Verdi Imperial Stout - Birrificio Del Ducato

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A-black with a nice tan head

S-dark malts. very tangy! a bit of espresso. great scent, but somewhat faint.

T-comes in with a great and musty taste of nutty dark malts. fairly chalky as well. its a complexly full flavored taste. the quality in each ingredient is so evident. the after-taste has a bit of coffee beans with dark malts and the same mustiness. has a spicy kick to it.

M-creamy carbonation with a good dry finish

O-this is a great stout. it drinks so smoothly with such complexity. wow i wish i could get more of this easily! i love the peppery bite at the end. it adds a unique twist. this is world class.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2012 15:55:36 | More by AdamBear

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.65/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Yummm-OOO!!! Right up there with the very best Italian brews. Poured with a huge, brown, foamy, frothy, thick, sudsy head that lasts a long time, and lots of lace. Color is as black as my heart and just as opaque too. Aroma is malt, roast, coffee, cocoa, bare hint of chili pepper, and hint of dark, ripe fruit. Flavor is the same with the chili pepper coming out briefly at the end and then fading again. Body is mouth filling and carbonation is perfect for the style. Finish is like flavor. Delicious beer. I want more!! and I don't have any. wah.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2010 00:18:59 | More by drpimento

Perrumpo

Maryland

4.53/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on tap at Max's during their Italian Fest. One of my favorites.

A - Black in appearance with a coffee-colored head.

S - about what you would expect from a stout with some coffee and cocoa aromas. Malty.

T - I love this beer. It's comparable to Dogfish Head's Indian Brown Ale, but the chili peppers add even more complexity. You can taste the rich malts, coffee, chocolate, and the cili adds a smokey pepper flavor without being spicy. You can't even tell it's 8.2% (or that's what Max's said).

M - smooth, rich mouthfeel. The chili peppers do not take away from the smoothness.

D - High drinkability for an imperial stout. Could've had a lot more of it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2010 16:40:52 | More by Perrumpo

jrallen34

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Rush to Map Room to try this bottle.

WOW, I learned 2 things tonight. 1. finally found an oustanding Italian beer, and 2. there is chili stout out there that is a poor mans Hunahphu... A black pour with a medium tan head, good retention and lacing...The aroma starts off sweet as mostly just chocolate. As it warms it really evolves bringing out some really nice pungent chili. It really is balanced and goes back and forth from chocolate to chili, each whiff is something new...The taste is awesome. Chocolate sweetness with a little chili kick at the end. This not ony has the flavors of chili but doesn't actually bring the heat. The heat is felt especially on the feel, after a bottle my mouth is tingling. This is just great all around.

Rush out and try to find this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2010 16:46:30 | More by jrallen34

samie85

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A-Pours a jet black with one and a half fingers of medium brown head.

S-Smells of rich and deep dark chocolate with maybe a hint of some chili.

T-Rich and sweet dark chocolate with a small hit of chili and finishes dry and slightly bitter with lingering, yet mild chili notes.

M-Thick and rich with a moderate amount of carbonation with a slightly dry finish.

D-Really easy drinking for a chili Imperial Stout. The chili is faint enough for the less spicy tolerant out there while the rest of the beer is a really solid, delicious stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 02:23:55 | More by samie85

Janbobbo

Sweden

4.5/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A very impressive imperial stout. After being poured into the glass it leaves a brownish thick head which lasts in the glass for quite a while.

The color is dark and rich and the smell is powerful with a hint of burnt meats.

The taste is where it all turns exceptional. There's a strong taste of spices that sets the tone of the drink and towards the end of the mouthfeel it turns slightly bitter although all in all the beer feels fairly balanced.

my bottle is marked as having an 8.2% alcohol content instead of 7.5%, a more recent batch?

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2008 01:23:42 | More by Janbobbo

Greywulfken

New York

4.43/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: center pour into a snifter: obsidian pour yields opaque black beer with a fat firm chocolate mousse head

S: mellow aromas of roasty chocolate malt and espresso

T: I have to temper my enthusiasm here, because this beer is really good - the tastes and mouthfeel are a nice one-two combination - the flavors are of super mellow espresso, semisweet chocolate and hints of chili spice. Very drinkable - no hint of the 8.2 abv.

M: really creeps close to ideal - creamy smooth and easy-drinking, but the chili throws in sparks of tingliness that tantalize the tongue - leaves a little sting behind, perfectly contrasting this extremely creamy beer

O: no date on the bottle, but I've seen these sitting in the store for at least a couple of years, so they are at least that well-aged - a delightful first, recommended for stout and porter fans, chili beer fans, and advocates of good beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 02:06:26 | More by Greywulfken

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a deep pitch-black color stout with a large foamy head with deep dirty brown color head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of deep roasted malt with coffee notes. Taste has also loads of character with great roasted notes and some deep coffee notes with some dry black chocolate notes also noticeable. Body is quite full with great smooth texture with great carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Very well done with load of character though still easily drinkable. Nice mix between a cappuccino and an imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2010 02:10:46 | More by Phyl21ca

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance. Pours black with a small tan head that leaves a little lacing behind.

