Birra del Borgo ReAle Extra

Please note, all of this post was written prior to AB-InBev’s purchase of Birra del Borgo. While the beers still may good, I can not give money to a company that is actively undermining the craft beer industry world-wide. If you’d like to read more about AB-InBev’s malfeasance, please click on this link to a post I did that lists a very small percentage of the unethical acts they perpetrate.

This is my first time trying a beer that was 100% brewed by Birra del Borgo.  The first one I had was a collaboration called Duchessic that involved a blending of 1 year-old Lambic from Cantillon and BdB’s Duchessa.

ReAle Extra is a extra hopped version of their ReAle pale ale.  According to the brewery, they’re using 3x’s as many hops as the normal ReAle.  They’re calling it an IPA, which it certainly tastes like!

Appearance: Hazy, tarnished copper, off-white head, good retention.

Aroma: Grapefruit rind, stone fruit pits, herbal, mossy, woodsy, floral, lilacs, nice hoppy mix of “fresh” and “dirty hop aromas.

Taste: Nectarine, stone fruits, citrus undertones, bitter but pleasant long finish.  There is a light bit of hoppy dirty/dankness.

Overall Impression: ReAle Extra has nice complex mix of fresh, floral, earthy, and woodsy hop aromas.  This is a highly perfume-y beer.  You can spend a lot of time with your nose in the glass enjoying the bouquet.  The fruitiness almost seems like a mix of Mosaic and Citra hops.  If they’re not using them, they’re using a combination that mimics those hops.  There’s a lot of great hop character to this beer.  It still has European character but an American hop fan will really enjoy this beer.

Availability: Fairly limited, look for it where you see other beers imported by B. United International.

6.2% ABV

Notes: Date of 1302 2015.  Not sure what the first part is, but it appears that it’s best before 2015, possibly February 13.

To read more about Birra del Borgo and my other reviews of their beers, go to my page dedicated to Birra del Borgo.