La Puténa
Amarcord Birra Artigianale Italiana

La PuténaLa Puténa
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From:
Amarcord Birra Artigianale Italiana
 
Italy
Style:
Vienna Lager
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
78
Avg:
3.24 | pDev: 12.35%
Reviews:
20
Ratings:
27
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 01, 2018
Added:
Feb 14, 2004
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
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Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.42 by Pirulee from Italy

Sep 01, 2018
 
Rated: 3.25 by harpus from Alabama

Oct 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3 by jaydoc from Kansas

Oct 19, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by LuckyJohn from Colorado

Jul 16, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by Jas45678 from Michigan

Jun 30, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by WynnO from Florida

Sep 08, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by gleeky99 from Massachusetts

Apr 29, 2012
Photo of mrfrancis
Reviewed by mrfrancis from Kentucky

3.13/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
A: Pours a ruddy amber with a slight hint of haze and a creamy white head that doesn't stick around all that long.

S: Aromas of caramel, sweet cream, vanilla, and nougat are immediately detectable on the nose.

T: Notes of caramel, vanilla, cream, nougat, almonds, and earthy, slightly peppery hops are quick to reveal themselves. The finish is sweet and mildly earthy with caramel and hop notes being most prevalent.

M: Medium-bodied and smooth, but lacking in carbonation. Feels flabby and lethargic in the mouth. I found it difficult to finish the bottle.

O: I was under the impression that this was an ale and not a lager. That would explain the sweetness, which reminded me of some English strong ales. Regardless of what this beer should be classified as, it is not all that impressive. Solid at best, but somewhat uninspired.
Nov 05, 2011
Photo of Cresant
Reviewed by Cresant from Kentucky

2.98/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Served this one in a Spaten mug. No date but coded: 023 4757. what? A hard pour created a healthy head atop a dark amber body with a light haze. The head is an off-tan color.

The smell was of bread crust and stewed fruit.

The taste had a fruity tang. Bready and malty. This one reminded me more of a doppelbock than an amber ale. Easy to drink.

The mouthfeel was slippery and under carbonated.
Nov 28, 2010
Photo of lacqueredmouse
Reviewed by lacqueredmouse from Australia

3.53/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Red-copper body with good clarity. Thick and rich head of yellow-cream bubbles. Almost no bead in the body, so it looks rather still and uncarbonated. But overall, it looks pretty good.

Copper metallic on the nose, with some dark overtones. Some resiny hops and an acidic note which cuts through some of the other characters. Not bad, a reasonably pleasant aroma.

Sweet mix of light malts on the palate, with some good body. A sout copper character comes through and it finished quite try and refreshing. Not bad, but not huge. Mouthfeel is nice and smooth, pretty slick.

Not a bad beer at all. Easy to drink, and pretty pleasant overall. It's not a beer that's going to knock your socks off, but it's pretty drinkable.
Nov 05, 2010
Photo of SilentSabre
Reviewed by SilentSabre from North Dakota

3.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Lovely red bronze colour with smaller (off white) head than I was anticipating. Still looks intriguing.
Smell is lightly toasted malts, a mild fruity aroma (white grapes?), and a slight earthiness.
Taste was a bit maltier than I was expecting. Starts out sweet on the tongue and through the middle; turns pleasantly bitter toward the finish.
Mouthfeel, while smooth, flirts with being a bit bland. This could use a little more carbonation, for sure. However, being a swing-top style bottle, it's possible it could have leaked away.

For what it is, it's not bad, and again, this could be entirely different fresh. Not a huge, huge fan of swing-top offerings for that very reason. As it stands now, slightly better than average at best. Nevertheless, an interesting beer that I was happy to have the chance to review.

-Skål
Sep 05, 2010
Photo of gueuzeonhigh
Reviewed by gueuzeonhigh from Maine

3.27/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a cloudy amber with a short lived tightly knit head.
The head welled with pride and as quickly as it erupted from the surface dissolved into oblivion.

A scant nose with a mosquito hint of caramel maybe more of a hint of alcohol and hops..

Flavor is thin and like the beer's head-- short lived. Maybe the most notable aspect of the flavor was effervescence. It's rather one dimensional with a note of hops bitterness scattered about.
Peeking around the flavor fair are teensy notes of yeast..

A quick but clean finish.

Drinkability-- of which I use the ABV and it's effect on my constitution an important parameter-- is superior. But it's purely on account of the 6% ABV rather than the beer's own cordial characteristics making for a satisfying brew..

To sum up- ehh what else is on the shelf?
Dec 31, 2009
Photo of drpimento
Reviewed by drpimento from Wisconsin

2.97/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Eh. Nothing to special about his except for the bottle and label. Poured with a small light colored head that mostly faded fast and no lace. Color is a kind of strange hazy brown. Aroma is malty, fruity, a little caramel, and a little mustiness. Flavor's about the same. Body is ok and so is carbonation. Short finish. Unremarkable.
Nov 15, 2009
Photo of tmoneyba
Reviewed by tmoneyba from Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Hinged bottle from Belmont Party.

