Draco - Birrificio Montegioco

Mages64

Washington

4/5  rDev +14.3%

11-25-2011 02:24:34 | More by Mages64

gabrielsyme

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +21.4%

03-25-2013 00:35:09 | More by gabrielsyme

GuzzLah

Illinois

2.84/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

A - cloudy amber with no head and minimal carbonation

S - raisin, caramel malt, butterscotch, booze and very faint blueberry

T - flavor is just like the aroma, but the blueberry doesn't add much to the flavor. The booze is a little hot, but not too bad.

M - oily texture, medium body and flat.

O - overall this was a disappointing beer for the price and there are many BSDA that put it to shame. Would not recommend.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 23:32:06 | More by GuzzLah

st9647v3

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +14.3%

02-01-2013 01:46:21 | More by st9647v3

Dyerseve

Michigan

3/5  rDev -14.3%

11-25-2012 23:21:13 | More by Dyerseve

harpus

Alabama

3.5/5  rDev 0%

07-24-2012 14:27:40 | More by harpus

PeteRiz

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

06-22-2012 23:40:14 | More by PeteRiz

jaidenjb

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev 0%

04-07-2012 22:49:21 | More by jaidenjb

oline73

Maryland

3.15/5  rDev -10%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: Pours a reddish color with some floaties. There is a half finger of red tinted head that fades to a ring around the glass.

Smell: Malt and some fruit. I'm not sure I would have picked out blueberries if I didn't know they were there. There is a slight buttery smell here as well.

Taste: Fruity malt with a slight bitterness. This isn't overly sweet like many fruit beers out there. The buttery note carries over from the smell and detracts from the taste just a bit.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with aggressive carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I thought this was a weird beer. The buttery quality wasn't totally pleasing. I don't think I would have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 03:04:19 | More by oline73

Stoutsman

Kansas

2/5  rDev -42.9%

01-14-2012 22:09:50 | More by Stoutsman

JAHMUR

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +14.3%

11-14-2011 23:12:41 | More by JAHMUR

dogfishandi

New York

3.88/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml. bottle at about fridge temp split with friends poured into a snifter.

pours out a murky brownish reddish color with a 1 finger off light tan head faded to a ring and some patchy foam. just some very small lacing. chunks visible.

initially very vinious and wine like. mostly bready and yeasty in the aroma. not huge, but whats there is there. hints of blueberry.

initial reaction was blueberry muffin. bready, a light winey blueberry with a spicey cookie like flavored yeast. unique. alcohol is a little noticable towards the finish.

pretty big body with some lingering flavors. goes down very smooth, nice smooth carbonation. just slightly tart as it warms.

overall, a fairly decent and definatly unique beer. blueberry wasnt extremely noticable, but added a nice complexity. i would never drop the huge price tag on this (a friend brought it over) but im definatly gald i tried it.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 00:54:05 | More by dogfishandi

BeerNemesis

New York

3/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Draco | 750 ml. | 11.0% ABV | 2011

Brewer: Birrificio Montegioco
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Glass: chalice

Appearance:
It's the color of red clay, no head, no lacing.

Aroma:
Mostly I just get caramel malt.

Taste:
Sweet caramel malts, white pepper, and an unusual fruitiness—this is the blueberries.

Mouthfeel:
Thin, almost watery. It has the texture of wine initially, although the prickly carbonation quickly disabuses me of that notion.

Harmony:
My biggest complaint is how blatantly the alcohol shines through. Blueberries—the distinguishing characteristic—are so drenched in a port-like liquor, it's hard to taste them. I like Birrificio Montegioco, and I've tasted some of their other excellent brews, but I can't give Draco my stamp of approval.

Would I get it again?:
No.

Bottled: ?
Served: August 7, 2011

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 19:15:52 | More by BeerNemesis

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into a tasting glass. Big thanks to Jahmur for contributing this, the final beer of an epic afternoon/evening of tasting.

A: Cloudy, deep persimmon body under an inch of creamy, frothy foam. Good retention and sticky lace. Lovely.

