Cassissona
Birrificio Italiano

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. ABV was 6.4%. Hazy golden colour, huge head. Pleasant aroma of blackcurrants and hops. Moderately fruity flavour (blackcurrants), light bodied for a 6.4% beer.

 

 

so fun experimenting with some of these crazy italian producers. never seen anything from these guys on the market before a recent trip to fort collins, so what a treat. sometimes i get bummed out buying beer like this for 20 bucks a bottle, but it seems to almost always be worth it in the end. less so this time, i thought the beer was lesser quality than some, but had some age on it, and maybe dropped off a bit. hazy murky purple wheat beer look to it with a tall and lasting just off white head thats real dense and creamy. looks nice in the glass. i wanted this to be more of a wild ale, not sure why i expected it to be one. the nose shows some yeast, but its more like a tired saison than something funky, and it has a staleness to it, short of oxidation, but lackluster and sleepy. the fruit smells nice, sweet and jammy, definitely some residual sugar in this. in the flavor, the fruit comes first, blackberry desserty, authentic for sure, and really cool use of black currants. pale wheat malt seems to make up the majority of the grain, but thats a bit stale too at this point. mild tartness with the sweetness from the fruit, and a yeast that does nothing at all for me. great carbonation though, and a very unique product, even though i am far from in love with it. not stoked i spent what i spent on this, but its unlike anything else, and satisfies my thirst for weird italian brews. unless you find a fresh one though, i would save your money...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A- well I think that is the biggest head I have ever seen on a beer. Poured it into a Maredsous glass and ended up with 1/3 foam. The beer itself was a cloudy orange color.

S- a bit funky

T- a bit fruity and wine like. Interesting,but not great. This bottle has been sitting around for a couple of years. I can't remember what it was like when I had the first bottle, so no call on how its changed.

M- a bit thin. Not much malt in the beer, so not much feel.

Overall an interesting beer, but I won't pick this one up again.

 

 

 

125th Review
Bottle to Westvletren 12 (small) chalice

From notes. Can't recall who brought this to our recent Utrecht tasting in December 2011, but thanks!

A: Medium, pale yellow. Solid 2 (soft white) fingernail head on medium pour.

S: Funk and farm. Smells of lemon, hay, cracked wheat, and old cheese.

T: Unripened white grapes, cracked hay, and lemon zest. Hint of citrus fruit and tart berries. Not too sour or tart, but not too sweet either. Dull might be the best way to describe the taste.

M: Light bodied with medium carbonation.

O: I was searching for a lot of the things I mentioned above in this beer - there is just no real distinct character to it. Not that that is necessarily bad - because it was definitely a nice thing to drink - but just tossing that out there. Maybe it gets better with age.

I was able to try this beer at a tasting organized by Jeffo and Doopiedoopiedoo. Read some more about the tasting on my review of The Brewery - Black Tuesday.

This was a gusher! For a sour it is not really uncommon, but unfortunately it was opened inside :).

A - A hazy fluid with a white head and there is some carbonation visible.

S - A bread kind of smell along with sour, overall it smelled like a cow stable.

T - A light cherry and blackberry taste, very nicely done concerning the smell :)

M - A medium carbonation, where one expect a high one!

O - Not to bad in taste, but there is no complexity/depth.

 

This beer poured out as a pretty red color with a pinkish colored head that faded rather quickly. The smell of the beer had some tart fruity elements to it that reminded me a lot of wine. The taste of the beer was tart with a little amount of funk in there and a bit dry. The mouthfeel was light and dry, some light carbonation but nothing too out of the ordinary here. Overall this beer is decent to me. I can't rave about much because I wasn't really impressed by it. It might be worth trying if you really like these types of beers.

I had this on-tap at Max's during their Italian Fest. It was the only one I didn't really care for.

A - reddish-amber color with a healthy white head.

S - A bit of tart fruit.

