My Antonia (Birra Del Borgo & Dogfish Head) - Birra Del Borgo

TheStove

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a snifter. Pours a deep rich golden color with a nice finger of lingering head. Smells deliciously citrus with hints of candy and yeast. I'm wondering how this one is going to be a pilsner.

Drinks like a full flavored and full bodied Belgian golden. Plenty of citrus candy flavors mix with hop complexity for an interesting beer that seems to only get close to pilsner in terms of a signature slight hop bitterness that underlies and finishes subsequent sips. Excellent fizz and snap on the tongue at the finish of each sip.

This is slightly reminiscent of Shorts' Pontius Road Pilsner in that I'm not sure how close this actually is to qualifying as a pilsner. However whatever it is, it is quite good and an amazing beer I would love to drink again.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 08:31:46 | More by TheStove

Aethien

Netherlands

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer came in an absolutely beautiful bottle, looking more like a liquor bottle than a beer bottle. It pours a clear golden colour with a nice white head.

The smell practically bursts out of the bottle with intense piney hops followed by a little tartness and plenty of fruits and a little grainy near the end. This is a balls to the wall, in your face smell that takes no prisoners.

The taste is brutally bitter and a real hop bomb, this outdoes many DIPA's for bitterness. Slightly oily piney hops dominate the flavour, accompanied by spices and some fruitiness, although not as fruity as the nose, it has a dry and grainy finish where the fruity flavours are more pronounced again.

Mouthfeel is a little oily from all the hops, something I personally don't like. Otherwise it's good and befitting of the beer.

Overall this is one mean hopbomb, a very enjoyable beer but not one I'd quickly drink more than one glass of.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 17:57:10 | More by Aethien

danieelol

Australia

3.8/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle thanks to Platinum

Pours slightly orangey yellow with good head and great lacing.

Smell is a little sour as soon as I pop the cap. Then big fruitbowl aromas. Plastic and fruit candy. Reckon there's NZ hops in this (which is apparently wrong in retrospect). Fruity grapey Nelson and maybe some plastic Motueka. Also got some spicy pepper, suggesting Saaz. Not much malt, showcases the hops.

Taste has sour candied plastic fruits. Get more fruitbowl and a slight leafiness. Well-bittered.

Mouthfeel is hoppy, fruity. Quite a bitter finish and nicely carbed.

Overall an enjoyable hop-delivery vehicle. Not for those who want a lot of malt with their hops, but then again it's an imperial pils. Good collab.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 11:42:55 | More by danieelol

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-nice dark gold with thick white head

S-smells amazing! Like beer beer. Dry hoppy grains. Medium strength. Fair sweetness.

T-wow this is good. Comes in with a good and spicy bitterness. It's a very foreign and complex flavor. Mostly bitterness upfront and after awhile the hoppy grains come in. The end has a spearmint aspect to it. 

M-medium dry carbonation with a good dry finish. Bitter

O-this is a great beer. Tastes fairly different to me than the other my antonia. It has more of a rustic European taste to me. It's very drinkable and enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 04:23:46 | More by AdamBear

kylehay2004

Florida

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: large head with excellent retention on a cloudy pale golden body and nice scattered lacing.

S: herbs, noble hops, pale and pilsner malts, lemon and floral notes.

T: Noble, sharp tasting hops upfront with a pale malt and bready base. Finish is herbal and medicinal. Minimal lemon notes.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: I havent had many of this genre but this one is very good, clean and smooth.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 22:25:06 | More by kylehay2004

warnerry

Michigan

3.55/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

375 mL bottle

A - Pours a hazy golden brown with massive four finger off-white head. Head has excellent retention and coats the glass with lacing.

S - Pils malt, grassy hops, a bit of lemon. Also a very light bubblegum aroma.

T - Pils malt and grassy hops. Quite herbal. A bit of citrus. Finish is quite dry and bitter.

M - Medium mouthfeel with nice carbonation and a clean, bitter finish.

O - If this was only brewed once as listed, this bottle is getting old, which is reflected by the reduced hop presence compared to the DFH version I had not long ago. Still, pretty tasty and was probably even better fresh.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 22:12:14 | More by warnerry

beagle75

Iowa

3.35/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Hazy, medium golden color with over two fingers of white foam head. Moderate lacing remains on the glass.

S: Very light malts; powdery, suggestive of corn starch. Hops are distinctly lemony. Smell is clean overall, but also forgettable.

T: Begins almost dry, with strong herbaceous and spicy hops that far outdistance the delicate malts. Bitter lemon is strong into the middle while acidity is mild. The finish arrives quickly, being moderately bitter, dry, and herbal/spicy.