S: Rich blueberry sweetness, sweet caramel malt, and some lightly tart dark fruits. Pleasant.

T: Sweet, syrupy blueberry; caramel, toffee, port wine. Long, sweet finish. Tasty, if a bit overly sweet.

M: Thick, sweet, sticky; low carbonation. Intense, and effective for this beer.

O: I was impressed by how well the booze was kept in check, although I have to admit that by this point in the tasting I probably wasn't picking up on my alcohol. What I was picking up on was the background goings-on to enjoying this beer, which included listening to Goblin and discussing the finer points of Troll II. It was quite the fitting combination for drinking the Dragon.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 02:32:16 | More by woosterbill

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a hazy orange color, I was expecting something more red or purple due to the fruit that it was brewed with. The head was good and then it settles down to just a white film over the beer. The smell of the beer had a very subtle fruit aroma to it. The other aromas were of yeast and some herbal notes. The taste didn't really bring too much blueberry to the beer either. There was just a little bit of fruity flavors in the mix but the malts and hops seem to drown it out. The mouthfeel is pretty smooth feeling, not overly complex like American barley wines. Overall it was good but a little too pricey for what I got out of it.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 02:44:45 | More by Knapp85

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.93/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A delicate and fruity beer that, besides being brewed with blueberries, has more of a non-descript fruit character.

Hazy and rust colored, the beer carries a dainty head that struggles to hold on. No lacing and lots of sediment in the glass.

Mostly fruity, the beer has a yeasty-briney aroma of bruised berries, apples, dates, and figs. Light winey elements rise as the beer warms.

Fruit dominant in taste as well, but with the signature cotton-candy sweetness and seamless malt quality of well melded Dubbels. Spicy with white pepper and orange zest, the beer hides its alcohols well.

Medium to the mouth, the textures are thinned from the low-lying carbonation and warming alcohols- this emphasizes the wine-like character even more.

Overall, this is a nice beer that puts on a great display of fruity esters and confectionate malts. The alcoholic punch is hardly noticable in flavor... but in effect, that's a different story.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 21:46:33 | More by BEERchitect

ktrillionaire

Florida

2.45/5  rDev -30%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - Pours a somewhat murky brown with a small, short-lived tan head. Looks a bit fizzy.

S - This beer strangely smells like pork, as well as having a strange berry-ish and leafy aroma.

T - The beer is very strange and scattershot; I get some mead-y yeast (reminiscent of De Dolle's yeast), strange blueberry flavors, it is bread-y, and I am also getting some melon rind. I really think this is haphazard.

M - This beer is somewhat fizzy, on top of all the other mess.

D - Especially considering the considerable price, this is not at all drinkable. It would perhaps make a nice marinade, albeit expensive.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2010 02:25:38 | More by ktrillionaire

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

pretty decent. First Italian in quite a while that was not a gusher. Poured a nice off white head and a little lace. Color is a bit hazy medium amber. Aroma malty yeast and surprisingly nice a subtle natural blueberry. Flavor's the same. Body and carbonation fit. Finish is like flavor. Drinkable. Not great but not bad.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2010 05:45:35 | More by drpimento

realmpel

California

3.45/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is typical of beers that I had traveling in Italy: hazy in appearance and very malty. I don't detect much blueberry, if any. At 11% I would expect this to be hot, but nope. It must be masked by the huge maltiness.

Not bad, not great, definitely not worth the almost $30 price tag.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2010 02:44:54 | More by realmpel

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a hazed, simple-looking, light brown body with a sudsy, frothy, off-white head.

Smell: Dark, bready, caramel malts in the nose with no more than a modest touch of blueberries and some light background notes of savory, bitterish herbs.

