REVIEW 155: PERONI NASTRO AZZURO

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  Italy

BREWERY:  Birra Peroni Industriale S. p. A.

STYLE:  Pale Lager

ABV:  5.1%

PURCHASE:  12-pack of 11.2-oz. bottles, $17.99

SERVING:  11.2-oz. bottle, poured into Peroni branded pilsner glass.  Initially very heady (over four inches). A slower pour didn't get much less. Great retention for a macrolager.

APPEARANCE:  The standard see-through straw body with the standard sudsy white head. Normal, visible bubbling. No real lacing around the glass; just the occasional splotch.

BOUQUET:  Balanced, mellow aroma that mostly sticks to the tried-and-true hop-malt dichotomy, but with a little husk to it.

PALATE:  Borders upon light beer territory. Mellow carbonation with a somewhat thin feel. Malty and a bit sweet upon entry. Delivers what the aroma promised: An even hop-malt split, for the most part, both in tempered proportions, and with husky overtones. Finishes on a slight accent of yeast. Goes down like Stella, right down to the slightly metallic aftertaste.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  Originally founded by the namesake Peroni family in Lombardy, Italy in 1846. Giovanni Peroni then moved the brewery to Rome in 1864, six years before that city became the capital. Today? It's owned by Asahi, after being sold by SABMiller. Passed around the macrobrewery carousel like a second-rate coed. 

It's the most recognized beer brand in its home country . . . which means fuck-all when it comes to actual quality. The name "Nastro Azzuro" translates to "blue ribbon" in English, but this is far from a prize winner. Bleh.




GRADE:  C-