Birrificio del Ducato Krampus

Aged beer, special mixture of a christmas beer and a flemish sour. Smell is fruity and oaky, taste is well balanced between hot spices - a fruity sweetness and a delicious sour and aged note. Really nice huge head. One of the best italian beers I’ve ever had

Pours cloudy brown with an off white head. Aroma of belgian yeast, cloves, and some other spices. Good flavor, somewhat sweet. Was able to drink this while walking around Rome. Quite nice.

Bottle from a ways back via trade with, hmm name is escaping me. Mostly sought this out because of the label and name. Pretty nice nose. Pours orange with a tan head. Nose is sweet and fruity and floral. Taste is sweet and bitter and not up to the snuff of the nose.

Bottle from Johnny’s, Rome. Fruity Beligan aroma. Some acid, some fruit, spice. Brett. Orval-like. Sweet and sour, a hint of yeast. Interesting, but not quite there, and not your average Christmas beer!

Bottled. A light amber beer with sediment floating around under a lazing beige head. The aroma is sweet malty with notes of caramel. The flavoar is sweet with notes of malt and caramel as well as lighter notes of flowers and fruit, leading to a dry bitter finish. Huge thaks to yespr for sharing.

No Peroni or Birra Moretti for me, instead I prepare to partake of the Krampus; a Christmas Beer brewed with spice and Star Anise. Seeing as Christmas is just days away, I eagerly await what gourmand delights are to come. I know nothing of the Italian brewery which brews the Krampus except their name, Birrificio del Ducato.

As I pour my Krampus, the first thing I notice is a flurry of little dregs floating suspended like precious jewels of flavor. Anyone who knows anything about beer knows that dregs floating in their beer can be a fortuitous occasion. No head to speak of, though little streamers of bubbles can be seen escaping to the surface where a unique nose awaits me full of spices, star anise, and milk. Sweet overtones soothe while an undertone of sour acidic funk nips playfully at my senses. I do enjoy a little bit of funk in my beers when done right, so I waste no time delving into her awaiting brew. Immediately, I am taken aback by her thin mouthfeel and body which is clean and full of flavor, but not too heavy or cloistering in any way. Star anise, toffee and pecans are the first flavors to grace me with their presence while a growing sour funk leaves a lingering tartness with each quaff. Yum! I give Krampus a few minutes to warm and am pleased to experience a growing sour presence while her palate remains clean with a pervading presence of spice and toffee. I was unable to find anything on the bottle about whether it had spent any time in a Brett-friendly barrel, but whatever they did, the undercurrent of sour funk was very refreshing. Sooner than expected, I am left gazing sorrowfully into an empty glass. The star anise was very subtle, choosing to tiptoe in-between the light spice and toffee notes. My other lingering impression is of just how clean Krampus was in mouthfeel, body, palate, and finish. Some may find her a bit too thin for their taste, but I think that Krampus was an excellent example of delicately achieved balance of flavor with her light palate.

If I could have another bottle of Krampus, I would without hesitation. Unfortunately, she is a Christmas Beer and was shared with me by a friend. I’d have no idea who, when, or where to find it again. But then again, I have always liked a good challenge, especially one so worthy as Good Beer.

Pours a cloudy dark gold color, with a huge foamy, well retained pearly white head. Smels of a mix of citrus, earth, clove, and other spices. The flavor had a minty quality to it to go along with some nutmeg and clove. The dark fruits and citrus were evident in the finish and lingering aftertaste. Big carbonation, very zesty mouthfeel. Tastes like most Italian beers Ive tried of this style.

a good looking beer with a murky light brown color, lots of thick slow moving lace, under a large whipped cream looking beige head. aroma is lightly sour with notes of plum, peach and citrus(pineapple, lemon). spiced with nutmeg, anise. flavor has notes sour plums, citrus, a bit of wood, a bit of brett. the spices are not showing much in flavor. dry, bitter finish. needs some sweetness. full bodied