D'uva Beer - LoverBeer

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

Where I love the quality of sour beers from Flemish regions of Belgium, there's an underlying savory character that I find familiar in this Italian brewed example.

And like those Flemish red ales, D'uvaBeer pours with a dark cherry hue with garnet and crimson highlights that penetrate event the heavy yeast haze. A fizzy and eruptive pour tops the beer with a spritz of effervescence that settles into a loose knit head of foam and lace. Standard as it is, the beer isn't phased by its own acidity or dryness.

Very aromatic the the scent of cherry, plumb, prune, and grape, the savory and succulent fruits evoke mouth watering properties with plumpness and invitation. A sour backdrop of balsamic, cider, lime continue the fruit development and propell them into the taste yet to come.

Sweeter and robustly fruity to taste, the Italian sour ale blend those sour taste with richer malt and fruit notes in the most alluring ways. First the sweetness of malt weaves into the richer and bruised taste of prune, grape, and fig while more acidic tones follow with oak, balsamic, and cherry follow closely behind. A closure of raspberry, blackberry, and currant allow the tart closure to commence with the most lactic tart possibilities.

While not as dry or as clean as classic Belgian sour ales, the relaxed malt textures actually give a lot of identity to the lucid acidity and round it out beautifully. Capturing a touch of sweetness here and there, the beer closes with understated winey warmth, mild grapes skin astringency, and wood tannin.

Reminding me a lot of may favorited Flander's red ales, except this beer is less vinegary, less cidery, sweeter, and more plumbish than cherry- the beer captivates the palate just the same!

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 06:53:22 | More by BEERchitect

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The pour is a hazed reddish/amber color with an off-white head. Smell is surprisingly catty, but very tropical as well. Lots of melon, some grass, and a definite sweetness like all their sours seem to have. The flavor is moderately tart with some of the same tropical and melon notes. Not terribly complex, but there is a little bit of grass and oak, some berries, and maybe a bit of apple.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 20:45:39 | More by womencantsail

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

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

Bottle: Poured a clear reddish color beer with a large off-white foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of oak and light tart cherry with some vinous notes as well. Taste is a great refreshing mix between some oak with light tart cherries and some vinous finish. Not too sour and very light acidic notes. Body is about average for style with good carbonation. Too expensive for what it is but very enjoyable noenhteless.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 17:12:43 | More by Phyl21ca

emerge077

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

D'uva Beer pours a murky reddish orange color when backlit, otherwise a dull auburn shade. All attempts were made to decant off the yeast, but a small amount snuck in. The surface foam is creamy and off white in color, and leaves no lace. It has pretty good head retention, and a thin veil of skim is ever present, fed by many tiny streams of rapid champagne carbonation.

Aroma has a soft acidic fruitiness, apple/pear and grape, with a hint of wine-like alcohol warmth. As it warms there's a fair amount of oak, and a tangy sharpness of alcohol only when swirled.

Medium bodied and fairly well carbed at first, the charge peters out and it gets a little flat towards the end of the glass. Tangy grape, minerals and dry bitter tannins, some apple butter traces. Finishes dry, initially moderately tart, though that seems to diminish also.

Interesting to try, not sure if it's really worth the pricetag though.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 20:48:30 | More by emerge077

eric5bellies

Australia

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank from my Duvel Tulip

A - Pours a clear dark Copper colours with a fizzy tanned head that dies almost instantly

S - Nice sour notes and some lemon spice. Belgian Geuze like with some woody notes.

T - Up front some nice sour like characteristics, with some nice oak following, the fruit is a little subdued. The finish is nice a bitter with some residual sweetness.

M - Light body and fullish carbonation.

O - The beer starts of with a bang but is a little uninteresting on the finish. LAcks the sophistication of a true Belgian sour but its a damn good effort. Not sure it's worth $37 a bottle though.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 16:02:24 | More by eric5bellies

mdfb79

New York

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 01/14/12 notes. Thanks to Brad for sharing this one.

a - Pours a murky brown orange color with two inches of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of sour grapes, spices, fruity malts, sour fruits, and light wood.

t - Tastes of fruity malts, sour grapes, spices, yeast, and light earthy notes. Not as sour as the nose.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

o - Overall a decent fruit beer. Some nice sour grapes to it, especially in the nose. Would give it another shot.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 02:12:11 | More by mdfb79

flannelman808

California

4.4/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a muddy hazy orange ochre/medium brown color and is topped with a fizzy light tan soda pop like head. Fairly poor head retention this one disappears rather quickly and doesn't have much lacing to speak of.

