Name of beer: Nero’s 1st Century Double Dark Malt Ale
Brewing Company: Amarcord Birra Artigianale
Brewing Location: Apecchio, Italy
Type of Beer: Bock – ABV: 8.0% – IBU: Not known (Traditional bocks range from 20-27 IBU’s)
Beer Description: From bottle: As they say in Rome “Tizio, birra me.”
The Beer Guy Review: Alright, alright…I heard your comments. Quit reviewing India Pale Ale’s, Beer Guy. In a change from my previous two reviews (Widmer Spiced IPA and Pyramid Discord Dark IPA), I decided to pick something up from the local Trader Joe’s. For those of you not familiar, Trader Joe’s is a chain of specialty grocery stores in the United States, with close to 400 stores. They’re known for their “Two Buck Chuck”, the $1.99 bottles of Charles Shaw wine it sells, being environmentally friendly and for selling much of their gourmet & specialty food under their own private label. They’re known for selling organic produce as well. If you like mold, this is the store to go for your organic produce…and tortillas, for that matter. It’s the store you have to go to where you have to actually analyze the food before purchase in order to make sure nothing is growing on it. If not, then you win!
So there I was face-to-face with their selection of beer. Honestly, it’s not the place I go to in order to get beer (nor should you), but I had to listen to my readers and try something different. There stood the 500 mL stopper bottle of Nero’s 1st Century Double Dark Malt Ale. They also have a Red Ale. It’s brewed in Italy and distributed in the United States to most Trader Joe’s locations.
The first thing that struck me was the name of the beer. Now Nero was really kind of a jerk, I found after doing some research. A Roman emperor in the 1st Century, rumor has it that he burned Rome in order to make room for his own palace while executing a lot of people (including his mother and step-brother) and ruling with tyranny and extravagance. Why, you ask? Maybe because he was drinking too much of his own 1st Century Double Dark Malt Ale.
I poured this into a tulip glass and noticed it poured much like a soda, with the fizz and foam. I was expecting this to be a little heavier in taste and color, but found the ale to be light in taste and medium in color. It’s not bad, but it’s not outstanding either. Perhaps there is a reason Italians stick to wine. I really thought the beer lacked some depth in body and flavor. This is customary for bocks, though. You’re not supposed to detect hops or fruitiness. In my opinion, they are ordinary. And so is the Nero’s 1st Century Double Dark Malt Ale. I was expecting more, but got what I paid for ($3.99) instead. For this reason, I give this ale a rating of:
Yes, this is a beer that could be served at a college freshman party, if sold in kegs. It’s smooth and drinkable, but I am most confident there are better bocks out there. Sorry folks, I wish I could say more. It’s really hard to go in depth on such a nondescript ale. But at least you got to learn a little more about Nero and Trader Joe’s. And if you’re at Trader Joe’s and on a budget, just get a bottle of the “Two Buck Chuck” Charles Shaw instead. You get more and it’s not half-bad either.
So, what do you think? Have you had this beer? Do you like it? Do you not like it? Send me a note at The Beer Guy’s mailbag, TheBeerGuy@lifeofdad.com. You can follow me on Twitter (@TheBeerGuyLOD) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TheBeerGuyLOD) as well. Take care, happy (and safe) drinking, and enjoy your weekend.
About The Beer Guy – A dad, husband, friend and drinker of beer. I review & blog about it all on LifeOfDad.com, the premiere social networking website for Dads. The Beer Guy enjoys IPA’s and Pilsner’s, but will really try any kind of beer. You may disagree on some of his opinions. Let The Beer Guy know. Reviews are published on Thursdays. The mailbag is open on Tuesdays. Read more here to learn about The Beer Guy, who he is and his beer rating methodology.
The Beer Guy, and Life of Dad, promote responsible drinking. Never drink and drive.