I had been impressed by the salty Cristalli di Sale lager from Heineken that I'd found on last summer's trip to northern Italy. When I saw the flagship of the same brand, Messina, on sale in Dublin I snapped it up to see if I could use it to recreate a sunny Italian afternoon. It didn't take long for the opportunity to present itself.
It looks beautiful in the glass: a rich dark gold, topped with a handsome pillar of pure white foam, the way beer looks in classic adverts. The mouthfeel is thick, much thicker than 4.7% ABV would suggest. With the density comes a heavy malt sweetness: a flavour full of treacle and cereal, with a little banana and only the faintest hop balance; a dry mineral bite rather than actual bitterness.
Did it work as a transport to another realm? Yes -- and as a reminder that other realms are chock full of bad lager. This one is too sweet and cloying to be properly refreshing. I can see myself drinking one on a sunlit terrazzo, but also vowing thereafter to never touch it again.
Porterhouse Barrel Aged Celebration Stout
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*Origin: Ireland | Date: 2011 | ABV: 11% | On The Beer Nut: *February 2012
This is the third version of Porterhouse Celebration Stout to feature on
the blo...
3 months ago
Hi. Where did you find birra Messina in dublin?
ReplyDeleteMartin's of Fairview. Redmond's in Ranelagh may have it too.
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