Birrificio Baüscia in Milan
One of the many bottles we brought back from Italy was Gea from Birrificio Baüscia in Milan, the brewery connected to Paolo Polli’s lovely Decanter restaurant, which combines traditional Milanese cuisine with a great beer list. (Yes, the idea of beer as an integral part of fine dining is really taking off in Italy. The cheese-topped veal meatballs at Decanter are outstanding — best beer food ever.)
Once we got home, however, I was hesitant to open Gea because of what it says on the label: BARLEY WINE. It’s been hot as heck in Central Europe, and consequently barley wines haven’t been on my agenda. But after having one of those days — you know the type, just one of those days — I opened it anyway.
To my surprise, it wasn’t much like Old Crustacean and Old Foghorn. Instead, it made me think of several strong Belgian ales — and as such it went down perfectly on a summer eve.
Here’s what I put down in my notebook (and later added to Gea’s listing at Ratebeer):
The bottle contains substantial sediment and the first glasses pour a fairly cloudy orange-amber with a thick-set creamy head. There are notes of almond milk and candied oranges in the nose. It is very unctuous in the mouth, coating the tongue, followed by a crisp, clean and moderately astringent finish.
Later pours with more sediment produce a yeasty nose and bright herbal / mint flavors.
Like much of what we found in Italy, Gea is a fine brew and clearly deserves more attention: I was only the second to rate it at Ratebeer, and I couldn’t find anything at all from the brewery listed at Beer Advocate. (In general, Ratebeer seems to be much stronger on European beer culture than Beer Advocate.)
In hindsight, though, I wonder about the label and how it threw me off — and how I’m glad I finally ignored it and got out the church key. It’s nice when beers tell you what they’re trying to be, but sometimes that information can hinder rather than help.
How many times have you not tried a beer because of something on the label? Or how often have you seen a beer put down because of the name? (Think of a Baltic porter being mistaken for a London version, or if Anchor Steam was passed up because it sounds like Sleeman Steam.)
Please don’t be like me — try Gea. And judge it for what it is, not for what it says on the label.
Tags: barley wine, Bauscia, Italy
, writes about beer and brewing in the Czech lands and around Europe.
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July 29th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Great post. I’ve never tried Anchor Steam for precisely the reason you state: Sleeman Steam left me underwhelmed and I didn’t want to pay a premium for another version of the same. Clearly this oversight needs to remedied. Luckily there’s a liquor store on my way home. Thanks!
July 30th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
This post is the perfect example of why we should not give such a big importance to styles or names written on labels. Several of them are arbitrary to begin with, Barley Wine among the lot. It was named like that because it was an ale almost as strong as wine, so basically, any ale or beer with a high alcohol contents could be called barley wine (provided it was brewed with that cereal).
July 31st, 2008 at 11:12 am
So it’s now two days later: What do you think of Anchor Steam, Matej? Did you do a side-by-side comparison with Sleeman Steam?
July 31st, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Anchor Steam is o-tay!
I’m not sure Sleeman is still making their Steam, or if they are, I haven’t seen it in a long time, but from what I remember, it was light and crisp, but lacking any real character or flavour.
Anchor Steam, by contrast — and as you undoubtedly know — is rich and full-flavoured, but not too heavy. Definitely glad I read this post and gave it a try. (I’ve also seen the Anchor Liberty Ale around. Recommended?)
The liquor store has had a few American beers this summer I’ve never seen here before, some of which I’ve never tried: Brooklyn Lager (which I’ve had before, but never in Canada), Southern Tier IPA and Rogue Dead Guy Ale. I missed the Sam Adams Summer Ale and they keep promising the Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, but I have yet to see it turn up.
July 31st, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Do they have those beers in Beer Stores? I am in Toronto righ now, going to Mill Street brewpub for tasting today so I will look for the local Steam. But I found a small bar on Younge street with plenty of belgium beers including one of my favourite beers Duchesse De Bourgogne from a small brewery Verhaeghe:). God bless those places:)
July 31st, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Honza,
If you’re Toronto, there are number of places I can recommend: Mill Street has some great brews, Bar Volo (which might be the place on Yonge you’re referring to), Local 4 (not as big a selection, but right around the corner from Volo), Beer Bistro (on King Street just east of Yonge, more upscale, but a big selection), Smokeless Joe’s (on John Street, between Richmond and Adelaide) and C’est What? (on Front Street at Church, mostly Ontario craft brews). Not to mention several other breweries in the area (Black Oak in Oakville does some nice stuff).
The Beer Store has a pretty decent selection, but the beers I was referring to are at the LCBO. They’re having their “International Beer Expo” right now (whatever that means), so there will be tasting events at some of the bigger locations this Saturday (including Summerhill and Bloor West near Royal York).
Happy beering!
July 31st, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Matej, very glad to hear you tried Anchor Steam. Do pick up some Liberty Ale — it’s one of my all-time favorite beers.
Honza, you can probably skip the local steam in TO (Sleeman), as I think it’s just a pale lager by a different name.
I’m off to Brussels tomorrow, so I’ll look for Duchesse de Bourgogne there: Tim Webb says great things about Verhaeghe.
So much travel, so many beers…
July 31st, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Bar Volo is the one I talked about, with wrong spelling of ther street I used (not Younge, but Yonge). I was in Beer Bistro before as one of the owner is Stephen Beaumont(www.wotldofbeer.com), I also visited C’est Waht? once.
There should be one LCBO on Yonge, so I will stop by on Friday, or as Matej said on Saturday as there should be tasting and Blloor is not so far from our hotel.
I am going to London on Monday for Great British Beer Festival, my annual pale ale and milds supply for next whole year. And the very long bar “Beers without borders” with specialities from whole world - Norway, USA, some post soviet countries etc…great place to be:)
July 31st, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Going to Belgium Evan? Dont forget one of my favourite, De Ranke:) and Verhaeghe, Bosteel, Bios nad about other twenty small breweries:)
July 31st, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I’ll mostly be in Brussels, with a meeting at Cantillon on Saturday, and hopefully a trip out to 3 Fonteinen on Monday before my flight back to Prague. So no De Ranke this time…
July 31st, 2008 at 7:36 pm
there beers should be avaible in Brusells too. You can not miss them. Istead of labels they use the paper wrap.
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:19 am
Mill Street in downtown Toronto is a great place with good beers - my favourite was their barley wine. Not so overhoppy as some of the brews south of the border.