Chicca
Birrificio Pausa Cafe

ChiccaChicca
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From:
Birrificio Pausa Cafe
 
Italy
Style:
Herb and Spice Beer
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
76
Avg:
3.1 | pDev: 20.65%
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
25
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 13, 2016
Added:
Sep 18, 2009
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by Soonami:
Photo of Soonami
Rated by Soonami from Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -11.3%

May 03, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.16/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Thin brown beer, 1/16" head. A little bit of dark coffee malt aroma, caramel a little bit after that.

Really gritty, unfiltered coffee kind of vibe, a little dark wood and chocolate malt. Hid the alcohol well, didn't come across a lot of spice rack. Still, too expensive and not good enough to continue to get another.
Mar 13, 2016
Photo of MFgerm
Reviewed by MFgerm from California

3.57/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4
Overall I liked this. It definitely was not what I was expecting when I bought it. It has more Coffee qualities then an ale. The body is thin but it drinks like a dark coffee. To the point where you kind of wanna add some sugar. Maybe a splash of kahlua or baileys would really wake this up but that's another story. I was disappointed by the lack of body but overall I really liked it. Anyone who loves dark strong coffee should give it a try
Nov 27, 2015
 
Rated: 2.5 by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

Nov 22, 2013
 
Rated: 1 by Luweezy from Pennsylvania

Oct 28, 2013
Photo of DVMin98
Reviewed by DVMin98 from North Carolina

3.22/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
This was given to me as an extra and I was quite excited, especially when I smelled the coffee when I opened the bottle. Then I tasted it and was let down quite a bit. The smell and appearance were great, but damn, the mouthfeel was completely opposite of what I expected. I definitely thought I would get a nice big body, yet I was surprised when it was thin, with a champagne-like mouthfeel. Wow, what a disappointment.

I have to admit that I liked it the more I drank it, but that's not saying much. I would pass on this again. Glad it was given to me and not a waste of $5.
Jan 25, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by JohnK17 from Pennsylvania

Jan 22, 2013
 
Rated: 2.5 by aasher from Indiana

Aug 31, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by ElGallo from New Hampshire

Nov 21, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Nov 20, 2011
Photo of Cyberkedi
Reviewed by Cyberkedi from Georgia

3.48/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Aroma has a strong coffee overtone and hints of malt and fruit. It pours an opaque coffee brown with a fairly thick, if not persistent, light tan head. The sample I got fizzed like crazy, so open with care! Coffee dominates the flavor, which has malty and apple notes. Texture has average body and only a little fizziness. Not the best I’ve had, but worthy.
Nov 05, 2011
Photo of July2Nov
Reviewed by July2Nov from Virginia

2.88/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Appearance: Lots of carbonation that dies as soon as the beer warms up the slightest. Dark brown.

Smell: Malty, syrupy and a coffee additive.

Taste & Mouthfeel: This tastes like a coffee filter mixed with syrup. That's all. I could go further, but why bother. Though it did get a little better the warmer it got...so I'll bump it up a bit.

Overall: Not my cup of tea. In fact I would love a cuppa tea in place of this. This beer is not worth the price point. Wish I had that $11.50 back. You live and you learn.
Sep 19, 2011
Photo of nickfl
Reviewed by nickfl from Florida

3.8/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Pours with two fingers of light brown foam on top of a black body with just a hint of dark red showing through. The head settles slowly and leaves moderate lace.

S - Nutty malt with some caramel, molasses, and a bit of smoky coffee. Some fruity/spicy yeast character in the background, red apple, plum, and cinnamon.

T - Dark, sweet caramel malt up front with some fruity apple and plum notes. A bit more dark sugar creeps up in the middle with some molasses. Some nutty chocolate comes out at the finish with sweet, dark bread and a bit of smoky coffee.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - This is an interesting take on a dark coffee beer. It looks like a stout, but doesn't actually have much of a roasted character. Lots of dark sugar but only a hint of real roast at the finish and the coffee is a background note that adds complexity but doesn't dominate the beer in the way it likely would in an American brewed coffee beer. Quite drinkable and reasonably complex, though I can't help but keep wishing that the coffee was more prominent than it is.
Jul 22, 2011
Photo of Knapp85
Reviewed by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

