Birra Del Borgo/Dogfish Head - My Antonia

I've been looking forward to My Antonia for a while - not only because I've never tried an 'Imperial Pilsner' before, but it's also my first Italian Craft Beer. For some reason, ales from Italy have passed me by of late.

Birra Del Borgo and Dogfish Head are the fathers (Awww ain't it cute, Sam!) of this wonderful beer, and given that I have no reference point, I'd go as far as to say it has one of the most unique aromas I've ever had the pleasure of smelling; floral, bright, sweet and with a vibrant, green hop character. I expected a bit of citrus in there, but no; the profile is almost herbal, all wildflowers and spice.

Gold in colour and sporting a thick, billowy head, the mouthfeel is thick, and the masses of juicy malt lay down a sweet-enough foundation for that late, long bitterness, which make My Antonia a supremely refreshing beer, despite having an abv of 7.5% and a lot of flavour. There's a liquorice note in there too, which is surprising but works; and in summary I'd say that of the whole package - the label, the bottle, the flavour - all works. IPA fans will ave something to latch onto, Golden Ale and Belgian Blonde fans will have something to latch onto. This is new beer, from a brewery that is growing within a scene that is growing. I loved this, and I'll be getting whatever else I can get my hands on from BDB.

This leads nicely to the fact that I'm taking a little time off - and this will be my last post until October. I'm getting married at the weekend, and then spending a much-anticipated honeymoon in the Italian Lakes, where I'm hoping I can try some more luscious Italian Craft Beers - here's hoping. I'll still be tweeting and all that jazz until next week - but as for blogging - I'll speak to you all in a month's time.

Cheers!