S: Tangerine essential oil (like when you squeeze a tangerine zest seems to intertwine with Nebbiolo grapes. Faintly in the background a very aged vinegar shows as well.

T: This is really a unique beer. Very yeast driven yet I have to profess I've not tasted anything like it. Vinous and complex the flavors range all over. Red wine like acidity meets an earthy funky quality reminiscent of wine from southern Rhone(even though the grapes come from italy).

That said this is very beer like too and does not try to be something else. Malt driven sweetness, toasted wheat, and malted barley show up right along with everything else... And there is quit a bit.

Along with the grape, White pepper, and wet earth take charge. melding stone-fruit driven flavors fill in the middle, Namely apricot, black plum, and wild strawberry. Some bitterness shows suggestive of a citrus pith. Finishing again with an unripe grape like acidity. Very crisp along with a high degree of complexity, not an easy thing to achieve.

M: Prickly and very carbonated (not unlike soda)

O: Very good and refreshingly unique, this beer accomplishes a lot. It is made with italian grapes which provide all of the wild yeast used. Nothing has been added outside of whatever was growing on those grapes. A pretty cool idea which I would like to see explored more... Terrior. This is one to age for sure, I would think lt has the ability to get better for the next 5 years at least.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 06:25:26 | More by flannelman808

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Brad for sharing this brew. Served in a Dark Lord mini-snifter.

Pours a muddy reddish-brown with a thin off-white head. The nose carries a bit of cherry plus a good amount of grapes. Moderate acidity; mostly lactic with a bit of an acetic character. Faint oak. The flavor focuses on the fruit and has some acid in the background. Light-medium body with a good bit of acidity. A nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 00:00:57 | More by Thorpe429

peabody

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a really cloudy amber with white suds that lace the rim of the tulip. These dissapate quickly but the effervescentness of this brew is quite a site to behold.
The smell is sour grape skins and some clove or other belgian yeast aromas. No alcohol is detected here.
Taste is very sour like a sweetart with just a hint of boozyness at the end. Stays very sour throughout the tasteing.
Mouthfeel is just a tad sticky but the sour cleans the palate of most of the stickyness.
Overall just a 4 but it might be higher if it didn't cost so darn much. ( I know cost shouldn't come into play but in this case it really does.)

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 23:44:23 | More by peabody

Geuzedad

Arizona

3.45/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Shared this beer with Galengeueze courtesy of Matt from Capones in Philly. Poured into a tulip.
Poured a hazy reddish brown with a minimal head that quickly faded leaving no lacing.
Smell was tart with funk noted as well as grapes, oak, and vinegar.
Taste was that of cherries, oak and sour, although somewhat watered down. A subtle bitterness noticed in the finish.
Mouthfeel was tart, dry, and slightly acidic, with very minimal carbonation noted, almost like drinking a wine as opposed to a beer.
Overall this was a very interesting beer although it does not quite live up to its Belgian cousins or the wild American ales like Russian River. For the price (20 dollars for an 11 oz bottle) I would take Cantillon or RR over this any day.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 00:07:04 | More by Geuzedad

DaveHS

California

3.33/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A-Pours rusty burnished orange with a thin khaki head. No lacing.

S-Vinous tartness. Musty old wine barrels, watered down balsamic vinegar.

T/M-Vinous tartness on the tip of the tongue, but it fades almost instantly into fizzy carbonation driven bready malt sweetness. A thin line of white wine grape acidity carries through to the finish. Medium bodied.

O-Way too expensive for what it is. Just okay.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 01:34:51 | More by DaveHS

metter98

New York

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Hazy brownish red in color, the beer poured with a thin beige head that quickly died down but left some lacing on the surface and a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: The smell is somewhat sour and has light to moderately strong aromas of grapes and red currants.
T: A lot of sourness is present in the taste, which has complex flavors of grapes, oak, raspberries and red currants along with notes of white wine and hints of citrus. There is a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light-bodied, extremely tart and a bit acidic on the palate with a light amount of carbonation.
O: The alcohol is well hidden from the taste of this beer but you really need to be able to get past the intense sourness and strong amount of tartness to drink this beer easily.

