Tasting

What does beer from South Tyrol taste like? Mostly clean, malty, and not overly bitter. The major beers are tailored to a tavern serving speck, dumplings, and goulash; they're meant to be unobtrusive from the first sip and to pair well with a meal.

Forst Kronen tastes of bread crust and honey, with the hops staying in the background. Forst Premium feels lighter, with a fine bitterness and a fresh malt aroma. Switching from one to the other, you can feel the difference between Export and Helles within a few sips.

Forst Sixtus belongs to a different category. It's dark, smells of roasted malt and caramel, and carries more punch at 6.5 percent. Here, patience is key: small sips, served slightly warmer than the pale varieties, around 8 to 10 degrees Celsius.

At Batzen Bräu in Bolzano, it's worth comparing the Vienna Lager, Dunkel, and IPA. Anyone wanting to learn the differences will find several styles under one roof there. The Vienna Lager tastes of toast, the Dunkel of bread crust and cocoa, the IPA of citrus peel and resin. Three glasses, three faces, the same brewer's signature.

A pale lager tastes best at 6 to 8 degrees Celsius; too cold and it hides the malt, too warm and it falls flat. A tall, slender glass holds the foam and shows off the color. When pouring, tilt the glass under the tap at first, then straighten it upright until a firm, two-finger-high head forms. It protects the aroma from air.