M: Medium viscosity, slightly syrupy and soft on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: This beer embraces its style in a way familiar to regular drinkers of DFH's overpriced strong golden beers. In this case it chases some traditional pilsner qualities but cannot entirely shake off a generic feel that also stood out in such beers as Pangaea and Sah'tea. It cleans up well enough in the finish, although it could use more sensory contributions from the grain.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 03:31:00 | More by beagle75

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle from Beer Deluxe.

A - Pours a little hazy with a three finger fluffy eggshell head. Dark golden, strong carbonation. Really nice fluffy lace all the way down and a full finger of retention.

S - Grassy, lemon, noble hop, a little medicinal with some honey and pine too

T - Grassy, lemon, herbal hop, sweet bread, noble hop. A hop forward pilsner with lot's of hop flavour and sweetness to balance.

M - Far too carbonated, medium body, and a mild bitterness.

O/D - A pretty nice Imperial Pilsner. Too carbonated, making it difficult to drink at times, but flavourful and interesting. Easy to drink aside from the carbonation. Nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 07:20:15 | More by tbeckett

mulder1010

Australia

3.65/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 ML bottle
Thanks to Platinum Liquor

A-- Poured a clear, golden straw color. Quite vibrant and shows nice life with small carbonation bubbles. Three finger bright white head that slowly dropped to half a finger of rocky head leaving lots of thick, soapy looking lacing. Looks even better when swirled.

S-- Light notes of lemon grass and citrus but backing of sweet bread. Soft but quite vibrant nose.

T-- Starts of clean and crisp and picks up quickly. Get sweet banana bread and a lot of citrus notes followed by citrus bitterness.

M-- Highly carbonated and quite creamy. Lighter bodied, though it does get heavy as drinking on.. Lots of bitterness in the mid and back of the palate. Lots of notes of lemon, pine and grapefruit with good doses of sweet bread. ABV is noticeable in the mouth but still a very good feel to this.

O-- Nice beer. Quite drinkable and a good palate changer. Good collaboration beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 15:53:47 | More by mulder1010

ADZA

Australia

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy golden hue with a lovely creamy two finger head and lacing everywhere,the smell is perfume fragant floral hops,honeyed malts,grains and freshly cut roses,the mouthfeel is medium bodied and perfectly carbonated with tastes of redgum honey,floral hops,tropical fruits,lychee and finished with a very light tarty dryness and overall ive been looking forwards to this for a while and it didnt dissapoint one of the better imperial pilsners going around which would be perfect with seafood and i will definately buy again cheers.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 14:09:06 | More by ADZA

DSlim71

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

375ml bottle picked up at one of my local shops. I enjoyed the DFH version so let's see how this one fares.

A - Pours hazy, brownish-orange with 2 fingers of soft white foam. Leaves a few spotty patches of lace on the side of the glass.

S - The smell immediately comes through with hops in the forefront. Grassy and lemony with a light citrus smell. It also has a floral quality and some toasted malt.

T - The taste leads with the hops as well. It's floral and grassy with lemon and orange citrus qualities all coming together. There is a sweetness along with the taste of an artisanal bread. Finishes with a slight bitterness from the hops that hangs around.

M - Medium body with carbonation on the higher side of medium. Doesn't finish as crisp as I expect from a Pils, but I guess this is an imperial version.

I enjoyed this beer. I can't remember which version I liked better, but both are good takes on the Imperial Pilsner style. Drinks almost like an IPA, which is why I think I like it so much.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 01:53:42 | More by DSlim71

Beerenauslese

California

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Got this bottle at Bir & Fud in Rome, May 2011. BB is Feb, 2013.

Bottle opened with a big pop. Poured into a Bruery chalice. Light tan body, hazy. Poured gently, produced a 2 inch head, Has great retention, lots of lacing.

Nose is quite hoppy, notes of orange/citrus hops. It's a nice change that the malt is far less than in a DIPA, letting the hops shine through.

Tastes as well of orange/citrus hops. Just slightly bitter, this is a nice hoppy pilsner. Ends dry and slightly bitter. Love the balance of sweet fruit and bitterness.

Body is light and carbonation is medium, gives this a slightly fizzy/slightly creamy mouthfeel.

