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Dogfish Head Birra Etrusca

Discussion in 'Beer Releases' started by DonDirkA, Nov 17, 2012.

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  1. DonDirkA

    DonDirkA Initiate (0) Dec 14, 2011 Arizona

    [​IMG]

    And so the hunt begins, at least for Dogfish Head's like myself.

    "This Ancient Ale proves that beside the wine on every Italian's dinner table, there should also be a place for beer.

    To develop the recipe for Birra Etrusca Bronze, Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione traveled to Rome with molecular archaeologist Dr. Pat McGovern. With the help of Birreria Brother Brewers Leo DeVencenzo of Birra del Borgo and Teo Musso of Baladin, they analyzed drinking vessels found in 2,800-year-old Etruscan tombs.

    Although Italian historians were a little reluctant to admit it, the team clearly found that the Etruscans had a taste for ale.

    "In every part of the process, we go for as much authenticity as we can," Calagione says. "Ingredients are often tough to track down, and there can be financial and logistical challenges, but we really love embracing these risks to bring these beers to market."

    The backbone of Birra Etrusca comes from two-row malted barley and an heirloom Italian wheat. Specialty ingredients include hazelnut flour, pomegranates, Italian chestnut honey, Delaware wildflower honey and clover honey. A handful of whole-flower hops are added, but the bulk of the bitterness comes from gentian root and the sarsaparilla-like Ethiopian myrrh resin.

    Birra del Borgo and Baladin also will brew a version of Birra Etrusca, and to add complexity and variety, each brewery will ferment its batches with different traditional materials. Dogfish will use bronze, Baladin will use wood, and Birra del Borgo will use terra cotta.

    Bottles of Dogfish Head's Etrusca will first be released in December 0f 2012."

    I'd love to try the Baladin release fermented in wood as well. This sounds like a good one for their Ancient Ale series. Some have been awesome (Midas Touch, Chateau Jiahu) and some have been god awful (Ta Henket:confused:) but this one actually sounds very good. The other two that I loved were also heavy on the honey, so thay may be why I'm leaning toward good on this brew.
     
    #1 DonDirkA, Nov 17, 2012
    JxExM and Lantern like this.
  2. ArchEnemyBrew

    ArchEnemyBrew Initiate (0) Mar 21, 2010 Washington

    Pass
     
    #2 ArchEnemyBrew, Nov 17, 2012
  3. davey101

    davey101 Pooh-Bah (2,360) Apr 14, 2009 Connecticut
    Pooh-Bah

    Not pass. I'm in! Love the label!
     
    #3 davey101, Nov 17, 2012
    JxExM and Lantern like this.
  4. DonDirkA

    DonDirkA Initiate (0) Dec 14, 2011 Arizona

    While I am disappointed in your choice of beverage hatership, I love your avatar. Tyres is awesome.
     
    #4 DonDirkA, Nov 17, 2012
  5. ArchEnemyBrew

    ArchEnemyBrew Initiate (0) Mar 21, 2010 Washington

    I enjoy 60 min, punkin, burton baton, aged WWS, an occasional 120 min and chicory once in a while. I am just not a fan of the DFH ancient ales series. To each their own though. Anyone who has seen spaced though.....will f*cking love it. :wink:
     
    #5 ArchEnemyBrew, Nov 17, 2012
    Geuzedad and DonDirkA like this.
  6. Relik

    Relik Zealot (591) Apr 20, 2011 Canada (NS)

    umm id love to get my meat hooks on every version...curse my geographical location
     
    #6 Relik, Nov 17, 2012
    DonDirkA likes this.
  7. Blueribbon666

    Blueribbon666 Pooh-Bah (1,657) Jul 4, 2008 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah

    From this series I've only had the Midas Touch, which I found to be really interesting & different. I would try any of DFH's stuff, though I'm not a huge IPA honk, so I have stuck mainly to their other style offerings the Chicory Stout being a frequent purchase.
     
