ImperiAle Balsamico
Birra Del Borgo

This beer is just insane and I have never had anything that approaches its flavor profile. A mixture between a stout and an Oud Bruin or Flemish Red. Insanely complex, with roasty, burnt notes but also with a ton of acidity, vinegar-like sourness and a ton of oak too.

Poured a brown body with minimal head and no lace. To be quite frank, the idea of balsamic in a beer seems unique to me and maybe my review is harsh because I was let down. Beer has a offputting bitter aroma because the balsamic and vinegar (like the salad dressing) really come through and dominate the aroma and beer itself. Balsamic is main star but taste is better than aroma thanks to some sweet aspects and finishes only a tad bitter and dry.
This seems to be a beer, at least gauging bar/people sampled with, one will either love or hate and no in between.

whether or not i really liked this beer is separate from how cool it is. i have never seen balsamic used in a beer before, and i give these guys a lot of credit for going pretty hard on it, its not a subtle accent flavor to a big stout, but instead the driving flavor force behind it, very bold and daring brew, certainly not for everyone, but downright intriguing to say the least. pretty from the tap, a slightly reddish very dark brown with a mocha colored thick creamy head on it. i love the lace it leaves too. aroma is sweet grapey balsamic, seems aged and mature, where it almost thickens and sweetens up instead of being so acidic like when its younger. my mouth waters for it. the flavor is balsamic in the start and all the way though, again almost more like a balsamic reduction, concentrated and sweet. the grapes can be tasted, there is a cherry note, a slight vinegar tang, a little sharpness. tons of residual sugar. the base stout seems about as right to support this flavor as anything, with some darker coffee notes in here, the roast and the dryness help, some bitterness is also useful. enormously complex flavors, velvety texture, but in the end the balsamic really comes out even more, almost too much for me. when this is warmed up, its both boozy and insanely sweet, with some of the vinegar harshness. i love beer that challenges me, and this one absolutely does that. not the most enjoyable glass of beer out there, but gosh its really different and as well done as it possibly could be. for the curious beer drinker, this is an absolute must!