T - I wasn't too crazy about this beer. It was just okay. I can enjoy a sour beer, but the flavor did not impress me, and it was too carbonated. I didn't know it was supposed to be a sparkling beer. The tart fruit did not come out too well. The flavor leaned toward being slightly bile-like, as though it were a batch past due.

M - Too carbonated.

D - Not the best drinkability since there is so much carbonation.

Not the best, not the worst. At least it wasn't a gusher like many of the other recent Italians I've tried. Poured with a lively tan head that quickly settled down almost none. Color is a hazy medium amber. Aroma is malty, cassis, and a hint of the bacteria. Flavor's similar to nose; not too complex. Body is a little thin and carbonation a bit sharp. Finish is like a slightly washed out flavor with alcohol and medium in length. Not worth the price at all.

Chilled in the fridge for 24 hrs, but it was still a bit of an over-foamer. Murky auburn with a big white head that leaves sticky, foamy lace.

Smell is very sweet, tangerines, maybe a little raspberry.

Taste is similar, sweet candied fruits, a hint of minerality. I've never had black currants, but when it's used as a wine descriptor, the wines taste nothing like this. The cloyingness really got fatiguing as I worked though this.

Mouthfeel is on the lighter side, a little sticky.

Drinkability is eh. Not much of a fruit component, or sour like I hoped it might of been. A marked nose and taste of sweet biere de garde, just not what I was in the mood for, taste like a BdG made with to much belgian aromatic malt. Not sure how old this is though, I've cellared it for at least a year, probably more.

750ml bottle thanks to jleblanc, much appreciated. For some reason I expected the color to be dark but it was a hazy orange-ish color with a super foamy head. The smell was weird, grains and such. The flavor was also weird, not tart and yet not sweet. Berries and stuff but also grains like the aroma.

1 Pint 9.4 FL OZ bottle.

This one scares me as the label says 'Sparkling Beer'. Opened to a loud pop. I was expecting to have beer all over my desk, but it didn't gush. It did pour all head. Settled to a medium amber color. Lots of floaters. Aromas of grapes, berries, and some yeast. Taste was different, not what the aroma lead me to believe it would be. Some berries, but they were muted. Sweet. Body was on the flat side too - another surprise with the way this opened and poured. Different.

Notes from 12/23/06

Thanks to Tony of the OTH for a free sampling of this rare treat.

A: Pours a light cloudy orange honey colored hue with large soapy head. Retention was pretty good with some spotty lace.

S: Slightly fruity aroma with lots of yeast in the background.

T: This one is fruity, light berries, currants, some wheaty, grainy, bready, yeasty notes.

M: Light and tingly.

D: I had a nice sized sample, but this one would be served best in a 1/2 pint glass or such. Not one you would pound, but it is enjoyable in small servings.

Blackcurrant beer...this one is in a big 75 cl bottle. The bottle opens with a loud 'pop', and copious foam builds on the initial pour. The beer is at once subtle in fruitiness, and also pronounced in character. There's a little tartness in the aroma, but a little more yeast, herbal hops, vanilla, and a little earthy 'farminess'. It's a nice combination, actually, and makes this cloudy, peach-colored beer very intriguing. The beer isn't overpowering, so it should be matched with appropriately light food. It's also got a delicate, champagne like texture, which is quite refreshing. The flavor is best described as semi-sweet, with a notable malt presence but also distinct hop balance. This one is surely a keeper.

Poured from 750 mL bottle into pint glass.
A: Pours a golden color with TONS of carbonation...2/3 head and 1/3 beer in the glass even with a careful pour.
S: Citrus hops and a hint of cassis. Honestly wish there was a bit more cassis in the aroma.
T: Candy sugar and cassis...a little too sweet for my tastes.
M: Very light and bubbly...almost champagne-like.
D: Decently drinkable, but again I'm held back by the sweetness. Those who like sweeter fruit beers with high carbonation will like this one. Would pair well with a chocolate dessert.