A - Poured a hazy brown color with a large frothy brown head that mostly lasted with good lacing.

S- Moderate toasted malt and tart citrus aroma.

T - Medium sweet flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate duration.

M - Medium body with a smooth texture and flat carbonation.

D - This beer met my expectations.
Feb 09, 2009
Photo of heinekenike
Reviewed by heinekenike from New York

3.74/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Fliptop bottle, a nice pop on opening.

Poured a murky, darkish brown with a full light brown 2-finger head that quickly dissipated.

Color was brown with very little carbonation, some reddish highlights when held to light.

Taste was smooth with toffee aroma and taste, a bit sweetish aftertaste.

Not sure what category this definitely belongs to, maybe Cousin of Vienna Lager. Close but very different.
Feb 08, 2009
Photo of Rayek
Reviewed by Rayek from Colorado

3.48/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A: Deep garnet colored, with a slight haze. Firm and foamy cream head has good retention and leaves an incredible amount of lace.

S: Pepper, dark fruits and a hint of coriander.

T: Slightly sweet. Black cherry and grape flavors dominate. There is enough peppery bitterness to keep the sweetness in check. Alcohol plays a small role too. The finish is slightly dry and somewhat tart.

M: Light and watery body feels a bit flat.

D: This beer became more complex too me as a drank it. I started out thinking it wasn't that great, but it had grown on me by the end of the glass.
Dec 08, 2008
Photo of jjayjaye
Reviewed by jjayjaye from New York

3.24/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
My first from this country and of this style. Pours a fairly dark hued amber color with a big two finger foamy off white head that resists fading. A nice amount of lacing enjoyed with this one. The smell from the residue on the collar is grainy and a bit toasted and slightly smokey. From the glass, the aroma has a sharp and almost pungent character of the yeast. Well carbonated, the mouth feel is light and tangy. The taste is grainy and malty, with a slight aftertaste. A reasonable drinker...i wouldn't have thought it to have a 7.5% ABV. Good effort on the swing top packaging and the alluring label art.
Nov 23, 2008
Photo of Georgiabeer
Reviewed by Georgiabeer from Georgia

3.25/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
I've been keeping my eye open for one of the beers from this brewery to enter our market since I'm fascinated by the idea of a beer from the strange little country of San Marino. The idea is better than the reality, but this is not terrible stuff either. It's not a terrific example of a Vienna Lager, for instance there is an out of place slight grainy sourness, but its not too far off the mark. Pours a reddish brown with little head. The aroma is slightly sour and quite grainy, with a bit of breadiness on the finish. The taste has some of that slight sourness up front, but it smooths out and becomes nicely bready and slightly bitter on the finish. Fairly smooth and soft in the mouth with a slight crispness. Not bad, there is also a somewhat strange herbal bitterness that seems more like an aperitif flavoring rather than hops, but it helps balance the beer a bit. Interesting to try.
Nov 22, 2008
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a dark brown with no head. Nose is sugar, earthy grass, and that's about it. Flavor is decent. Leans towards the bitter side, but not so bitter that it bites the mouth. Just earthy. Feel has a decent liquid and a noticeable carbonation. Overall, okay. Nothing spectacular.
Feb 21, 2008
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

2.81/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Mellow sunset coral with a healthy infusion of orange and plenty of fine yeast. The beige colored cap looks good at all points along the way and is more than capable when it comes to glass coverage. Unfortunately, appearance has always been the highlight of Amarcord Birra Artigianale beer.

The aroma makes La Putena smell like a Euro red ale, although I'm aware that no such style exists. It's sweet and toasted-earthy malty, with a mustiness from the Saaz hops that calls to mind just about any Euro pale lager you'd care to name.

Speaking of style, the rear label calls this an amber ale and the brewery's website calls it both a 'double red ale' and a 'unique, intensely flavoured brown ale'. If there's one thing we know for sure, it's an ale. Beyond that, who knows?

I didn't figure that La Putena would be much different from Prima Donna, E Figoun and La Mi Dona in terms of quality. And I was right. These guys are great in terms of assigning names and creating attractive bottles and labels. When it comes to the actual brewing... not so good.

Brown ale probably comes closest to the mark, but it's a brown ale that lacks conviction. The malt is barely sufficient in terms of quantity, and provides a quasi-earthiness and a toasted bread quality that is nothing to write home about. Sweet and bitter cancel one another out. A dull grassiness makes a brief cameo on the finish.

The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium and isn't even close to being sufficiently carbonated. More bubbles might have helped; it's hard to say for sure.

In the final reckoning, La Putena (The Whore) is no better and no worse than the rest of the offerings from one of Italy's newest 'craft' breweries. Like its namesake, it looks good from a distance, but doesn't measure up under the bright lights. You pays your money ($6.99) and you takes your chances.
Feb 01, 2008
La Puténa from Amarcord Birra Artigianale Italiana
Beer rating: 78 out of 100 with 27 ratings