Smell. Molasses, light coffee, dark chocolate and a hint of vanilla, and spices.

Taste. Molasses, licorice, chocolate and a little coffee and pepper.

Mouthfeel. Medium-full body with below medium carbonation. Just a little alcohol warmth.

Overall. Nice flavours in this big stout. Everything just plays well together. I really liked it.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 02:17:02 | More by Rutager

MisterClean

California

4.35/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted at de la rosa in SF at beer week.

A - Pours black with 3 fingers of mocha head. Dissipates slow, really pretty lacing.

S/T - Light roast coffee, hefty wafts of rich semi-sweet chocolate, and light bittering hops.

M - Full-bodied, well-balanced, sweet, wth some light alcohol on the end. Still, fairly smooth.

D - Good overall. Sessionable at 7.5%

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2010 03:22:51 | More by MisterClean

AgentZero

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Typical black looking stout with a small brown head that didn't stay for long and didn't leave much on the sides.

S - Some really nice chilis that don't seem too hot or too green. Chocolate, char, coffee, it's really a fairly pleasant mix.

M - Taste is really great. Reminds me a lot of a baby Hunahpu. Chili's have good flavor without being overpowering, and don't have enough heat to detract from the taste. Mixes well with the chocolate, char, and roast for a nice beer.

M - Fairly close to full bodied with moderate carbonation.

O - A surprisingly good beer, if you like Hunahpu, you might go for this.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 18:49:36 | More by AgentZero

vacax

California

4.28/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours between black and ruby brown, light brown head with a few arcs of lacing. Aroma is of milk, strangely, not lactose but milk, cocoa, umami, sugary espresso, and unsweetened cocoa. Tastes of dark malts, prunes, coffee, cookie, slight spice from the chiles, finish has cookielike malts, acidity, bready yeast, and licorice. Quite complex, I kept going back to break down the flavors again in my mind. Body is full, silky and oily, as a good stout should be. One of the best Italian craft beers I have yet to have.

Not sure why this is listed as a Foreign/Export Stout when the name clearly says Imperial Stout. It is a bit on the lower side, but it is actually pretty impressive that it is so rich for something with a relatively low ABV. The complexity and body are typically something I would expect from a higher alcohol beer. This is one Italian craft beer I would recommend trying, quite enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2010 19:24:56 | More by vacax

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Black, pours with a huge tan head, excellent retention & lace.

S: Licorice, coffee, demerara sugar/molasses, bakers chocolate, light alcohol, underlying fruity esters and hints of nobel spicing.

T: Molasses, licorice, cappuccino, bakers chocolate, solid bitterness, alcohol is perceptible. The acidity is a bit like a classic baltic porter.

M: Fairly full body, smooth with a some acidity.

D: An exquisite sipper.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 05:30:37 | More by Derek

MasterSki

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bottle of this one at West Lakeview Liquors. Shared with my wife, and served in a Night of the Living Ales taster pint.

A - Porus wiht a finger of light mocha foam that settles to a thin cap and thicker collar. Body is a near-black that reveals some reddish transparency at the fringes.

S - Big cocoa and roast malt aroma, with a hint of chili peppers that clears the sinuses. There's some faint smoke and a noticeable coffee note that emerges as the beer warms up. Alcohol is very well-hidden.

T - The taste is much more burnt malt oriented, with notes of smoke and char. There is some nice balancing cocoa sweetness, and perhaps even a hint of vanilla (or lactose sugar?) The finish is a little peppery, but doesn't come across as excessively spicy or hot - I'm not sure I would have got "hot chili" from the taste alone.

M - OK - first thing I notice isn't technically "mouthfeel", but this beer makes my eyes water. It reminds me of when I'm cutting peppers and inadvertently rub my eyes. The body is medium, and seems about right for the 8.2% ABV. The finish has a peppery dryness to it. Carbonation is surprisingly high for an Italian beer, meaning it is medium-low. Some definite heat builds over 6oz or so.

D - This is really good. It's kind of like Hunhapu's Lite. If it weren't so expensive I'd get it more often. Also among the best Italian beers I've had. Pairs well with Verdi's Macbeth.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2010 05:18:35 | More by MasterSki

Giovannilucano

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

No freshness on the bottle as I pour it into a pint glass.

A- A very dark but clean looking body with that fluffy head

S- Subtle and elegant aroma of chocolate and espresso

T- A middle of the road stout that is neither too heavy, nor light. The 8.2 is well hidden, and the taste of chili is on the back of your palate and throat.