Taste: Malty tastes of sweet caramel and toasted bread crusts. Of course, there's the blueberries (still comparatively mild), as well as some marinated raisins for a little addition boost of fruitiness. An herbaceousness arrives midway along with some peppery alcohol hints. Finishes sweetish and fruity.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Fairly soft mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Not bad (it's not exactly worth those exorbitant Italian beer prices, but still)! It definitely goes down fairly easy considering the listed ABV percentage.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2009 01:04:10 | More by ChainGangGuy

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy coppery amber color with slight golden amber hues when held to a light source and a huge frothy, pillowy tan head that has good retention, slowly fading into a lasting cap. Sporadic spots of lacing left behind. There is also a good bit of yeast chunks floating around that hurt the appearance score. This is surprising considering it's the first pour from a 750ml bottle.

Spicy hoppy aroma with some leathery malt, dark fruit, blueberry and dark chocolate. The blueberries are there but not dominant and it smells organic rather than like artificial syrup. The chocolate/caramel maltiness is more prominent than expected. Although this is considered a barleywine, it doesn't smell much like one. The alcohol aroma is masked nicely by the other scents.

Earthy spicy flavor with some nice strong alcohol warmth up front with a strong dark fruit presence. There is some nice blueberry flavor but again, it is not overly sweet or overpowering and is accompanied by some plum, raisin and fig notes. Slightly sweet but this is balanced nicely by the spice and malt character. Slightly hoppy with some sweet alcohol and more dark berries in the slightly dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2009 03:11:59 | More by corby112

barleywinebrewer

New Hampshire

3.15/5  rDev -10%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

So, over 2 trips to the beer store I see this bottle and it looks great in the paper wrapping. It's also labeled as a barleywine on a handwritten card on the shelf. Looks aside, this one is $25 and I decided to go for it.

A - a neat looking reverse cascade effect in a golden amber brew with a nice white head. Oh, wait, that's not a reverse cascade, that's a ton of leftover blueberry floaties.

S - blueberries, esters and a abv note.

T - a tart / slightly sour aspect, blueberries and sweet malts.

M - medium full bodied, nicely carbonated, slightly tart fruity residual notes.

D - looks aside, this drinks ok. I'd pass on a next time.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2009 01:19:59 | More by barleywinebrewer

brentk56

North Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a cloudy caramel color tinged with the color of blueberry flash; the slim head drops to a ringlet very quickly and fails to leave any lace

Smell: Herbacious aroma with clove and tobacco elements; if there is blueberry in here it is pretty hard to identify

Taste: Sweet but herbacious caramel at the outset, with an alcohol laden honey character arriving by mid-palate, along with a subtle hint of blueberries; rather bitter, in an earthy, herbacious manner after the swallow; tastes a bit like Chinotto

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, almost syrupy, with very low carbonation

Drinkability: I can't say I'm a big fan; interesting and worth trying but not something to which I would return

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2009 21:25:24 | More by brentk56

nick76

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The aroma is fruity and sweet with blue berries, candy, malt, and yeast. The appearance is orange brown with a nice head and floating particles. The flavor is like the aroma but slightly bitter. The palate is thin. Overall i like it the concept is great and it's much MUCH better than a macro blueberry beer but I am not in love with it.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2008 19:01:50 | More by nick76

GClarkage

California

3.88/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

10/30/08- Purchased at a beer store in Portland, ME. $20.99 price tag.

Presentation- 750ml bottle, wrapped in paper. Did not note any freshness info. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance- Light purple colored pour..somewhat murky. but no large chunks of yeast. About a 1/2 inch head on the pour. Lacing is light and streaky.

Smell- Definite blueberry notes in the nose. Smells fresh and also lightly sugary. Not really any alcohol noted in the nose.

Taste- Semi-thick blueberry elixer. Not quite cough syrup thick, but getting to that range. All blueberry with a hint of alcohol and a hefty amount of sugar. Seems to be some other herbal notes as well, but I couldn't really pick them out.

Mouthfeel- Thick, viscous with a lower to mid-range carbonation level. Sugar laced fruit aftertaste.

Drinkability- I did like this beer, but it's quite sweet and robust to drink a whole bottle by yourself. I shared mine and was satisfied with half. Would go really good with something like a slice of berry cheesecake.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2008 01:06:17 | More by GClarkage