La Tabachéra - Amarcord Birra Artigianale Italiana

mmmbirra

Italy

2.68/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A deep gold and transparent beer. Lighter than I remembered it being last time I had it, and also somewhat out of style if it indeed claims to be a doppelbock.

The smell is sweet and fruity. No hops. Really not very interesting, but could be much worse.

The flavor is quite disappointing. Kind of harsh, a little sweet, with nothing that stands out as being a defining flavor. Just tastes messy.

Overcarbonated, thin, with a strong alcohol sensation that further takes away from the enjoyability of this already underwhelming beer.

Amarcord makes a couple of decent beers, but this isn't one of them.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 23:32:07 | More by mmmbirra

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev +5.4%

06-11-2013 13:10:38 | More by mrfrancis

yancot

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -2.1%

02-20-2013 06:44:28 | More by yancot

irishgreensoda

Washington

2.75/5  rDev -17.2%

02-03-2013 12:48:58 | More by irishgreensoda

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

9% ABV. Pours a light tan head, recedes really quickly leaving hardely any lacing, fair bit of carbonation. Medium brown in colour.

Some bready malt aromas, maybe a slight fruity mineral touch, not much else.

Strong initial taste which bounces off a number of contrasting flavours, sweetness, roast, nutty, (maybe a bit earthy?). Definite fruity aspect, contrasted with a range of somewhat cloying flavour. Strength is apparent but not too imposing. Seems a bit sour by the end.

Aftertaste is bitter, but also slightly nutty. Quite dry.

Overall, I'd say its definitely flavourful, but that it seems quite unfocused. I wouldn't say its a bad beer, but am struck by a potential to be a lot better.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 02:41:43 | More by mick303

djwhit24

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev +5.4%

06-21-2012 01:58:38 | More by djwhit24

DruC4

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev +5.4%

06-18-2012 21:11:27 | More by DruC4

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From notes:
Appearance: light amber, toffee colour; egg white head fades to nothing in a few minutes

Aroma: bready malt; very mild; slightly acidic

Taste & Mouthfeel: not a whole lot going on; some spice notes and a mild nuttiness; feeling some flavour of cognac or brandy; toffee malt; red grapes, dates; acidic, and alcohol come through quite strong; much better at warmer temperatures

Overall: not complex or very interesting, but provides a warming feel and is fairly easy-drinking

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 02:17:19 | More by BGDrock

beerhunter13

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +13%

03-20-2012 22:06:44 | More by beerhunter13

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

3.38/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle poured in a mug.

A: Pours a golden orange clear color. Forms a small white to beige bubbled head. Characteristic strong ale low carbonation appearance with practically no lacings left

S: Smell is sweet and fruity. Caramel malts dominate. Yeasts. Honey. Candy. Bit citrus hops in the end. A Doppelbock with hints of a Belgian ale

T: Sweet upfront. Caramel. Caramel malts, honey, yeasts, flowery hops. Mild bitter aftertaste

M: Medium creamy and bit molasses body. Low carbonation. Sweet upfront and mild citrus and bitter aftertaste. Detail: It's a 9% ABV, not 10% as described above

O: Good drinkability. Good beer. Amarcord is a honorable tribute to master Fellini ;)

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 11:17:18 | More by eduardolinhalis

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Amber/copper colour, solid ring of off white head, no lacing. Smell is sweet and malty, baked bread, fairly fruity notes, caramel and toffee, light alcohol on the nose. Taste is sweet biscuity malt up front, apple and other fruity notes, caramel and toffee, solme light alcohol notes, nice yeasty finish. Creamy feel, smooth, light carbonation, full body. This was pretty decent, not a show stopper but a solid brew that is quite pleasant, available at TBS for two bucks and change and well worth it.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 19:03:03 | More by peensteen

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

3.8/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A respectably long-lasting crop of visibly volatile ivory foam crowns a hazy, burnt orange beer - looks Belgian to me. Is this really a Doppelbock? It doesn't really smell like one; much more fruity and yeasty than most lagers, with notes of baked apples, pears, brandy, musty cellars, and dried figs. Ripe, doughy, and caramelly - nice, but nothing special, really. Certainly pleasant enough to drink, although this is one of those beers whose flavor doesn't justify its strength. Chalky mineral dryness frames a profile of honey, orange peel, light rum, and golden raisins with an odd wheat beer-like character in the background: banana, lemon, and clove. Pleasantly dry and easy to drink, but I can't help but want just a little bit more.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 21:53:59 | More by soulgrowl

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Clear gold with a moderate head with some heft.

