L'Equilibrista - Birra Del Borgo

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.45/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle purchased from Slowbeer in Melbourne.

Pours a surprisingly clear and very fizzy pink. Body is actually more of a rosé, with touches of amber to it. Head fizzes up like champagne, and then settles out very quickly. Light body. Overall, yeah, it's ok, but not all that exciting.

Nose is sprightly and slightly tart, with some cherry character coming through, along with a dusty, dry character that almost gives the suggestion of plaster. It's pretty dry and a little uninteresting, to be perfectly honest.

Taste is similar. Very dry and a little flat—that's probably ok for the style, but it really loses a lot of the complexities that could have been expressed otherwise. Tartness is mild, and there's very little in the way of depth. Just a mild dry cherry character and a carbonated sparkle in the finish.

Feel is very much like champagne. This isn't champagne. It's beer.

Sure, it's decent enough—and to be honest, if my goal was to serve sec champagne that wasn't champagne, this would be near the top of my list. But this doesn't actually do much to advance beer. I found it dry, flat and without purpose.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 08:44:07 | More by lacqueredmouse

ADZA

Australia

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Been looking forwards to this since they started importing here as i knew we see it eventually and this is a style i like,it pours a clear peach efferescent hue which leaves a fast vanishing one finger and a rim of lacing,the smell is a mix of rose champagne,apples,boozy alcohol,sweet cherries and dark grapes,the mouthfeel is medium bodied,sessionable and suits the style nicely and has tastes of cherries,rose champagne,candy apples,strawberries,kiwi fruit and finished with a white grape bittersweetness and overall this is a nice easy drinking Biere brut but my only complaint is that the wine takes over a little bit as it finishes a little sweet and would love to see it a little more balanced but apart from that def the perfect brew to swing the wine drinkers over and very easy to knock back.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 12:26:40 | More by ADZA

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from Beer Deluxe. From notes.

A - Poured grapefruity red with a one finger off white head that was gone fast. Hazy with strong carbonation. No retention and no lace.

S - Lightly tart, apples, hay, yeasty esters, grape.

T - Odd. Lightly tart fruit and grapey.

M - Strong carbonation, medium body and slightly tart in the finish while being super dry.

O/D - A little odd. Nice and different flavour but I wouldn't rave about it.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 03:23:03 | More by tbeckett

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

By the glass at Max's today.

The beer pours an orange amber color with fairly good head retention and decent lacing. The nose is pretty complex, with light honey, white wine, a hint of vanilla and considerable spice. On the palate this beer is amazing. Never have I encountered a beer that blends the concept of beer with champagne the way this one does. There's plenty of dry grape and grape skin, but the champagne yeast keeps on making me think I'm drinking champagne. Also, there's sort of a roundness to the flavor profile that I typically associate with a good bottle of champgne, and not with any beer I've ever encountered. Anyway, the considerable tropical fruit is all incredibly dry in this beer, yet the beer retains its richness. Extraordinary. Alcohol is a complete afterthought in this beer, though I can tell it's a bit on the high side.

Stunning... like nothing else I've ever tried before in a beer. Bravo!!!

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 20:34:30 | More by johnmichaelsen

lionchow

California

3.53/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours copper with a pink hue. Very light haze. Big head forms then recedes quickly in the champagne flute.

Aroma is of honey and fresh apple juice.

Mild apple sweetness, with a dry spicy finish, reminiscent of a mellow saison. Some honey and grape character. I was hoping for a bit more bite due to the use of the champagne method, with more aggressive flavors form the autolysis of the yeast. The alcohol is not noticeable, it is very drinkable.

Mouthfeel is fairly thin, it could have benefited from a bit more carbonation to bring it some more liveliness.

Overall enjoyable but not outstanding in any way.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 05:47:35 | More by lionchow

Gobigvt7

Oregon

4.72/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Brewed in 2009. 750ml bottle from Grape And Gourmet (Virginia Beach, VA) into champagne flute

golden with a tinge of amber, wildly effervescent, huge lacy white head, rapidly dissipating a la champagne, no legs at all

white wine, champagne, grapes

wow, this is awesome. Finally a "grapey" grape beer. My mind constantly wavers from thinking about it as a big, fruity champagne and a semi-sweet interesting beer. The warmer it gets, the more grapes come to the party. Very subdued malt bill and even fewer hops. Hiding this 10.5%abv exceptionally well.

surprisingly light bodied for such a big beer. not too sticky. massive carbonation level dries out the palate nicely at the finish.

this beer is phenomenal, and if it weren't for the rarity and pricetag (26.99), I'd keep this in stock. A great special occasion beer. A lot of beers are made with grapes, but very few actually deliver on their promise of flavor, let alone so well.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 04:11:26 | More by Gobigvt7