Lately, it’s gotten to the point that I’m drinking about half of my beer at Taco Mac. That’s a lot of fun, but it also means that it’s getting harder to find draft beers I’ve not yet had here so I can add credits to my Brewniversity card. Hence, with all the choices available here, there are usually only a handful that I haven’t had, unless you count the macrobrew taps.

Before I hit those, I thought I’d try a Peroni Nastro Azzurro tonight. Some might call that a macrobrew, but what the heck I thought, this one is always on here at Taco Mac and I figured it would serve well as the first beer of the night.

Peroni says this about the beer on their website:

Peroni Nastro Azzurro is brewed using the creativity and flair of Italians.  It is Italy’s number one premium beer; a crisp and refreshing lager with an unmistakable character and a touch of Italian style.

Water: The water used is tasted by the master brewer daily to ensure high quality and softness.

Malted barley: The time of year affects the characteristics of barley. Peroni Nastro Azzurro uses only spring-planted barley.

Maize: One quarter Nostrano Dell’isola maize was added to the original recipe, creating a unique blend of three quarters barley and one quarter Italian maize.

Hops: Hops do not naturally grow in Italy. The hops of Saaz-Saaz and Hallertau Magnum are used by Peroni Nastro Azzurro

OK, I have to ask. Does the master brewer taste all the water they use, or just a sample? Because if it’s all of it, I wish I hadn’t ordered this beer. The maize (corn) is concerning. An adjunct level of 25% of the mash is rather high for my tastes. Generally, I prefer 0%. Alcohol by volume here is 5.1% by volume and I paid $5.75 for a mug.

As far as I can tell, “Nastro Azzurro” translates to “Azure tape”. I think that means Blue Ribbon. Not sure how the Pabst folks feel about that.

Peroni Nastro Azurro pours to a bright golden color with a medium spritzy head formation and really not much in the nose, some light crisp biscuit malt in the palate, very light bodied actually, pleasing minty grassy hop buzz of bitterness in the finish.

Overall, there isn’t that much to say about this beer. Sure, it’s one dimensional, but it’s meant to be. I was glad to not really get any corn adjunct flavor here, and was pleasantly surprised by the Czech and German hop character. A good choice for mid-afternoon sipping, I think, and an average pilsner beer. I can see ordering it again, absent too many other choices. It served nicely to wash down a plate of house-made chips, guacamole, and salsa here at Taco Mac.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft



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