This is a very good beer, it is very drinkable and refreshing. I am getting turned onto the imperial Pils style and this is a beer I am going to be drinking more of, along with the Bruery's Humulus lager.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 05:18:37 | More by Beerenauslese

MatthewWilde

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sample: 1 bottle 2012

A: Beautiful orange-yellow, heavy internal carbonation, nice small foamy white head, an excellent sight, cap came off like a cork out of a bottle of champagne

S: Light citrus, hops, lemon zest, very fresh and light in its fragrance, almost a little tangy/acidic

T: Hints of clementines, lemons, citrus fruits, great sweetness and bitterness balance, grapefruit, something special

M: Incredibly smooth, easy to drink, refreshing, a bit lingering on the aftertaste, but enjoyable all the same

O: Possibly one of my favorite beers overall, certainly in its category, definitely one to try

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 05:24:46 | More by MatthewWilde

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a lightly hazy golden yellow in color with a two finger tall foamy off-white head. The head reduces by about 50% but the remaining head last through the beer. Significant lacing is observed.

S: Floral and citrus hops with some light aromas of lemon and some malt hints.

T: Very crisp pilsener like flavor in the beginning of the malts, the flavor is very crisp with the grassy and floral hops coming mostly in the finish which is pleasantly bitter. There are some nice lemony hints to the flavor as well.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: This beer is pretty interesting and I think that I enjoy it better than the DFH one. I enjoy the flavor and it is a easy drinker that could be sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 02:20:37 | More by dbrauneis

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a light orange-yellow amber with a two finger fine white head and lacing. Nice continual carbonation. Aroma of hops, caramel malt, lemon citrus. Flavor is dominated by the hops with a muted neutral malt backbone. Some citrus flavors and a dry, hop finish. Medium bodied and creamy. Quite refreshing. Hoppier than I'd expect from a pilsner. Well made and tasty. Quite similar to the Dogfish Head version.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 01:09:45 | More by LiquidAmber

GarrettMD

New York

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Slightly hazy very light brown. Two finger foamy dense head, it's taking forever to dissipate.

S - I can smell it from a few feet away, lots and lots of hops, mostly floral and citrus. Up close it's still all hops, very light smelling hops, bits of lemon coming through.

T - Well, you can definitely tell there's a pilsner base. Very crisp taste, malts come through first followed very quickly with a burst of pure bitterness followed by the citrus taste of the hops. Extremely well balanced and straightforward.

M - Crisp, clean tasting beer. Nothing to thick and sweet. Nothing really coats your mouth, but the fleeting tastes are very pronounced. Finish is only there for a second, but it's mostly bitter with slight hop flavors.

O - I really liked this. I would like to see more breweries doing this style of beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 21:34:06 | More by GarrettMD

SLeffler27

New York

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours clear gold with a fluffy white head that leaves nice webbing as it dissipates. There is sparkling carbonation throughout.

Has a fresh aroma with light floral hops. Clean cut straw and a hint of lemon zest.

A crisp balance of citrus and fresh baked Italian bread fills a pilsner glass. There is some bitterness and a long, clean, light finish. Simply sublime.

Crisp, clean and fresh. The body is medium as is the carbonation with a modest presence of alcohol.

A highly refreshing pilsner, this is what one expects, yet rarely finds. My Antonia compliments a hot summer day for lunch or casual conversation. One can only imagine this would pair exquisitely with a raw bar.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 22:47:01 | More by SLeffler27

b3shine

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle to tulip. Looks good; Smells good too. The hops are evident, which is a plus for a pilsner. Tastes great. Hoppy, but light and crisp. Mouthfeel is good. ABV is hidden nicely. Overall, a delightful brew - probably the best (imperial) pilsner I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 23:23:46 | More by b3shine

teromous

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

The bottle looks a bit different from the one displayed here. It is yellow and black, and looks kinda like a police badge.

A: The beer is a medium shade of brown, and very hazy. It looks a lot like a cider. The head is a very thin layer of large sized bubbles. Not much lacing...just tiny wet spots on the glass.

S: I can smell a lot of hops and the malty scent comes through. Some light caramel and some very light flowery hops. It smells a lot like DFH 90min IPA. Smells pretty good.

T: At first I get the hops...they have a resinous, earthy quality. Then, there is a strong very sweet tasting caramel flavor. It tastes just like a caramel apple. There is a mild bitterness. It's a bit sweet for me, but it is a pretty good beer.

M: The mouthfeel is light, but the bitterness elevates it so that the body feels more like a medium bodied beer. It has a very good mouthfeel. There is a semi-sticky sweetness on the edge of the mouth, but it still feels dry. The hops give it a decent amount of bitterness at the back of the mouth. It has even more complexity than the flavor.

