Well, not everyone knows that. Try telling the Italians. Because while it's
true that most double bocks today are German, an Italian one should not seem
so unusual. That's because the Paulaner monks who originally created
Salvator (my selection for Germany in a bottle), the first doppelbock, were
actually Italian, having built a monastery in Munich.
Moretti actually has two similar beers they call double bocks. One is
called simply 'Doppio Malto' and is actually an ale. The more familiar is
Moretti La Rossa, which also says 'Doppio Malto' (double malt) on the
label. This is an old favorite of mine and a beer I have been drinking for
many, many years.
This tastes like a decoction mashed brew
to me, but one can do incredible things with a bit of Munich malt these
days. . The finish is rich with alcohol warmth, not surprising in this high
alcohol style. There's just the faintest bit of hop bitterness to balance
some of the malt sweetness, but the beer still finishes on the sweet side.
That 18 you used to see on the label neck is not the alcohol content (which
is a formidable 7.2% by volume), rather it was the original gravity in
degrees Plato, which works out to about 1.072 conventional. For some reason
it's been removed. Perhaps Heineken, which bought the Moretti brewing
concern not long ago, thought it unnecessary. Still, the beer seems to have
better distribution now thanks to the Heineken association.
This is a wonderful sipping brew. I really don't enjoy beers of this
strength with a meal (though you could nicely pair this one with vanilla ice
cream). Overall, double bocks are too cloying for me to pair with most
dishes. As an ingredient, however, the only limit is your imagination. I
have used double bock effectively to pan sear turkey medallions, where the
sweet malty beer caramelized onto the meat to very good effect.
About Moretti Brewing
Luigi Moretti's 'Beer and ice factory' was founded more than a century ago in Udine, in the Friuli region. At that time, Udine was a sleepy little town, surrounded by stone walls that had been built by the local community as far back as 1350. Within those old town walls, the people of Udine worked hard for generations, intent on commerce and craftsmanship. It was at an important time during the unification of Italy.
Moretti LaRossa Can
Tasting Notes
'La Rossa' means 'The Red', and as the name implies, this beer is red in color with a slight brownish tinge. A good sized tan colored head formation forms quickly upon a gentle pour. The nose is bursting with rich sweet malt, and the palate certainly delivers on that promise. This is a thick, sticky sweet brew packed with rich, nutty-malty melanoidin flavors, a little chocolate, chewy caramel, and a hint of molasses.
Value & Verdict
I paid $3.49 for a pint can from Half Time, which is pretty darned cheap for a single these days.
However you pour it, Moretti La Rossa is an excellent double bock and a true taste of Italy in a bottle.
