Malthus Birolla

Brewed by Il Birrificio di Como
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Como (CO), Italy

Date: October 17, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Green’s, Atlanta
Appearance: cloudy amber, fine beige head
Aroma: dry malt aroma, hint of honey sweetness, light nutty character, big herbal presence with light mint, touch of fruity tartness
Flavor: sweet caramel malt flavor, nice honey sweetness, light herbal spicyness, nice nuttyness, light finishing bitterness
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ** /4

Pours a hazelnut brown color, with a big foamy monster light tan head. Appeared to be huge carbonation famous in these Italian beers. Smells of nice chestnuts, dark fruits, and wood, very outdoorsy or by the fireplace smells. The flavor was big on the nutty side, you definitely got those chestnuts and honey in the flavor. Dark fruit, and heavy malt very ever present as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this and thought it was quite an interesting brew.

(bottle - 500 ml) Bottle exploded when opened. Lots of carbonation and off-white head. Light amber color once it settled. Aroma is sweet and very nutty. Can definitely pick up the hints of the chestnuts and the honey. Flavor is very smoky and sweet at the same time. Tastes like a mild rauchbier with a nutty and sweet finish. The two extremes in flavor blend well and finish very smoothly.

Bottle 50cl.
Light unclear medium amber color with a small to average, frothy, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, smoke - rubber. Flavor is moderate sweet and light bitter with a average duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20090813]

Bottle 50 cl. Pours a slightly hazy amber golden with an off-white head. Aroma of a little smoke and burned caramel. Medium body, sweet burned caramel and distinct smoke accents. Subdued bitterness. 130809

1 pint 0.9 fl oz bottle. Pours hazy dark orange with a small, off-white head. Smoked and dry malty aroma. Sweet malty, light smoked and caramelish. Smoked and mild acidic to dry malty flavoured finish.

Hazy orange with a medium off white head. Aroma had smoke, malt and ham. Flavour was sweet with smoke, ham and toasted malt. Finished smoked.

This is my first Italian Chestnut ale so I will probably come back and re-rate again when I have more experience with the style. Poured from a bottle to a snifter. Poured dark semi opaque “chestnut” brown with a cream colored head made of a mix of tight and larger sized bubbles. Nose is smoke with a sweet undertone very complex but the smoke is dominant. Mouth feel is wondrous: seems almost still when in the mouth but once you swallow the tight carbonation is revealed. Taste is sweet smoke, caramel and Turbinado. Chestnut is present in the palate like the smell of roasted chestnuts from a street vendor. I would drink this beer any day but come Autumn I think it just might be elevated to liquid bliss.