Birrificio Italiano Tipopils

Brewed by Birrificio Italiano
Style: Classic German Pilsener
Lurago Marinone (CO), Italy

I did not quite score the beer 5/5 when I had it. There are the ones who would accuse me of showing a bias towards a beer that is pretty much impossible to find. Oh sure they are bottling it now, but how can a bottled pilsners that will have travelled hundreds if not thousands of kilometers be compared to the real deal, on tap at the brewery. Those who accuse me may actually be right, I’ll never admit it, but chances are that I was carried by the moment. Luckily, they can’t sue me as we are not in Italian juridiction. And certainly not in Lurago Marinone, where I was driven by a gentle soul who rightly suspected I would never find the place with my bicycle unless I had a GPS. He was probably right, the indications from small village to small village could not be less clear to decipher. Perhaps this was one of the reason why I enjoyed the beer even more. Or perhaps because it was shared with my significant other who, for some reason, seemed to prefer a vulgar flowery beer named fleurette, while the tipopils had as much floral aromatics as one may wish for. The tipopils, opaque, perfectly balanced, strong in pure hay-like maltiness, almost avoiding any hints at graininess to ensure ultimate leanness, ultimate balance when the coating hop bitterness grabs your soul, grabs your upper and lower lips into a form vaguely similar to what poets at times refer to as a smile. Fresh, focused, cleansing crisp carbonation. Exceptional quality. Firm body, biscuity flavours that grow and grow as it warms, yet keep this quality that one can only describe as delicacy. Yet dry and this was meant to be. Still you will ask me, is it not against some unwritten ratebeer rule to attribute a 5.0 to a pilsner, this vile, lame style for the wussies who, to this day, remain afraid of darkness, who refuse the offer of a thick plot for mere simplicity. Well why do you drink fellow drinker? Are you looking at new ways to make your life more complicated with thick, sweet, long to drink beefy beers? You may as well make it more complicated by seeking this intricate, subtle gem, the quest of which, I promise, will be as complex as any of those fat beers you rave about. As for myself, as I said earlier, I had initially not given this beer a 5, not that anything was really lacking. But the thing is that, to this day, with a backlog now having passed the thousand, I estimate with a sufficient level of confidence that this beer will very likely remain my favorite of this voyage and thus deserve a special pat in the back. Is it worth a five? Some say none are, I say it is as worthy as pretty much any other.

A lot of glasses on the tap, every time I end up by chance near Lurago Marinone... ok, sometimes is not "by chance"... One word could be enough: wondeful. Engaging appearance, golden-yellow with some light green hint and visible effervescence. White frothy head, which last quite long. The aroma is a perfect blend of light malt and fresh hop. Not too strong but really pleasant. Medium-light body and hoppy bitternes dominating but not overwhelming the malty sweetness. It satisfies all the senses and it’s actually impossible not to have the second.

Eccellente pilsener italiana,molto aromatica,peccato ne abbia potuto bere poca perchè condivisa.Questa va assaggiata e riassaggiata perchè ne vale veramente la pena.Complimeti al Birrificio!

My flippin’ god, this is the pils. Bottle 75cl@home Long lasting head, slightly hazy, deep gold in color. Great nose, you get the sensation that you’re "flying in hop clouds" (cit. henrik) incredible intense palate, sharp and tasty, complex and balanced. Wow what a beer. What a finish!! Lovely, Bravo Agostino!!

Bottled. Hazy golden colour, with a good head. Soft flowery aroma, with also notes of malt. Soft mouthfeel that begins sweet on the malty side to finish very bitter and aromatic. Long aftertaste and very well balanced. A beer that can be consumed in every moment. One of the best pilsners I have ever had and surely one of the best Italian product there is on the market. Very recommended brewery.

Draught at the brewpub
2009-03-19, 8-5-7-4-15=39
Hazy deep blond color, clearer than usual, but with the same creamy head. The aroma is hoppy, medium intensity, grassy. Good malt and strong bitterness, but I miss the crispy touch and better hop aroma.

2007-12-29, 10-5-8-5-18=46
Wonderful herbal hop aroma, Saaz; it’ even lightly smokey (chestnuts). The body is quite dry, with almost no sweetness, but with a good crispy malt flavor; luckily we are back to the old bitterness levels: very high. The bitterness is extreme for a Pilsner, and of course the hop is of excellent quality. Needless to say, the final is very long. It’s almost unfair to say that it could be perfect if just it had some more sweetness. My best Pils!

2005-12-28, 8-5-8-5-17=43
I kept drinking this wonderful brew every time I go back to my hometown, but I didn’t update the notes for more than three years...
The appearance is the top of the art, a hazy blond brew with a thick big head, just a masterpiece.
Initially the nose is hit by a fresh green hop aroma.
Dry mouthfeel, partially malty, with a honey touch, crispy; well bitter; very long final, aromatic hops.
I remember it as more aromatic and fruity, but it’s still my favorite Pilsner around!

2002-05-20, 10-5-7-5-18=45
Blond pilsner, misty, big head. Wonderful hoppy aroma, lightly floreal. Average body, some malt, a strong hop character; fresh hop, wonderful. Long final, dominated by the hop, strongly aromatic.
The brewery masterpiece, and undoubtly one of the best pilsners you may find.

Golden coloured. Softly malty. Dry, clean, bitter and perfectly balanced. A top class German style pilsener.

draft at the brewery. bright gold body, clear, underneath a rocky and firm white head. perfumed minerally nose, snappy and zesty gravel-tinged saaz-like hops. zesty, snappy, sharp crispness combined with a medium fullness and frothiness - just wonderful. incredibly well balanced between the light texture and the full body. amazingly fresh, the hops are mineralic and crisp and the attenuation is near-perfect. probably the best-made pilsener outside of germany and czech republic.