The idea for this beer was born in December 2008, five years before commercialization. It had to be a beer brewed with raw materials, and techniques similar for the production of lambic, fermented directly in the wood. It was not to imitate but to chart a new path, along a new road. Initially I used the first batch of Chrysopolis only as a base for the blend of La Luna Rossa. The recipe is very simple: 65% pilsner malt and 35% wheat, the mashing program tries to imitate the mash turbid maintaining a large quantity of wort dextrins and also some residues of starch. During the boiling add the surannè hops flower that let aging in the air for a few years. After cooling, transfer the mash directly into the barrel. The first batch of Chrysopolis were inoculated with a mixture of Brettanomyces, lactobacilli and pediococci this with the precise intent to steer the fermentation. After at least 12 months of fermentation and barrel aging comes the moment of the blend, where different barrels of different ages are assembled in different proportions to create the real Chrysopolis. Assembling different barrels can create shades, give complexity, smooth edges, give strokes of colour to realize the lights and shadows. It is a delicate and charming stage, a special moment for me and very exciting, one of those moments when I realize that I do the best job in the world. - Giovanni
In the glass, to the nose and in the mouth …Chrysopolis shows a golden yellow color, somewhat opalescent, very low carbonation, just perceptible. The nose is very complex and intriguing, revealing a bouquet full of scents that remind us dark cellars missing in Flemish Brabant: albedo of lemon, citron peel, horse blanket, salami mold, rust and leather. The taste reveals the sharp lactic acidity with a typical harshness from Brett, slightly blurred by reminiscences of vinegar. The wood is present but in a totally discreet, staying politely in the background. The finish is very persistent and intense, showing great finesse.
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TROPICAL EDITION w/ Mango, Pineapple & Papaya
A blend between our 100% barrel and spontaneously fermented Chrysopolis with some barrel aged sour beer from a vat added with Tropical fruits: Mango, Pineapple and Papaya. The beer is quite tart and complex in the nose, the tropical notes from the fruits are not too aggressive leaving the beer tart enough. It has an acidity which is not derived only by the spontaneous fermentation of Chrysopolis, in facts it is citric, lactic, little funky but it also has some acidity given by the fruits (i.e. malic acid and some vegetal notes).This is definitely an extremely refreshing sour beer, very easy to drink yet complex and balanced.
Since it has a massive fruit puree addition, it's meant to be treated like a "juicy" beer. For keg storage, we do recommend to keep all the kegs upside down, in order to give a mix when turned up again, ready to be handled. We also use these guidelines with our distributors in Italy and they are pretty effective, allowing the fruit to be present in each glass and enhancing the tropical experience through the delicate sourness.
Chrysopolis, Italian style Lambic
Alc./Vol.: 5.0