O: I enjoyed drinking this beer. It has some very nice qualities that make it more than just a beer. It's definitely worth trying (if anyone is reading this) but I don't think I would buy it again. It's really like an overly sweet IPA. If you're a hophead with a sweet-tooth, this beer should be in your fridge.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 20:39:18 | More by teromous

drgarage

California

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375 ml bottle (looks like a new batch -- slightly different label than the one on the site)

A: Darker than I would expect from a pilsner -- dark hay with a beautiful, two-finger head on top, quickly fading to a tight circle around the edge and the occasional skittering of bubbles across the top.

S: Huge hops for a pilsner. Like a soft, rounded IPA nose. Extremely floral and integrated with the malt aroma.

T/M: Well-crafted blend of hops and malt here. Hops, drying, crisp malt, and a solid body behind it. This is certainly not my favorite style, but the execution is excellent, with a focus on integration.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 06:17:26 | More by drgarage

Reaper16

Alabama

3.35/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

11.2oz. bottle served into a tulip glass

My Antonia, this Birra del Borgo version anyway, pours out darker than I expect from a beer in the Pilsner family. It's not quite amber in shade, but it is dark mustard yellow. Two fingers of soft head at first, but it drops down to a thin ring. Good lacing.

This is one curious set of smells. There's a bunch of aggressive aromas, but they're all present here in subtle doses. I pick up on white peaches right up front. There's a twinge of rust that segues into hoppiness. There's like a sourdough bread component on top of the expected pilsner malt. Something botanical -- Jasmine? -- opens up as the beer warms. I like a lot of these aromas individually, but they're not coming together as cohesively as I'd like. The sour bread character clashes with the rest of the nose.

The taste follows the nose nearly to a T. Flavors of white peach and green tea are really refreshing. There's some orange flavor that I recognize from some American IPAs. It tastes pretty good. It's very drinkable and refreshing. It lacks the crispness and cleanness of the finest pilsners, but this may just be a product of the Imperial Pilsner style (but then, impy pils beers like Boulevard Collaboration No.1 don't like this at all).

The carbonation level is very, very soft. It makes for a drinkable beer, but it doesn't brighten up the flavors very much. Overall, this is an above average imperial pilsner. I do like this, but it has some flaws that bring it below the level of some more well-made beers in the style that I've had. Mostly, I can't justify the pricetag that this beer carries. It's tasty and refreshing, but not at all worth the double-digit price.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 04:12:09 | More by Reaper16

DrewShal9

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: mellow honey body with delicate bubbles lazily rising to form a thin white head that started out thick and fluffy
S: floral and lemony smelling hops and a tinge of alcohol brought out as the beer warms. For some reason, pilsners have a soapy smell to me.
T: as the nose depicts, there's a clean refreshing taste of flavors, specifically the lemon but has a candy like sweetness with a mild bitter.
M: smooth light body with a faint carbonation
O: first ever imperial pilsner I've ever had and this has me interested in trying more of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 01:30:26 | More by DrewShal9

AgentZero

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Copper colored beer with a bit of a white head that left some solid stick the glass.

S - There is some bready malts, a bit of pilsner flavor, lemon, and some floral hops. A pretty decent smelling beer.

T - Taste is a lot like the nose. This beer escapes the downfall of most imperial pilsners in that it is not too sweet and hot at the same time. Has a nice bitterness to it.

M - Crisp, medium bodied, with good carbonation.

O - Not a bad beer in a style that I don't usually care for. Wouldn't mind this again. Easy to drink without any real alcohol presence.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 04:40:39 | More by AgentZero

DaveHS

California

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours hazy golden raisin color with a tight, 1/2 inch brilliant white head. Leaves intermittent, soapy lacing down the glass.

S-Bittersweet citric hop and pineapple aromas weave their way through the simple yet elegant malt profile. Dry and grainy, with a hint of burnt white sugar.

T/M-Waves of hop flavor cascade down the palate, each layer seeming to wash over the last. Big notes of pineapple give way to red grape, then orange peel. A thin dry hop bitterness crescendoes from the tip of the tongue to fill out the back end. Despite having the hoppiness of a solid west coast IPA, the body has the balanced malty simplicity you'd exect from a classic pilsner.

O-Impressed with this one. I could see it going great with a greek salad, or a fresh turkey sandwich with pickled red onions.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 01:56:53 | More by DaveHS

STKPICR0720

Alabama

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This collaboration was a great match. The beer is superb. When this brew was opened and I poured into my tulip I could tell that DFH had a hand in brewing this beer. The signature continual hopping is most definitely present. I love pilsner's and this one is top's on my list. Very smooth and hoppy upfront but still light and full of floral hints. This beer can be enjoyed anytime and anywhere. Thanks for the collaboration.

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 16:25:24 | More by STKPICR0720