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The Beer Belly




Moretti

Italian doppelbock

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Rated 8.80 by 60 Beer Drinkers.   Rate & Post A Comment Below.

Moretti La Rossa: Birra Extra Forte!
By Beer Belly Brew Master Rob Lieblein

Picture yourself drinking an alcoholic beverage from Italy, and tell me what’s in your glass. A nice Chianti? Sambuca or Frangelico, perhaps? Maybe even some Asti Spumante? I’m betting that you didn’t say "beer," and until quite recently I wouldn’t have either.

Of course, there are some good reasons beer doesn’t make the short list of quality Italian boozecraft. Italy is wine country. Nothing complements a good espresso like a refreshing hit of Sambuca. And let’s face it – most of the Italian beers available here really blow. They tend to be colorless, flavorless, weak and flat. My friend Burkhardt used to break into a pantomime at the mere mention of "Italian beer" in which he’d fumble about, trying in vain to grasp an apparently slippery, oily beer bottle.

Thankfully, though, not all Italian beer is made with garlic and oil. Several months ago I was eating dinner in a rather nice Italian restaurant, and had that peculiar hankering only a beer can satisfy. Despite the images of Burkhardt that immediately entered my mind, I took a chance on an Italian beer I’d never heard of before. The waiter referred to it as "Moretti Dark." The bottle presented to me carried the more specific name "Moretti La Rossa."

"Rossa," as you may know, is Italian for "red." And this was a fairly accurate description of the beer’s color. (Not a blood-red, mind you, but more like the red-brown color of a scab. Mmm…) The head appeared to be thick and creamy, with a nice rich off-white color. What’s more, the beer maintained this head long after pouring—quite uncommon for Italian beers. I sensed that I was on to something big here.

My first sip confirmed this sense. Not only was Moretti La Rossa unlike any other Italian beer I’d ever had, it was different than most of the beers I’d ever had…period. It was exceptionally rich and malty, with a pleasantly sweet taste. And somewhere in the background, I thought I could detect a little extra dose of alkyhol. A closer look at the label informed me that the alcohol content of this brew is over 7%. Mama mia! Considering that most of the beer we drink is somewhere in the 3% - 5% range, Moretti La Rossa can pack a wollop. The great thing is that the alcohol and the malty sweetness work together to provide a unique and very enjoyable taste. I’ve had some other high-octane beers (Molson Brador—actually a malt liquor--for example) in which the alcohol overshadowed the flavor of the beer, and made it taste more like a beer with a shot poured into it. The brewpaisanos at Moretti, however, have found a great solution to this.

I did a little bit of scholarly beer research and found that La Rossa is indeed in a category of beers that I’m not well acquainted with—the doppelbocks. These are bock beers (a rich, malty type of German lager) which have been brewed to a higher strength. I had a feeling this beer was connected to the Germans in some way…

The beer stood up well to my entree of seafood linguine with a spicy fra diavlo sauce, and was a nice alternative to the red wine I’d usually have with such a meal. After a second bottle and some tira misu, however, I thought for sure I was going to bust. Too many doppelbocks will give you a doppelgut, for sure!

I haven’t yet seen Moretti La Rossa in any bars or stores locally, but I believe this is a quest worth continuing. It has given me a new respect and a glimmer of hope for Italian beermaking.

Ciao!

Rated 8.80 by 60 Beer Drinkers.

Add Your Own Comment
There are 28 Drinker Comments - Last 10 Displayed
View All
11 Joe» My new favorite beer!! I can't get enough of it. Only down side is you can't run to your local store and pick it up. Great taste!

11 terry » just got back from pesaro this beer is ace i couldn,t get enough of it i might be wrong but i,m sure i tasted just a hint of guiness taste is it sold in london

11 matt» awesome beer great with pizza or pasta,exteme flavor for a rare brew.

7 Bobby» great stuff!

9 dragon» I miss the short green bottles and the cork caps.

9 eric» great beer! i taste a slight bitterness at first that kept me from giving it an 11.

5 Moretti is decent, but not as good as Peroni Nastro Azzuro. Moretti is too much barely, not enough hops. Peroni does a better job of balancing American style pilsner with a european hops profile.

4 El Diablo» Eh. Okay. Not all that great...even when in Italy.

11 DKoke» Moretti is fantastic! I am exicted to see there is a new website Morettibeer.com which I have found some great recipies. The photos alone on the site make me want to go to Italy! I just entered Moretti's on-line contest to Win a Trip to Italy.

11 Neal » Truly a great beer. Glad I found out about it.

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