Bastarda Rossa - Birra Amiata

JamFuel

Sweden

3/5  rDev -10.2%

10-14-2012 19:29:14 | More by JamFuel

Bucciamarcia

Florida

4/5  rDev +19.8%

01-18-2013 04:21:02 | More by Bucciamarcia

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a tumbler.

This has got to be the most interesting of the Amiata beers currently available in these parts. It pours a a hazy sunrise topaz-amber topped by a finger of off-cream-white foam. The nose comprises dry toffee, mild and nondescript nuts, light honey-coated biscuit, and a general earthy-green hop character in the background. The taste brings in more of the same, but it's all semi-subservient to a newcomer: a sort of hickory-style smoke. This smoke isn't exactly powerful, per se, but it's pervasive and bright. In all fairness, this could just be what heavily-roasted chestnuts taste like (I have not partaken), but it certainly comes across as a sweet, lightly woody, almost barbecue sauce-infused smoke. It lends a nice thick layer of complexity to what would otherwise likely have been a fairly boring little farmhouse-ish brew. I actually enjoyed my pour of this. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda dry finish. Overall, not a bad beer, thanks mostly to that smoky component. It's something that'll either impress with its charm of mild difference or come across as a pretty boring, only-semi-inspired beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 16:56:22 | More by TMoney2591

rarbring

Sweden

3.05/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer is clouded amber, with a warm off-white high and firm head leaving some lacing. Good curtains.

Smelling mostly of the malt, grain, hay and dust. Some dried fruit.

Sweet white bread, a hint of dried apricots.

Medium carbonation, soft and foamy, a faint dryness.

Very modest, nothing bad, but a bit boring.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 19:13:01 | More by rarbring

stcules

Italy

2.93/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

With chestnuts.
Hazy amber color, with a quite beautiful beige foam, compact.
In the smell, chestnut. Under that, maltiness, and a light honey.
Full taste, definitely a lot of chestnut. Not bad, but maybe it turns a bit too much toward the sweet side.
Again chestnut in the aftertaste, malty, sweet.
Maybe a bit too monotone, and without a great drinkability, but not bad, after all.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 20:36:19 | More by stcules