniker like "Autumnal Evenings" or "Sargassum's Interlude."

Taste: The tangy, lightly sourish fruitiness is foremost for me, of the added pomegranates and raisins. Honeyish sweetness, but, it's quite short-lived as some joining nutty, spicy, floral tones begin bumbling around the flavor like drunk perverts on a dance floor. Warming, tangy, spiced finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: These droll historical renditions peak my interest every time and always make for a ripping good time. Chateau Jiahu was mighty fun. Didn’t we have one hell of a time with Midas Touch? I know, deep down, a bottle of Theobroma would be the jewel in any serious beer drinker's cellar. Now,

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 18:23:38 | More by ChainGangGuy

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

1.75/5  rDev -53%

05-08-2013 02:58:27 | More by tommyguz

dalepryor

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

05-07-2013 21:11:17 | More by dalepryor

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Big Bottled Birra Etrusca Bronze, a ruby brown tinted glowing clear body builds up a nice egg shell white foam head as I pour into my Tripel Karmeliet chalice, fine layered thin streaks of lacing settle to the sides. Aroma has an upfront tart raisin character with pomegranate, nutty earthy tones with a sweet floral honey aspect to it. Pretty awesome historical beers brought back to life with Dogfish Head, Baladin, and Birra del Borgo. It smells like pomegranate honey infused jam on a thick crusted artisan bread, hints of spice are flowing as well. Flavor is upfront sweet and malty with extra sugar additions adding to the flow of sweetness, no real bittering hops that are mentioned on the label, so I'm guessing the earthiness from the Myrrh and Gentian root added to the mix of help balance this one out. Sweet and tart qualities arise from the juicy plump raisin to the tart pomegranates. Definitely a vinous wine like quality even the way the warmth of the 8.5% alcohol hits the gut and the palate, very complex and interesting beer that actually works together quite nicely. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied lighter carbonation than expected working toward the advantage of a pretty drinkable beer. Overall impression is that I like it and I'm glad that the three brewers with the help of a biomolecular archaeologist can put something like this back together from actual ingredients found before vino arrived in Italia.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 17:12:45 | More by WVbeergeek

cvm4

Mississippi

3.49/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a medium amber with an eggshell head.

S - Nutty, grainy, funky and dark sweet fruits.

T - Honey, raisins/pomegranate and slightly sour. There's a herbal & spice element throughout.

M - Medium bodied and somewhat high carbonation. Somewhat cloying.

O - I love the tartness in it, but the overdone spices & slight cloying aspect to this beer is over the top.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 20:33:26 | More by cvm4

jxc5

Texas

4/5  rDev +7.5%

04-28-2013 19:48:12 | More by jxc5

Jae9979

New York

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

04-27-2013 01:10:29 | More by Jae9979

TwoForty

Florida

5/5  rDev +34.4%

04-25-2013 00:57:20 | More by TwoForty

jonathaniler

Florida

5/5  rDev +34.4%

04-25-2013 00:54:59 | More by jonathaniler

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

04-23-2013 04:33:42 | More by Kelp

UCLABrewN84

California

3.64/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

On tap at Story Tavern in Burbank, CA.

Pours a hazy honey orange with a foamy off-white head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, fruit, spice, and herb aromas. Taste is much the same with slightly sour fruit and herbal flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with some interesting aromas and flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2013 04:19:43 | More by UCLABrewN84

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.76/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

a beautiful clean copper/brownish color with 2 fingers of head which quickly dissipated.. tons of visible carbonation. fruity scent of grapefruit, grapes, strawberries, coriander, lemongrass.. lots of yeast is present, pretty funky. the flavor is a mix of bready yeast, wheat, nuts, grapefruit, lemongrass, chocolate. kind of a weird mix of flavors leaves almost a rust-like feel lingering in the mouth. high carbonation, medium body.

not one of my favorite dfh ales, but also not terrible. it's always a good thing to at least try each beer they make once you never know how pleased a strange beer like some of these ancient ales, will make you.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 00:19:39 | More by facundoCNB

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.71/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

ST: 750ml poured into a tulip.

A: Deep amber with a thin white head. Spotty lacing.

S: Strong wheat, hazelnut, a funky smell I could not place, almost corn-on-the-cob like (might be the myrrh), pomegranates, some raisin. Complex.

T: Sweet fruit, honey, and wheat at first, noticeable hazelnut and bitter raisin at the back, though somewhat cloying.

M: A little flat, alkaline.

O: Earthy, fruity, perhaps too sweet for some, Etrusca is interesting. The hazelnut flour is very noticeable in the finish along with pomegranate seeds. Worth a try, though I do not know if I would buy again considering the high price.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 19:59:05 | More by ianjsullivan

Howlader

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

04-21-2013 00:55:39 | More by Howlader