#panil

Panil was a bit of a drive and we had an appointment for around noon. The brewery is named after the town Torrechiara that is famous for a huge castle!

We of course did pass by it the first time, but realized we missed it right away and turned around!  

  We were greeted by Patrizia and given the grand tour! They are usually closed on Sundays so we had the whole place to ourselves!

  First step in the brewing process, mashing.

Fermentation

  Then aging in barrels! (note how small Ben is compared to that barrel!)

They had a very nice outdoor area, where you can tell the locals have a great time during the Summer. Patrizia said that she was looking forward to the warmer months because they do more business. Apparently Italians are big into beer when it is cool out.

Chestnut trees line the yard, next to a small vineyard. The vineyard is part of Italy's agriturismo. 

“Agriturismo” is synonymous with free time spent in the open air, at one with nature, immersed in a social-rural environment abounding in culture, authentic traditions, and quality agricultural food products. All of the companies listed on Agriturismo.it offer this type of hospitality, as well as a variety of prices and services that meet a wide range of needs." -http://www.agriturismo.it

Now onto Tasting!

We were given a lovely cheese and charcuterie plate as seems to be custom for drinking in Italy. The only beer they export via Shelton Brothers is the Panil Barrique. They have quite a few others including more regular styles like Wits and Ambers.

Blanche (Witbier): Highly carbonated as can be seen in the picture. Nice floral notes in the aroma, and coriander and citrus present in the taste.

Ambre (Amber): Fluffy hoppy amber style beer. Highly drinkable and enjoyable.

  (the rest of the tasting notes below) Panil also makes wine and has been for about 50 years, they just started brewing 11 years ago. We had a lovely time with Patrizia, chatting about craft beer in Italy and in the US.