Gripes and grapes

Gotta love the unexpected samples that occasionally get served up at UnderDog. Barry was sharing a bottle of Û Baccarossa by Bologna's Ca' del Brado brewery, one evening late last year.

It's a bit of a bruiser at 7.9% ABV and tinted pink with Centesimino grapes. There's an over-riding vinegar sharpness in the opener, intense like the more extreme end of the Flemish red family. I also got a twang of savoury lees as well, though I think my serving was from near the bottom of the bottle -- they could do with serving this in bigger ones.

Nevertheless, despite these minor faults, there's some delicious sweet and luscisous grape fun to be had here, lasting all the way through. An added spike of throat-scorching saltpetre and some bricky nitre add up to a package that's every bit as good as the grape lambics I've tried from Belgium.

Not all of these sour grape-infused Italian ales are great, but this is a near-perfect example of the style done beautifully. Thanks Barry!