Note: 2010 vintage

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 02:22:17 | More by metter98

ferrari29

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Beer poured from bottle into a snifter shaped glass - Brewed in 2010

A - Beer pours with a one finger white colored head; dissipates rather quickly; copper-peach colored body; opaque; some lacing formed but doesn't stick to the sides of the glass

S - Berry fruit, like grapes; sour, vinegar notes; spices; yeast; some oak and olive oil smells

T - Sour vinegar flavors; light yeast tastes; sweet; touch of herbal flavor characteristics; lemon tart; Pinot Grigio grape taste; citrus; berry fruits

M - Medium body feel; slightly effervescent; lingering sweet and sour taste; citrus lemon

D - Very good beer; would go great with a salty pasta or pizza, like anchovies to help balance out the sourness

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 05:09:44 | More by ferrari29

stcules

Italy

3.48/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

With Freisa grapes must.
Red color, quite dark and hazy. Almost no foam.
In the smell strong notes of grapes. Interesting. Raspberry notes. Even wood, and probably a bit of oxidation.
Same notes at the taste. Grapes, must. Very peculiar and interesting. Touch of lemon, a bit of astringency.
Maybe just a bit too sweet, but pleasant and interesting.
Raspberry, strawberry, berry fruit.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 14:44:03 | More by stcules

mmmbirra

Italy

4.36/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

6 euros on tap. Servedin a teku.
A somewhat hazy purple with a good head that eventually does fully die off.
Smells like sour grapes, in a very good way, and has a nice earthy presence to it as well.
The taste is slightly sweet with a good sour punch; really refreshing and enjoyable. Again there's a little earthiness in the back end.
Very nice and smooth with a bit of tingly carbonation that really keeps it alive.
Wonderful beer, not as intensely sour as some lambics or even some other Italian sours but very good.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2013 08:52:47 | More by mmmbirra

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Served on-tap at Birreria in New York, NY

A: Pours a very lightly hazy medium garnet reddish brown in color with some light amounts of visible carbonation and some mahogany highlights. The beer has a quarter finger tall beige head that quickly reduces to a small patch of extremely thin film and a very thin ring at the edges of the glass. Minimal amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of sourness - currants and grapes stand out. Light hints of vinegar and oak.

T: Upfront there is an intense sourness that features fruits - grapes, currants, and lighter notes of raspberry. There are also light notes of oak and vinegar along with some hints of white wine. Light amounts of bitterness in the finish underneath the tartness.

M: Light bodied to low to moderate amounts of carbonation. Significant amounts of acidic prickliness.

O: This is not one of the easiest beers to drink but if you like sours, this one is intensely so... The alcohol is surprisingly well hidden but the tartness is very strong. Nice amounts of complexity in the taste.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2013 21:14:22 | More by dbrauneis

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a goblet at Local Option.

Apparently this just translates to "Grape Beer". Fair enough. It pours a clear amber topped by a finger of off-white foam. The nose comprises light vinegar, wheat, light cinnamon, and a pinch of brown sugar. The taste brings in more of the same, along with some maple syrup and and sweet raspberry. The sweetness and tartness seem to struggle with each other and ever really coalesce all that well. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry, sticky finish. Overall, a nice little sour thing, but one that really doesn't do much for me.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2012 16:08:45 | More by TMoney2591

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap for the 2012 Peter Reeves Memorial Sourfest at Churchill’s Pub & Grille in San Marcos, CA.

Pours a clear orange-brown with a foamy beige head that fades to nothing. No lacing on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with some berry, grape, wine, and wood aromas. Taste is much the same with a woody finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is tasty and drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2012 01:39:03 | More by UCLABrewN84

rvdoorn

Netherlands

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

On tap at BBF
Look: The beer pours a purple color with a nice head
Smell: Malts, caramel, dark grapes berries, raspberries and some wood
Taste: Sweet than I expected. Taste is similar to the smell; caramel, raspberries, dark grapes, cherries, earthy and some citrus
Mouthfeel: Medium body, oily texture, low carbonation
Overall: Nice beer

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2011 15:38:46 | More by rvdoorn