Italian beer?

Italian beer can be really good, unfortunately it is very common for some of their beers to be bottled in fancy bottles, fancy labels, cost a fortune and be a little bit above average at best.

However the brewing industry is currently blooming in Italy and the brewers experiment a lot (especially with unusual ingredients, sometimes they succeed, others not).

I really like the way the experiment with Barley Wines and they have produced some stunning brews :

- The Baladin Xyauyù series (some can be found in the Us, great but pricey).
- Birra del Borgo Sedigradiciis
- Baladin Lune Riserve Teo Musso is a masterpiece (Terre was also great)
- Montegioco Bran Reserva

and many others

Revelation Cat, Toccilmatto, Loverbeer,Bi-DU,Panil, Almond 22 and others produce good quality beers.

 

Touche.

 

Birrifico Bruton. Also the aforementioned Birra del Borgo - I love their version of My Antonia, despite the ridiculous price point in the US.

 

Thank you for this discussion! I am headed to Italy in a few weeks to do an ironman triathlon, after which I plan to catch up on some of the beer drinking I haven't been able to do during my training :-D Having only tasted Peroni and Moretti before, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get anything worth drinking! Keep the recommendations coming -- especially for good stouts to try.

 

I am glad to see this thread going!

 

by far my biggest complaint about Italian beer. Most of what I've tried has been decent, but really needs to come down in price (and I'm talking like 50-70% for some beers).

 

The Italians make world-class food, wine, cars, shoes, suits etc. I don't see why the same can't be for beer. Just don't price it like a Lamborghini!

 

I agree! I wish the prices were lower but due to getting hops from America and sending beer back America can be pricey...

 

Didn't know the hops were from America. Would it be any cheaper if they were from, say, Germany or Czech Republic?

 

You should come down to Norfolk, VA to the Birch Bar. Dude's always got mad Italians on tap.

 

I think they are getting the more aggressive style hops from America rather then the standard European hops..

 

So funny that I did not even think of Virginia becoming a craft beer place, and more places are popping up five years after I moved!

 

Anyone try the Birra del Borgo Duchessic collab w/Cantillon?

 

It was mentioned above, excellent beer for sure!

 

I haven't seen any around in Houston. I did see some Spanish beer but did not buy, I did read an article on Italian beer on Market Watch. Here's the article.





http://s385.photobucket.com/albums/oo297/kaneman30/?action=view&current=photo-37.jpg

 

I've had it twice, and loved it both times. I want a 750 of it so I can sit it in the fridge and stare at it.

 

i've had the keto reporter ( birra del borgo) wich wasnt bad at all! but its my onley one so far. i think its the first one of the pic above, and if not, it does look like it

 

Birra Del Borgo Enkir was made with a grain that was reintroduced to farm production in Italy 12,000 years after humans first grew and ate and brewed with it. Fantastic beer, and pushing the envelope in the superior way that Italian products generally are known for doing.

Gotta echo the consensus thought that Italian beers are too expensive for my taste to have much presence in my lineup. Xyauyu, etc., may be great but I will never know at those prices.

 

I would love to see it in larger format, but I've only ever seen 375s

 

I've been exploring the Italian beers over the last two years they've been really stepping up their game.

Max's in Baltimore has a Italian beer festival that I've gone to the last two years, this year I went with a list of bottles to purchase, cost me $190 for 8 bottles! Learned my lession to inquire politely about the price before buying.

I'd add Birrificio Montegioco Dolii Raptor along with seconding the Balidin Xfume, the Panil Barrique and Del Ducato Verdi imp stout. All top notch in their style.