Chiostro
Piccolo Birrificio

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From:
Piccolo Birrificio
 
Italy
Style:
Herb and Spice Beer
ABV:
5%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.69 | pDev: 13.01%
Reviews:
24
Ratings:
36
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 09, 2015
Added:
Dec 16, 2008
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  3
No description / notes.
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Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.05/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
this has different packaging now than what is pictured, but its awesome beer all the way. done with wormwood leaves and flowers from what i understand. i think its the root they make absinthe from, so this isnt exactly psychedelic, but its really cool. never seen these extra ingredients before. its a straw colored brew, with a great bubbly white head on it, looks unassuming, i mean, its not neon green like absinthe or anything. it has a cool earthy aroma, very floral and bright, not artificial perfume, but definitely pungent. one curious absence here is the presence of much yeast character. the italians always have cool weird yeast, and this one doesnt seem to it all. its clear looking and i cant smell it. the flavor is less floral than the smell, but its clear the wormwood elements have made a cool contribution. more herbal than floral here, and bitter like dandelion. there is a nice spice to this, white pepper, it must come from the yeast, but its entirely new to my palate in this manifestation. crazy to have a beer this flavorful but also this refreshing. with such a low abv and all this carbonation, it drinks down really easy and makes a fantastic accompaniment to greasy food like pizza, or heavy food like cheesy polenta. one of the producers i know the least about, so cool to see this beer on the menu at gozo on broadway. fun stuff, wholly original. feels fancy.
May 09, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by DrBier from Pennsylvania

Aug 06, 2014
Photo of 57md
Reviewed by 57md from Pennsylvania

3.46/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Initial appearance was much more foam than beer. The foam retreated quickly displaying a pale straw color. The nose is the best part of this offering - grapes were distinctly present. The flavor has some muted sweetness followed by a touch of tartness. The finish was fairly bland. The body was disappointingly thin.

Birrificio is not terrificio.
Jan 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by DrewLikesBeer from Florida

Dec 16, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Dec 06, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by JJStout83 from Virginia

Oct 19, 2013
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

3.54/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
A: The beer is very hazy dark pale yellow in color and also has some bits of amber hues along with a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a short head that quickly dissipated, leaving delicate lacing covering the surface and a ring of large bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of woody herbs are present in the nose, which I presume to be the wormwood. The smell becomes stronger and mustiness becomes detectable as the beer warms up.
T: The taste has flavors of woody herbs along with notes of apples and some hints of yeast. No bitterness is perceptible.
M: It feels low- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a low amount of visible carbonation.
O: I've never had an absinthe beer before, but this wasn't that bad and was quite drinkable.
Oct 12, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by ncelauro from New York

Sep 21, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by mltobin from Connecticut

Jul 30, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by DRBiser from Maryland

Jul 12, 2013
Photo of Cylinsier
Reviewed by Cylinsier from Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tap

Pours light hazh lemon gold. White lacing for a head.

Smells of light grassy citrus malts.

Flavor is of light grassy malts and sour lemon with some bitterness like oak, hops, and citrus rind.

Medium body with light carbonation.

Good tart saison like ale. I think some of the reviews here are confusing this with the other Chiostro. This is quite good.
Jun 23, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by brewsadedotcom from Pennsylvania

Apr 13, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by BeerzMcKenzie from Ohio

Dec 12, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by t0rin0 from California

Dec 07, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by jaidenjb from Ohio

Dec 20, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Nov 20, 2011
Photo of drpimento
Reviewed by drpimento from Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Interesting, tasty beer. Poured with a huge, billowy, foamy, frothy, fluffy, textured, off-white head and a little lace. Color os a slightly hazy straw yellow and has loads of bubble trails. Aroma is yeast, musty, earthy, citrus, spice. Flavor is similar to nose plus tang from high effervescence. Body is good and carbonation is great. Finish is like flavor, clean, and tapers from fermented ingredients first, then the carbonic tang over some length.
Jul 08, 2011
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Chiostro, bird bionda, amaricata con assenzio, ale chair prodatta artigionalimente non pastorizzatta…more Italian I can't understand…"con levito trappista"…that sounds like it's in a Belgian style. Now in English: "ale brewed with spices., 5% alc./vol" Piccolo Birrificio. Ingredients: barley malt, water, hops, wormwood leaves (huh??)and flowers, Trappist yeast. Are those the spices, you think?
Well, here we go, let's do it to it!

Hazed, golden color, beautiful pure white head of gentle froth, …big carbonation, intensive bubble traffic, rising up to the top.

Slightly sweet and delicately spicy. light and lovely.

Taste: bitterness and spice greet the tongue first, a highly hopped thing in the mouth. Brisk, crisp, flush with citric fruit feel, sweetness that was dries off, spice and hops remain foremost.

Light-bodied and easy-drinking, never-ending hops and spice. Quite a nice Belgian pale ale/tripel. Way to go, Piccolo!
May 28, 2011
Photo of AgentZero
Reviewed by AgentZero from Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A - Straw colored beer with a white head that left solid sheets on the side. A little hazy, but turns to a clear gold on the edges.

S - Super sweet honey smell with a slight fruit or stong sugar that I can only guess is the absinthe. The sweetness is really what's dominating, really about it, but smells quite inviting.

T - Tastes like a lot of nothing. There is some pale sweet malt, and a hint of peppery spice on the back end, but watered down and blah.

M - Lower carbonation, medium bodied.

O - Smells good, tastes blah. Doesn't taste bad, but unless the absinthe in this starts giving me an off-the-wall experience I'll not seek this out.
May 11, 2011
Photo of Rizalini
Reviewed by Rizalini from Nevada

2.88/5  rDev -22%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass...

A - Extremely foamy! Almost 4 finger white head, leaving great lacing.Pours a hazy yellow. Maybe a chill haze.

S - Slightly yeasty aroma, almost belgian, but not (if that makes sense).

T - Has a very mild flavor, lightly spiced. Nothing more there, sadly.

M - Light mouthfeel, but that's what to be expected from a light blonde beer.

O - This beer was $15, and I'm upset I paid that much for an average beer at best.
Mar 19, 2011
Chiostro from Piccolo Birrificio
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 36 ratings