This month's TOTM is a little strange in that although I sampled this beer in November and enjoyed it thoroughly, I don't know exactly what it is! Let me explain.
The middle of the month saw me taking advantage of an invitation to judge the first annual Concorso Birra Dell'Anno, or Beer of the Year Competition, in Milan, Italy. Along with a panel of five other judges, I tasted dozens of Italian beers in several categories over the course of two days, each one identified by only a general style description and number. Thus I can only tell you that Number 95 was a hell of a soured ale, with fragrant sour berry fruit on the nose, backed by soft spice notes, and a beautifully balanced body with tart and sweet blending seamlessly, buoyed by hints of vanilla, blackberry and black pepper. On the finish, it was dry, still faultlessly balanced and remarkably appetizing.
In truth, I believe that what I sampled was from the brewery Birra Panil, although hints received over the course of the weekend made me suspect that perhaps it wasn't the brewery's regular soured offering, Panil Barriquée. The Concorso organizers have promised me the results, complete with correct identification of the beers, later on in December, though, so check back at Bright Beer to discover the identity of this mysterious, excellent ale.
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