Needs must

Another random bottle of Italian grape ale courtesy of UnderDog. Mosto from Bella 'Mbriana is a whopping 9.5% ABV, the strongest of these I've found.

Though an innocent golden colour it tastes every bit of that number: syrupy like a super-strength lager with notes of golden syrup and Jolly Rancher. The latter is, I guess, the grapes at work, but they end up tasting more like stewed apples than Campania's finest.

It's not offensive, but it lacks the cleanness, the spritziness and the subtleties of good grape ale. Approach with caution.