This is a good fruit beer- the fruitiness doesn't overpower, yet it retains a playful flavor which makes it very drinkable. The berry taste is a very slight bit more towards the tart side than just a sugary sweetness. Also, you can detect sevral fruits to the flavor, not just focusing on one taste, which can tend to let fruit beers taste like just chemical flavoring. The appearance is sort of a orangish red and light, which is a bit disappointing as you are expecting a darker red color to aesthetically aid the flavor. It is above average for a fruit beer, but nothing to really lose your mind over.

Bottle shared by humulone_red. Thanks!
Pours a murky amber with a filmy head. Smell is bright fresh fruity, cassis, and maltiness. Taste is very mild. Faint tartness, berry like flavor, and a thin body with light carbonation. Decent, and the fruity is surprisingly light in this one.

Appearance: Pours golden orange into a goblet, which was somewhat startling after the very dark bottle. Two-finger off-white head, probably due to an overly enthusiastic pour. (Actually, my second pour was much more careful and I still got a lot of head; it's just a live one.) Head lingers for a moderate amount of time. No lacing.

Smell: The fruit notes are obvious and, yes, you can smell the currants. Sour notes come through and suggest this is going to be a little different from your average fruit beer.

Taste: It's definitely sweet and fruity, but not overpowering. Some tartness keeps it from being too sweet, and I think that's the key to this beer's enjoyability. After I read the label I expected for this to be lambic-like, but it's actually much more balanced in an unexpected way. This is a total surprise to me, and is quite nice.

Mouthfeel: Enjoyable -- moderate carbonation, and finishes very clean. Another surprise.

Drinkability: Surprisingly drinkable. I approached this one with some reluctance, given the style and the fact that it's not from one of the great beer nations of the world, but this is really a nice beer. I like Billolick's idea of drinking this one in the sun with some fruity deserts, cheese and bread; being in Italy wouldn't be bad either.

sampled on tap at coles may 10/08. thanks to biegaman for splitting his goblet with me after he got the last one!

pours hazy reddish orange with a small dense white head. the head drops fairly fast and leaves no lace.

aroma is good. light cider vinegar. lemon. light fresh cassis. touch of sweetness. horse blanket and leather. crackers. just a hint of alcohol.

taste is good. light cassis sweetness. a touch of vinegar and sourness again, but much more restrained than in the aroma. light horse blanket and leather. white bread. crackers. bit of alcohol. very light citrus, maybe orange peel, but it doesn't really jump out at you.

mouthfeel is good. medium carbonation level. light body with a fairly dry finish.

drinkability is good. the light sweet currants balance and offset the funk and sourness quite well. i really enjoyed the interplay between the two. very nice and enjoyable.

Had this on tap at the Brick Store Pub. Italian beers certainly are getting interesting. Given that there is not a huge beer tradition there, I think they have not been hindered by style and have felt free to experiment with all kinds of ingredients. This cassis beer is one of the better ones that I have. Lighter and more refreshing than many others. Poured a hazy orange with a white fluffy head and great lacing. The smell is almost all black currant with its winey sweet/sour aromas. The taste is fruity, but the cassis is more restrained here. There is a note of it, but more as an accent. Instead you get berries, some lemon, and a touch of apricot in the main body. Smooth and spritzy and quite refreshing, and thankfully for the style, not overly sweet. Quite refreshing and a nice summer aperitif.

What a lovely beer this was, and what a pleasure to find it on tap at Grand Cru in Baltimore. I've only ever seen this beer in bottle, the last time at the Portland International Beer festival. All the more reason why I was so pleased/surprised to see it here on tap.

The beer pours a warm, hazzy brown, amber color, with very good head retention and decent lacing. On the nose you really get the cassis aroma, but it's not overdone or overly sweet. There is also some sweet malt, but it's dominated by the cassis. On the palate this beer is delightful. There is sweet cherry, melon and apple flavors, and the beer reminds me of a somewhat sweeter version of Samuel Adams Lager, but with the added cassis flavor. The beer is on the sweet side, but is not overdone and is not the least bit cloying. The beer is not the least bit heavy and is absolutely perfect for summer quaffing. This beer is quite drinkable and finishes very nicely, even a bit crisply.

