Surfing Hop
Birra Toccalmatto

Dark red, cappuccino colored foam, quite elegant and persistent.
Malty smell, even a bit too much. Same for the taste. The hop is present, in the smell and in the taste, but it is a bit overwhelmed by the mellowness of the malt. Anyway, tangerine, orange, some resinous and balsamic notes.
Full body, full aftertaste, orange, tangerine (long) and a touch of resin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours dark amber, almost brown with practically no head.
Very malty aroma, lots of clean malt. Also some resinous pine and toasty notes.
Similar flavours. Lots of malt, some toasty notes and a big pine and grapefruit hit. Assertive bitterness, but the malt wins out.
Needs more carbonation.

750ml bottle, bottled in july 2012, so still pretty fresh.

A- Dark amber/light brown colour, a bit of hazyness. 1 finger off-white head, not big but still shows decent retention and lacing

S- A lot of things going around. Definitely a caramel malt feel, but also kind of earthy/yeasty, slight spicy hint. Hops sure detectable with resins and maybe a touch of citrus. Powerful aroma, but not at all amalgated

T- Sadly, as the smell suggested, this is a huge mess of conflicting flavours. Strong and very sweet caramel malts base, but also a slight roasted note. Notes of lemon and orange are definitely detectable on the tongue. Some sugar is probably in the mix. An herbal/piney feel gets dominant on the back of the mouth and in the aftertaste, though still not at all as bitter as you would expect from an imperial ipa (at this point, i actually wonder if this definiton fits the beer). That hint of roastiness and hop flavours just do not fit with that dominant, very sweet caramel malts. A bit of alcohol also gets in the mix, it brings a warming feel while an ipa, with it's citric notes should be about refreshment, right?

M- Medium to full bodied, quite dense and creamy expecially on the palate. Carbonation is still very active though. Again, trying and failing to fit in two shoes, though this is maybe the less annoying part

O- I could drink this, i finished it and i didn't regret trying but i still have to give it a big smash, despite the previous high ratings. A beer can't just be original by blending together flavours that usually don't go together, it also has to be balanced and well amalgamated, this one was a mess and also quite heavy on the stomach. I like toccalmatto's ipas but this was just too much

Picked this up at my favorite beer store in Belgium, Dranken Geers. Dark copper-mahogany pour with two finger off-white head with nice retention and great lacing. Extremely unique nose for the style. Very earthy with hints of piney resin, tangerines, caramel, and brown sugar. The taste is unique as well. Earthy, spicy, piney hops are perfectly balanced with a great caramel malt base reminiscent of a red ale. Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth and slightly thick and chewy with a great bitter tang on the finish. This is one of those rare beers that you savor every sip because the smell and taste just complement each other perfectly and create that perfect beer experience...at least for me. This was an incredibly unique and tasty beer! The Italians are really bringing it!

Since this was such a life-changing beer, I felt the need to re-review it. Picked this up at a great little beer store in Arlon, Belgium, Miorge Mihoublon. Gorgeous dark mahogany pour with a two finger beige head with great retention and crazy lacing. The nose is like no other IPA. Extremely unique and earthy with hints of resiny pine, balsamic vinegar, caramel, brown sugar, tangerine, and orange peel. The taste is rich and flavorful and equally as unique as the nose. A crazy earthy, balsamic, vinous thing that I really can’t describe that really sets this beer apart. Hints of resiny pine, toffee, orange peel, caramel, subtle grapefruit, brown sugar, and tangerine. The mouthfeel is thick and chewy with a subtle creaminess. Huge, almost mouth-puckering bitterness kept in check with a healthy dose of sweet caramel malt. Overall, one of the hardest beers I’ve ever had to review. It’s so unique and so incredible that rather than try to describe it, I only suggest you try it. Worth every penny if you can get your hands on it. Highly recommended!

Obtained from Bir & Fud bottle shop in Rome this past May. Has an 8/2/11 freshness date.

Poured into a pint glass. Body is a translucent dark brownish red, really looks like a red ale in appearance. Poured to a half inch head, the foam is tan and sudsy, with very good retention and curtains of lacing.

This smells pretty good, but also smells more like a red ale. There are notes of wet hay, roasted/chocolatey malt, and herbal/fruity hops.

Taste follows the nose. There is a nice rich caramel malt backbone to this, with roasted and chocolate notes and orange fruits. The bottle states it is a "birra balsamica" so I take that to mean there might be some balsamic added which, if so, is uniquely Italian. Has a strong orange hop character that is matched by the malt and has a nice balanced taste overall.

Body is medium and the carbonation is tight and fizzy, giving this both a creamy and spritzy mouthfeel. The spritz is also complemented by the hops which give a little tingle on the tongue.

Overall, this is a rich and interesting italian expression of a hoppy beer. The alcohol seems just right for the rich body and flavor of this beer. It uses lots of Willamette and Amarillo, which gives it a west coast expression, but it is also definitely an Italian expression with balsamic; in short, it's a spaghetti western IPA.

Thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a dark amber color with a white head. The aroma is heavy on the pine and resin, with some biscuit and orange citrus notes mixed in. The flavor is just as good. I get a lot of fruit: oranges, peaches and pineapples. I also get some resiny hops and some caramel malt. The beer's bitterness is low to medium, but the hop flavor is very intense. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.