S - Nose is malty-sweet, with some apple, caramel and some light fruit.

T - Boozy. Strong alcohol and a big hit of apple. Bitterness is strong but not overwhelming. Lots of maltiness and seems relatively well balanced. Not too sweet.

M - Medium bodied and sharply carbonated.

D - Better than I expected. Decent balance makes this drinkable, but it's still a big, heavy beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 00:01:49 | More by allergictomacros

flagmantho

Washington

3.28/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 500mL swing-top bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: extremely hazy medium-brown hue with a thin layer of ivory head. Not bad, but it doesn't inspire me.

Smell: the aroma's got what I like: a thick maltiness with dark fruits, raisin, hints of cherry, and just a bit of an alcohol bite. Can't wait to dig in.

Taste: not quite as "on" as the aroma. Subtle malt character is reduced, and alcohol heat is increased quite a bit. There's still a little good malt flavor here, but all finesse is out the window. It's not horrible, but I'm not impressed.

Mouthfeel: medium body; relatively chewy. Carbonation and silkiness are low, though, so I can't say I love it. Still, it's not too bad.

Drinkability: this beer isn't horrible, but it's definitely my least-favorite dopplebock. The alcohol really builds on the palate here as kind of a burning. I'm glad I tried it, but unless I find myself stranded in San Marino, I'm not likely to have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2010 00:24:35 | More by flagmantho

DmanGTR

New York

2.88/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Review from notes in November 09.

A - Poured dark coppery amber with a slight haze and a short lived 1" white head. Much bubbling from the sides and bottom of the tulip. Large patches of lace. 3.5

S - Heavily malty, much caramel and sweetness. A hint of sweet corn... What?!?! Not much complexity here. Perhaps a touch of figs as it warms a bit. Er... yeah about that corn... 2.5

T - Extremely sweet with some cooked veggies. Lots of caramel and a mildly tangy fruitiness. Decently hidden alcoholic warmth but certainly present. That vegetable taste is weird. 3.0

M - Medium bodied and mild carbonation. Smooth with a warming and dry finish. 3.5

D - The sweetness gets cloying and the alcohol is rather prominent. 2.5

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2010 03:22:07 | More by DmanGTR

Dentist666

Russian Federation

3.25/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

ABV 9,0
Not very liquid beer deep amber in colour, not absolutely translucent with golden 2-finger tight head.
There are caramel, tofee, grain & some fruit sensations in aroma.
Dense sweet beer, honey, grain & almost no hop at all, well hidden alcohol, middle carbonation. Special mouthfeel like after anti-cough syrup.
Good, but not essential beer
Type is double brown ale, however.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2010 14:20:15 | More by Dentist666

SLeffler27

New York

3.48/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A cascading golden head ultimately locks in at four fingers, leaving clinging foam as it slowly settles with a fine coating of lace lower in the glass. The beer itself is honey amber and is about as translucent as honey.

This doppelbock is dominated by the grain bill with some wet wheat in the background and highlighted by a surprise of nutmeg and cinnamon. However, the grains really are the main player.

While tilted to the sweet side, this is more balanced than expected from the aroma. Honey, rather than grains, takes the lead and there is no measurable bitterness, however, some hop flavors do come through. The finish is brief and almost instantaneous, leaving no other memorable impact.

This pilsner hosted a medium bodied, lightly carbonated lager with a silky texture. The alcohol, though weighty, is completely disguised.

While I have had few Italian beers to date, this one is by far the superior offering. La Tabachéra should work well with light foods and light occasions.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2010 12:54:15 | More by SLeffler27

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.1/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Hmmm, I think the best thing about this is the aroma. Poured witha fine small off white to light tan head that mostly faded. Color is a hazy and kind of funky amber brown. Aroma is malty, caramel, a little wine, nuts, a little hop, yeast, toffee. Flavor is similar but less going on. Body is ok and so is the carbonation. Finish is the flavor that just fades. An average malty beer that is just that - nothing special one way or the other.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2009 05:57:50 | More by drpimento

bort11

Missouri

3.68/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My grabbed this new arrival to the shelves for me as a midweek treat. She's a keeper folks!