What a fine beer. Kudos to Grand Cru for carrying this excellent beer.

Appearance: Pours a hazy peach color with a massive head that is very hard to handle but leaves lacing all over the champagne flute

Smell: Dominant aroma of currants, but complemented by toffee, vanilla and cashew

Taste: Starts with a toffee/peach flavor that is joined, mid-palate, by a blast of currants; after the swallow, the complex currant flavors dominate and provide a tart-sweet element that is long-lasting; there is an unusual yeasty flavor on the finish that adds complexity

Mouthfeel: Light body with overwhelming carbonation; tingly on the tongue from start to finish

Drinkability: An experience that I really enjoyed, once I was able to deal with the carbonation; this is a complex beer that really pushes the boundaries

Unusually shaped bottle, thin label lets the imbiber know that this one was “Matured over six months” and “Bottled on January 18, 2006” Opened with a powerful pop, that had me fearing a nasty spill over. It never materialized thankfully. Pours with a lot of carbonation, threatening a pour over on every refill. Frothy, loose and long lasting mildly apricot head, slowly morphing to loose, splotchy lacing. Nose is of light grape jelly and a faint mustiness. Pours cloudy murky peanut butter light brown. Notes of the expected fruitiness, grapes, berries, yeasty gunk at the bottom of the bottle. Fresh, refreshing and went pretty well with some cheese and crackers. Not something I would drink that often but I would like to try some on a sunny summer afternoon, lying by the pool on a hill side in Italy with some fruity desserts, more cheese, salad and crusty bread……

This beer has an extremely unique bottle and very un-beer-like labeling. Defintely something different!

The beer pours cloudy brown, and is extremely carbonated (more carbonated than champagne). This extreme head has great staying power and takes forever to dissipate, so take great caution when pouring, lest you get a tulip-ful of foam.

Smell is pretty much pure sour. I've had currant jelly before, but I can't profess to extreme amount of familiarity with the fruit so I might have a hard time smelling it, although I didn't pick up much in the way of fruit notes in the aroma.

Taste is a weird, totally unexpected maltiness. This was definitely not what I expected from a fruit beer. Surprisingly, this beer was just not fruity tasting.

Mouthfeel was also unique. The beer seemed to have a watery viscosity, but a bubbly mouthfeel like a sparkling wine. Very different, but not recommended.

Pours a hazy peach-orange body beneath a massive head of pillowy foam. The head eventually dies down and exhibits good retention and lacing. The nose is bright with ripe, juicy, and lightly tart currants, as well as some berries, spice, and mustiness. In the mouth it's medium-light bodied and airy with a very fine-bubbled, natural carbonation. It's gently effervescent and tingly-smooth. The flavor is more fruit pulp-like than fruit juicy, but the currant is clearly expresses and some of the mustiness found in the aroma is also present and helps to give it depth. Delicate. Very little bitterness, as expected. It finishes fairly short and dry considering it's a fruit beer, with just a touch of residual fruit left in the mouth. Quite nice.

A fellow BA brought this to a BA gathering the other day, from a large bottle.

A - light amber/golden. Head is white and puffy, lacing and retention minimal until you stir it up at which point it bubbles up furiously.

S - strong aroma of dark fruits, currants, red grapes, apricot. Little bit of alcohol in there, too. Light toasted, honey malt aroma. No hops.

T - taste mirrors the nose. Assertive dark fruit flavor dominated by red grapes, dried berries. Light malt flavor mixed in, wheat, honey, wheat toast. Little bit of bitterness, but this beer is on the sweet side.

M - very thin body, carbonation high, a little too high in my opinion. Like a champagne.

D - tasty fruit flavor, but carbonation is off the charts for me.