M- Not so heavy to weight you down, but not thin.

O- I do enjoy this offering from Birrificio del Ducato. The balance of smell, taste, body, and appearance make this an absolute personal favorite and one I would suggest highly for those transitioning from your standard stouts.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 14:33:48 | More by Giovannilucano

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

4.23/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I love Italy; unfortunately, I haven’t tried too many beers from there. Let’s hope this export stout is as gorgeous as its home country...

A: An enormously thick pour; the body looks like some sort of delicious chocolate sludge. A thick brown head bubbles just as slowly and deliberately-muddy as the body, sitting at an inch and a half before becoming a bold layer of wet retention. Lacing is oily and sparse.

S: Chocolaty and thick, though in a relaxed, earthy way. Mild vanilla and buttery aromas are in play, only adding to that forward fudgy profile; not a discernible trace of hops. The chili peppers are there, too, but you really have to try to get more than a tickle in the nostrils.

T: Boldly spicy! Verdi is a beer that centers on cinnamon, chili, and roasts to give the palate a fiery complexion, from first sip to last. It does have that distinct export stout chocolate-earthiness from the nose, too, and they level the tastes out to a smooth place of brown sugar, vanilla bean, fudge, and roasted pecans. If not, this beer may have just been a showcase for heat – a gimmick, more than anything – but the malts really do ground it enough to make it both drinkable and interesting. Touches of oats, macadamia, wet oak, and metallic mineral water show up near the back end, with a strong, rich aftertaste of buttery brown sugar and smoke.

M: The look doesn’t lie: this one’s thick. A full-feeling beer is expected for this style, but this one is more than that. A mandatory sipper that leaves very little for extra carbonation to peek through.

O: Unique, rich, complex, and, above all, satisfying; I don’t think I’ll have a chili beer in the near future that will knock this off the top spot. Very well done.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 18:55:34 | More by BarryMFBurton

lehkost

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Wow. This is one hell of a beer. I'm thinking that the peppers used in this beer must be of a smoky variety, because I'm definitely getting some of that on the palate.

This beer is a perfectly implemented European Imperial Stout. I say European to differentiate it from its (significantly) more hoppy American cousins. I can't think of a beer I saw that was blacker than this. I could barely see through even the thinnest portion of this beer. This is a malty, dry, thick and decadent stout with hints of chocolate and smoke. The chili imparts a mild, building warmth on the finish.

Really, I feel this is a unique beer that should be tried if you have the chance.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2009 19:55:59 | More by lehkost

HeyItsChili

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

So I woke up this Saturday morning and absolutely destroyed my to-do list. What's a guy to do but celebrate completion of a plentiful list of soul-killing banal minutiae with a delicious beer from the Greenville Beer Exchange? Nothing. That's what. There's nothing to do other than that. At all.

A - Poured from a bottle into a snifter. Pours molasses black with no highlights, some sediment, and a medium-thin, tightly foamed khaki head. The head dies away to leave a creamy film atop the beer and a ring of tiny bubbles around the glass.

S - The aroma is sort of forward-malty, with a little bit of dark chocolate, hint of coffee, and some solid wheat/barley notes. No sign of the hot chilis.

T - Pretty standard chocolate/cocoa, roasted malt, slight acidity stout flavor, but with that chili edge. There's a definite, reserved chili edge to the flavor that is a shade more prominent in the aftertaste. I wanted to call it sort of a capsaicin flavor, but a quick check shows me capsaicin has no flavor. So just a chili flavor then, not the active ingredient in aforementioned pepper. HEY, IT'S CHILI.

M - Just a tinge thinner than a lot of your stronger stouts, but that seems to work.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 21:06:44 | More by HeyItsChili

CampusCrew

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft Sampled at Kickbacks. Poured into a snifter a dark brown/black color with a light tan head. Roasty, malty, chocolate aroma with a touch of the pepper. Medium/heavy mouthfeel. Roasted chocolate and coffee flavors with a touch of bitterness. The pepper is mild but builds. Overall, rather nice drinking. Some lace left in the glass.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2011 01:12:43 | More by CampusCrew

Proteus93

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Essentially black, with a little hint of brown around the edges... a little more cola-coloured, really, with a sandy brown head that pulls back to leave a little collar of lace that lasts throughout. Lacing is quite minimal, but there are little spots of it here and there.

