The connoisseurs asked to judge the quality of craft beers competing in the contest ‘Miss Art 2014’ at Casteggio, in the province of Pavia, were surprised, when they heard that one of the labels awarded was presented by a brewery which is under a year old. The beer is called ‘Red’, an American pale ale, and the brewery is Lartigianale, founded by Lino Tarditi, 55 year old.
Tarditi is an entrepreneur with a long passion for beer. He left the previous activity he did in a completely different domain and decided to try a new experience which helped him to realize a project which had remained for a long time an unfulfilled dream: «Craft beer had already caught my attention fifteen years ago, when it first appeared in Italy. However, my previous commitment was burdensome and I expected to be able to count on both needed capital and availability of free time, in order to begin to study as I did when I was a boy».
An achieved goal
In order to reach his goal, Tarditi did not stop in front of the need to study and learn. He identified in the courses proposed by ‘Dieffe’ in Padua the theoretical training he had to follow on a regular basis and attended them assiduously, going there every week from Cecima, in the province of Pavia, where he lived, covering every time hundreds of kilometres. His idea was clearly winning, if the judges at Casteggio, chaired by none other than Teo Musso, who is considered the founding father of Italian craft beer, ranked ‘Red’ second among the awarded ales. And a compliment is also deserved by the experts who prepared Tarditi in practice, that is to say the brewery ‘White Dog’ at Guiglia, near Modena, where the entrepreneur attended the stage.
The beers
All the beers of Lartigianale are top-fermented, unpasteurized, and re-fermented in the bottle. Tarditi explains: «Only by selecting the best ingredients and using them in a production process which takes care of both aromas and taste, it is possible, starting from a good recipe, to produce balanced beers, good to drink either alone or in combination with as much valuable foods».
Among the features of his NoNeim beers, their aromatic complexity is noteworthy. It is obtained thanks to the wise modulation of temperatures in brewhouse. Tarditi explains: «By varying the amount of heat transferred to the must, it is possible to extract various aromatic components, which for instance remind ginger, cloves or banana, without adding spices».
NoNeim Blond (5.2% alcohol): its look is typical of a lager one, with golden colour, and white, compact and persistent foam. Its scent releases intense aromas of fresh citrus fruit, with notes of tropical fruits and spices. Its flavour is long, light, and refreshing. Its low alcohol content makes it a drinkable beer. Its delicate astringency and moderately bitter taste (15-18 IBU) are very pleasant.
NoNeim Blond is excellent to drink at any time of the day, but especially with appetizers, starters, light first courses, white fish, and fresh cheeses.
NoNeim Double Blond (6.3%): its look is characterized by a pale yellow colour. In the glass it shows clear, compact foam, with fine perlage. Its scent releases aromas of pineapple, passion fruit, kiwi, and banana, which alternate from the glass. Its flavour is long, dry, and with strong alcohol content, conferred by the abundant use of malt. Its bitter level is middle (35-38 IBU).
NoNeim Double Blond is a well-structured beer of character, suitable for accompanying salami, well seasoned first courses, and tasty pizzas.
NoNeim Red (6.0%): its look is characterized by an amber colour, with bright coppery reflections in the glass, and white and compact foam. Its scent is characterized by a balanced aroma, with a sweet fragrance of malt and slightly toasted notes. Its flavour is dry, with a strong index of bitterness given by American hops, Chinook, and Cascade (38 IBU).
NoNeim Red is a full-bodied beer, which goes well with grilled meats and well stuffed pizzas.
NoNeim White (4.0%): its look is opalescent, with fine and persistent foam. Its scent is spicy, with clear hints of ginger, clove, and banana. Its flavour is slightly citrusy. In the mouth, hop (8-10 IBU) is just perceived, while there is a clear reference to spices.
NoNeim White is extremely drinkable. It is recommended to shake the bottle before pouring its content into the glass, in order to move the yeast which naturally tends to settle on the bottom of the bottle itself. Otherwise, the beer is clearer and more fragrant.
