Due
Micro Cervejaria Bamberg

 

33 cL bottle, thanks Jon,

A: Pours a deep amber with a small white head, some good lace.

S: Sweet malt nose, molasses and brown sugar. Some dried cranberries and raisins.

T: Malt heavy, but never cloying. Taste fairly Belgian, but with a twist. Date and raisin dominate, but there's a hint of red currant and pomegranate in there too. Nice mix of flavours, if not too complex.

M: Medium-bodied, a smooth beer, soft carbonation, a good feel for a New World Belgian-style beer.

D: Quite a good little dubbel, a style that's hard to get right. Why not classically Belgian in flavour, it's still quite enjoyable. A solid effort by Bamberg.

You know you have an up and coming craft beer culture when....a well respected brewery (in this case Microcervejaria Bamberg) creates a beer to commemorate a well respected beer house (in this case Melograno). Due, a Belgian-styled dubbel with pomegranate, commemorates the second anniversary of the bar's opening. As a fan of both the brewery and the bar, I couldn't turn down the chance at a bottle. Many thanks goes out to srbcurti for the opportunity to try this one time beer, and on we go:

Amber brown with tones of caramel color. Not much of a head on the pour, though splashing the liquid around does seem to create a few legs. Real sweet and fruity is the nose, a distinct fruitiness. I sense some pomegranate in there, the rest I can’t put my finger, yet I’m still enjoying it.

The taste is really a borderline 4/4.5 in this case. It’s big on the fruit; pomegranate, plenty of red grape, and a touch of black cherry. A touch of booze breaks the fruit trend and remind me that I’m still drinking beer. While sweet, it’s not cloying and actually refreshing. The carbonation is medium-high, which brings that feeling that I’m drinking something Belgian.

Given my forgettable past with pomegranate beers, I came in a little pessimistic. One sip changed my mind. Due may not have as much flash or mystical power than some of the more world famous examples among homage’s to a bar, but Due is a very respectable, well mannered beer that quickly gets down to business.