Allagash Mattina Rossa
Mattina Rossa is a beer from Allagash Brewing that has actually been around for several years now, but it wasn’t until this past April when we finally crossed paths. The award winning wild ale is fermented with raspberries, then aged for eighteen months in red wine barrels with a combination of Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Brettanomyces yeast strains. After that time, the brewery then adds even more fresh, local raspberries for one final round in stainless steel tanks.
As one may imagine, Mattina Rossa is packed with plenty of raspberry fruitiness from the winey-tinged aroma to the longer lasting tingle of tartness in the drying finish. The berries aren’t sweet by any means, but certainly will the mouth smoothly with vinous notes, old wood, a touch of pomegranate and soft grain notes. The sour tartness isn’t overpowering, but does provide a brisk lemony bite as it peaks before ebbing slowly to the lasting aftertaste. A lively carbonation adds a refreshing nature to the light-to-medium bodied beer.
I’ll be the first to admit it — I’m an Allagash fanboy. But that’s not a result of being local (roughly 584 miles separate us) or anything of the like. I haven’t come across a beer from this Maine brewery that I have not thoroughly enjoyed. Their products simply get better and better, delivering a refined, full-flavored experience without resorting to gimmicks are silliness. Mattina Rossa is another outstanding beer that showcases the company at their best.