Tipel Risotto Milanese
Spangalang Brewery

really special beer, a collaboration with some really neat italian partners and the execution is grand, puts these guys on the next level, although they are already well ahead of the new brewery curve. brewed with fresh saffron and the rice you make risotto from, arborio. high starch and sticky, but this beer shows a whole lot less of that than i was hoping for. its almost not all that distinct in its grain composition, which let me down a little. i wanted a milky looking thick brew, but while it does have a creamy rich velvety feel, its not as dense and impacted by the rice overall as it could have been i think. the saffron is subtle too, this had to be expensive to make. if you have ever purchased the ingredient, you will know it doesnt come cheap. less yellow orange in color than a saffron beer might be, paella yellow is never achieved. more golden than anything else, although the polleny floral elements can be tasted, and although it feels big, it tastes delicate. somewhat of a style defying beer too, not a tripel, not belgian enough. hoppy but not a european pale or strong. boozy, but not a wheat or barleywine, not malty enough. very cool overall, impressed with it, even if it could be more expressive with its special ingredients. on tap at falling rock. give me more italian yeast! whats their contribution to this other than the saffron?