2.72/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
This beer costs a pretty penny where I shop and I thought that it looked like it'd be a pretty interesting beer to try. So I picked up a bottle and gave it a shot. The beer poured out as a dark brown color without a head on it. The smell of the beer was pretty much straight coffee. Not much in the way of malts or hops, just all coffee to me. The taste again was like drinking a cold cup of coffee. The mouthfeel is drinkable but it's flat and kind of watery. I was very unimpressed by this beer. It's not worth the price tag at all.
Jun 04, 2011
Photo of Beerandraiderfan
Reviewed by Beerandraiderfan from Nevada

3.22/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Drank at Craft in Reno. Pours a thin looking brown, no head, even though the carbonation was fine. Smell was coffee first, a little different than I'm used to. . . maybe its the italian thing, just wasn't as strong as in many beers. Caramel to a lesser degree next.

Chalky, dry coffee taste, again, different than I would encounter in most American counterparts. I didn't come across the herbal spices many reviewers did. Toasty mild cocoa wood flavors.

Neat little backstory about how it was brewed by a prison. Alcohol heat was restrained. Too pricey to be above average ($8 I believe).
May 25, 2011
Photo of Halcyondays
Reviewed by Halcyondays from California

3.27/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a murky red brown with a light white head, fair lace.

S: Coffee, chocolate, with some lactic acid.

T: Orange and dark malt, chocolate, some nice sweet malt. Coffee is surprsingly light and just a minor note in the finish.

M: Light-bodied, a bit chalky, relatively smooth.

D: An OK beer, for me the flavours weren't very well integrated, there was nothing really to latch onto.
May 07, 2010
Photo of Genghis22
Reviewed by Genghis22 from California

2.6/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
A - An agrressive pour yields about 3/4 finger of off white head. Pours a muddy opaque brown. Looks like a glass of murky iced tead.

S - Smells like coffee liquer. Coffe, alcohol and sweetness. Hints of cocoa.

T - Meh. Like drinking cold, old coffee. Don't get much "beer" from it at all. There is the faintest bit of hops in there somewhere, but really, all I taste is coffee. I should clarify that it tastes like coffee liquer and not some premium dark roast coffee.

M - The only thing more dissapointing than the taste is the mouth feel. FLAT! I know I was agressive with the pour, but this is rediculous. Medium body, slightly watery.

D - No thank you. I tried the P.I.L.S. from this brewery and it was stellar, so I really wanted to try something else from them. Yuck. I'll stick to the one I know is good, especially at $9/ bottle.
Mar 11, 2010
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

2.98/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
On tap at The Ginger Man. Bartender says it was brewed by prisoners. Big coffee and barleywinish colour with white head. Chesnut flavour which I am frequently finding in Italian beers.The coffee flavour was like postum coffee substitute. Not too drinkable.
Feb 21, 2010
Photo of aerozeppl
Reviewed by aerozeppl from New York

2.71/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Super Bowl. Nothing more American than an Italian beer made by inmates...wtf

A: The color is almost like a black and tan. Looks very dark with some amber highlights. Poured with 4 fingers of cola colored head.

S: Little bit of chocolate. A weird not pleasant astrigent nose as well. I think they tried to do too much.

T: Little cocoa up front then after that it is a mess. It is hot as well. This beer is less than 8% to boot. The aftertaste is of chocolate and that saved it.

M: Medium bodied. Over carbonated.

D: One and done. Not for me. At $9 a bottle this is a miss. I do not get why these Italian breweries beers are so expensive. This one especially. All the labor is free!
Feb 07, 2010
Photo of coffeeslinger
Reviewed by coffeeslinger from Virginia

2.62/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
I tried the Huehuetenango ale from my favorite beer store. Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass which produced no head or froth of any kind. Could be mistaken for a glass of iced tea.

The taste is slightly sour and the finish tart. The coffee flavor is noticeable, but lacks any chocolate notes usually present in coffee-infused beers.

I'm going to give it another try. This one was probably poured too cold and in fact it improved as it warmed a bit in the glass. Makes me wish I had a second bottle.

The beautiful label and the old-school stubby bottle make a great presentation and including the coffee region in the beer style gives it authenticity.
Dec 20, 2009
Chicca from Birrificio Pausa Cafe
Beer rating: 76 out of 100 with 25 ratings