S + T: Chocolate is quite heavy, both on the nose and in flavour. There is a cookie-like taste that I pick up on, kind of reminding me of an experience had with Terrapin's Wake'n'Bake once upon a time. There appears to be a very soft smokiness in the aroma which I do not detect so much on the palate. Rather sweet, really... the chocolate notes aren't really the standard unsweetened dark chocolate, but rather like a chocolate chip or something a little lighter. There's a smooth scent of malts floating around, as well, which make for a nice touch. I had forgotten that this beer was brewed with chilis until I started to note the mouthfeel and noticed the little kick right on the finish. It doesn't really stand out at all, and most certainly not until it has some time to breathe and warm to an appropriate temperature. Once it comes out, though, it's a very nice touch. The more it sits, the more notable that becomes.

M + D: Smooth and somewhat creamy feeling, followed by just a little bit of a spicy kick as it finishes. Nothing intense... it's modest and pleasant. Quite a tasty stout, really, and nothing out the roof in terms of alcohol - at least as far as big stouts go. An enjoyable beer that I would look forward to again.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2009 02:05:30 | More by Proteus93

ATPete

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Unique bottle.

Verdi Imperial Stout pours a very deep brown color with a small brown head. Coffee beans, vanilla and chocolate boom from the nose. Roasty and solid all the way through the quaff, some light alcohol heat and a slow creeping spiciness from the chilies very late on the finish. Awesome. I loved this one, must try from fans of imperial stouts and chili peppers. The food pairings with this beer are endless.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2010 19:02:20 | More by ATPete

Dubber55

New York

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pitch black with 1/2 finger of mocha colored head. A little lacing

Smells a little like coffee, some chocolate, and roasted malt.

Intially I taste mostly coffee, chocolate, and roasted malts. The finish is roasty,hoppy, and then at the very end, spicy. The hot chilis add another dimension to this beer. Im diggin it.

Mouthfeel is thick, chewy, and creamy. Medium carbonation. Appropriate for the style.

Drinkability is good. The hot chilis definitely make this beer more interesting than your run of the mill stout. However, this beer is not worth the $10 I paid for the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2010 00:25:59 | More by Dubber55

Stunner97

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is overall a very nice example of the imperial stout. An example of some of the better beers coming more and more out of Italy to the usa, one problem though with this beer is was extremely over priced. Definitely a very beautiful flavored stout but way way not worth price. Worth a try but not a life changer

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2009 04:44:42 | More by Stunner97

Khazadum

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Beer gives its presence known with a bit of gusto. Solid retention time with many miniature bubbles creating the appearance of a solid mass, but its a falsehood. It actually is interesting formation of a two phase system. We have tiny bubbles stagnant on the bottom holding up a singular mass of cream. Coloration is that of a sienna brown. Low amount of carbonation viewed from the edges in this inky darkness. Not too much going on in terms of perpetuating the mass. There is a good amount of sticky lacing as the froth recedes.

S- Perfect amount of roasted grain. Its the aroma of baking bread wafting from the oven throughout the house. Following that is a tad bit of the acrid nature of burnt grains bringing it full circle to the heat of the chili. Light spicy nature like smelling too close to a jalapeno. Brings a bit of zesty chili spice to memory as well.

Maybe some cocoa, not exactly sure if that is the sweet nature or not. Could be a false aroma.

T- Opens with a moderate hit of roasted and mostly burnt grain. Quickly fades away to the middle where the true monster lies. A quick burst of chili heat that never corrupts the flavors. It doesn't burn, it doesn't saturate, it doesn't overwhelm. It is how chili is designed to be in a stout. As this slowly fizzles the finish perks up which is almost entirely chocolate. Awesome hit on the end of milk chocolate, sweetness, and chili memories. Not the spice or heat, just the flavor of a chili pepper. Great work on this.

M- Undercarbonated. It truly needs more carbonation. It has a medium build, but that is because it is a tad syrupy at times. The finish is great with lingering potentials. Thin sometimes, and for an 8% I wasn't really overwhelmed with alcoholic characteristics at all.

D- I like this beer a lot. It has some errors in the tactile areas, but it hit a solid double for smell and taste. I wonder how it would have been if it was much fresher. I never stopped drinking it. As it warmed, it began to get sweeter and sweeter. Reminding me more and more of a milk stout with a lactose sweetness rather than sucrose or malt.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2011 00:44:04 | More by Khazadum

DoktorZee

Alberta (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle at the Sugarbowl in Edmonton.

A - deep black in color - passes no light, with a half finger tan head and thin lacing

S - massive dark chocolate nose on this, with smoke backing it up

T - bitter up front and intermingled with thick dark chocolate notes; the chocolate endures through the entire experience and ends up sticking at the back of the throat. Some smoke and coffee in the finish as well.

M - medium bodied with moderate carbonation; even with the carbonation cutting it still coats the mouth and throat

D - intense but drinkable

Really delicious beer, especially if you're a dark chocolate fan. This is probably the most intense dark chocolate beer experience I've had.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 22:52:03 | More by DoktorZee