    #7 Blueribbon666, Nov 17, 2012
    DonDirkA likes this.
  8. Geuzedad

    Geuzedad Initiate (0) Nov 14, 2010 Arizona

    I was at the DFH brewhouse last September when they released the Midas Touchstone Cherry. It was only available that day until gone. The took Midas Touch and placed Stone Cherries in a barrel of it and let it age a little longer. The result was a liquid version of your grandmas cherry pie. It was one righteous brew and one I really enjoyed. Sam can really come up with some novel beers. As a whole though I have not been overly impressed with the ancient brews. But his 60, 90, 75, and 120 IPA's are solid and I keep them in the rotation.
     
    #8 Geuzedad, Nov 18, 2012
    DonDirkA likes this.
  9. Giovannilucano

    Giovannilucano Maven (1,436) Feb 24, 2011 Pennsylvania

    Should be in Southern Jersey in December. As for the Birra del Borgo and Baladin, well that is going to be harder...

    I could ask B. United International if it will be arriving from them both....
     
    #9 Giovannilucano, Nov 20, 2012
  10. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    Count me in. I'll try anything DFH puts out at least once.
     
    #10 Hanzo, Nov 20, 2012
    cwreay90, brother_kenneth, Dan_Bowman and 1 other person like this.
  11. DrunkethWizard

    DrunkethWizard Initiate (0) Jul 12, 2012 California

    I'll buy that for a dollar!
     
    #11 DrunkethWizard, Nov 20, 2012
  12. surge1311

    surge1311 Initiate (0) Oct 10, 2012 Rhode Island

    I usually try everything they make, ancient ales are 50/50 but I will certainly try it once. Only bought sahtea, jiahu and midas more than once. Others were not that great
     
    #12 surge1311, Nov 20, 2012
  13. korguy123

    korguy123 Maven (1,403) May 17, 2008 Canada (ON)

    I'm in, WNY is usually pretty good at getting these releases. While I might not be there for quite a while I have some friends who can store a bottle for me :grinning:
     
    #13 korguy123, Nov 20, 2012
  14. Groulxsome

    Groulxsome Zealot (723) Apr 9, 2010 Canada (ON)

    There isn't even a book in this beer! I don't get it.
     
    #14 Groulxsome, Nov 20, 2012
    szmnnl99 and BobCobb like this.
  15. UCLABrewN84

    UCLABrewN84 Initiate (0) Mar 18, 2010 California

    Sounds interesting.
     
    #15 UCLABrewN84, Nov 21, 2012
  16. DonDirkA

    DonDirkA Initiate (0) Dec 14, 2011 Arizona

    Thats my feeling. Those three are my favorites. This seems like it'll be more toward the Jiahu/Midas taste
     
    #16 DonDirkA, Nov 21, 2012
  17. surge1311

    surge1311 Initiate (0) Oct 10, 2012 Rhode Island

    lets hope so, seems like a lot going on in one beer. certainly look forward to it but dont know what to expect
     
    #17 surge1311, Nov 21, 2012
  18. Jonada

    Jonada Savant (1,174) May 23, 2012 New Jersey
    Trader

    Ditto

    Some have been great, some have been average, but they're usually always a unique beer drinking experience. The only one I would characterize as just flat out bad was Ta Henket. I have no idea what they were thinking on that one.
     
    #18 Jonada, Nov 21, 2012
    DonDirkA likes this.
  19. busternuggz

    busternuggz Initiate (0) Mar 9, 2008 California

    I'm usually not in to these ancient ales, but this one sounds interesting.

    If it isn't astronomically priced I might even get one...though it probably will be.
     
    #19 busternuggz, Nov 21, 2012
  20. Dan_Bowman

    Dan_Bowman Initiate (0) Apr 11, 2010 Ohio

    DFH is really hit or miss with all their brews, I think but I have a lot of respect for them for always trying something new! But when they have hits, they are great! 90 minute, midas touch, noble rot, punkin! Cheers to Dogfish!
     
    #20 Dan_Bowman, Nov 21, 2012
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