500 ml bottle flip top bottle. There was a slight spritz when the topper popped. Poured into a pilsener glass. Thin white head is pretty quick to recede. Color is a toasty reddish amber. Micro streamers fly up from the bottom of glass.

Smell is sweet and malty. There is lots of raw sugar, ginger, honey, and orange blossom. Taste has more brown sugar and ginger. I do not sense the alcohol at all, very well hidden, especially for a sweeter beer.

Mouthfeel is like a simple syrup. Not very thick, but still slick. Very mild carbonation keeps things moving. I don't think it's very much in the style, but as a beverage it is pretty good.

Blipped "That's Amore" by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2009 04:58:03 | More by bort11

gford217

Georgia

3.2/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

500mL fliptop poured into a snifter.

Pours a clear amber, fairly light for the style, with a small off-white head that lingers as a soapy swirl and leaves some boozy legs on the glass after each sip.

The aroma is pretty good, though fairly basic with the sweet caramel aromas coupled with some sweet fruits, mostly lighter fruits actually, with some apples maybe. There is a super faint toasty character in the nose as well.

The taste is also very sweet and one-dimensional - honestly tastes a little bit like watered down apple juice, especially in the finish. There are some caramel notes up front and toasted malts in the background, but the fruity sweetness is dominant.

The mouthfeel is very slick and fairly light bodied, almost watery at points.

I'm not exactly sure how to classify this beer and I guess doppelbock is as representative as anything. Either way, it's very one dimensional and sweet and overall a fairly average beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2009 01:42:59 | More by gford217

JohnfromDublin

Ireland

3.63/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a strange one! I spotted this in a small café in a backstreet in Rome and asked for a bottle. Being in a half litre bottle, I did not suspect that it would have an ABV of 10%!!

Anyway, BB 09 09 (tasted on 31.05.2009) it poured a hazy red-brown body with a reasonable cream coloured head. Smelled of rust and malt. The taste was not for the faint hearted; an upfront red rusty malty beer. Alcohol not quite "in your face", but evident shortly. Peppery also.

There was not too much subtlety or complexity to this brew, and I probably shouldn't have liked it but, I did!

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2009 10:40:31 | More by JohnfromDublin

Vancer

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Grabbed a sample glass and poured this brew from it's 500ml swingtop. Looks a murky amber brown with a dead head of ivory that tries to pop up, but needs a pop of Viagra. Does make a better head attempt as she warms.

Bit of Barleywine aroma, with sweet malts, caramel and orange liquor swirling about. Not a dopplebock as listed here, but is it drinkable? It has a thin body that barely covers the alcohol. The hot finish kicks in with a bit of mediciney bite. Now it's kicking like a Samichlaus Bier dopplebock.
Strange brew, but ya know? I'd say to give one a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2009 00:58:12 | More by Vancer

nick76

Florida

2.63/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

The aroma is papery and fruity with yeast, malt, corn, grass, and flowers. The appearance is amber with a large head. The flavor is like the aroma. The palate is thin. This is not a good beer in any way except appearance. I don't want another one. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2009 11:28:30 | More by nick76

BierFan

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a half liter swing-top brown bottle into a flute glass.

Appearance: Clear reddish brown, with an off-white head. Little to no carbonation.

Smell: Nice malty and sweet aroma.

Taste: Very sweet with alcohol in the background. It's alot like caramel candy and the big alcohol content gives it a bit of twang.

BA lists this beer as a doppelbock, the back label on the bottle says brown ale, but in my opinion this beer fills the characteristics of a wee-heavy/Scotch ale the best.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2009 03:39:03 | More by BierFan

kwakwhore

North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reddish brown pour with an off white/light tan head. Nice retention and lacing.
Sweet bready malt aromas and even some hops.
Taste is a bit of a letdown. Not anything like what a doppel should taste like. Malt character is attenuated but there is actually a bit of hoppy character and a bit of cough syrup character in the finish. It only gets worse as it warms up.
Mouthfeel is thin.
10% abv limits the drinkability of this beer and it is evident as one drinks it.
Not sure what the brewer was trying to do with this beer. If it's a doppel it's too thin. If you want an Italian doppelbock Moretti La Rossa is a much better choice.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2008 04:24:42 | More by kwakwhore