12 March 2012

'Course I can

I discovered Pietra in Switzerland back in December. The most remarkable thing about it, from the outside, is it's from Corsica. I've never had a beer from Corsica. Advertised as ambrée on the label it's certainly that on pouring: a limpid red-gold. Little by way of aroma, and the taste isn't up to much either.

It's dry, for the most part, complicated only by a slightly kippery smokiness which works to reduce its refreshment quotient quite considerably. The body is thin and I'd never have twigged it was 6% ABV, but at least you get some bang for your buck.

I won't be hunting down six-packs of this next time I'm in Corsica.
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11 comments:

  1. Tandleman9:35 am

    Used to be common here in Manchester a few years ago. Not seen it for years.

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  2. Ed10:46 am

    Isn't it made with chestnuts or something? I thought that was a bit remarkable.

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    1. The Beer Nut10:49 am

      Oh yeah, the label does indeed say "Chestnut Beer" across the top. That makes it 0.3% more interesting.

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    2. Martyn Cornell12:10 pm

      I was involved, briefly, with the PR for the launch of this in the UK four or five years ago. The usp is meant to be that part of the fermentable material comes from Corsican chestnut flour, while IIRC it's also flavoured with "herbs from the maquis", that is, wild herbs from the Corsican shrubland.

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    3. The Beer Nut12:17 pm

      Needs more herbs.

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  3. DrJohn2:27 pm

    I have had this beer (a present from Corsica) and I remember it as being very poor!

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  4. Bailey7:49 pm

    I have a clear recollection of sitting with Boak trying to work out whether we liked this. Think we decided in the end that, though chestnuts sound like a tasty beer ingredient, it was like a weird-tasting (not nice) Negra Modelo.

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  5. Martyn Cornell2:02 pm

    Though, of course, Thornbridge Bracia contains chestnut honey from Italy ... so there's something in Mediterranean chestnuts that can work well in beer.

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    Replies
    1. The Beer Nut2:16 pm

      Or not. I didn't take to Bracia at all. Too weird.

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  6. PhilGill11:55 am

    Spent 2 weeks in Corsica last summer - very expensive place to have a few beers. Preferred this in draught but still it is nothing more than an average beer from a really beautiful place

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  7. Ann2:32 pm

    When I visited Corsica a couple of years ago, I had a chance to taste another Corsican beer - Torra (http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/duyck-biere-du-maquis-torra-blonde-a-larbouse/37640/). It's made with some local berries and actually was quite drinkable.

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