I had been impressed by the salty Cristalli di Sale lager from Heineken that I'd found on last summer's trip to northern Italy. When I saw the flagship of the same brand, Messina, on sale in Dublin I snapped it up to see if I could use it to recreate a sunny Italian afternoon. It didn't take long for the opportunity to present itself.It looks beautiful in the glass: a rich dark gold, topped with a handsome pillar of pure white foam, the way beer looks in classic adverts. The mouthfeel is thick, much thicker than 4.7% ABV would suggest. With the density comes a heavy malt sweetness: a flavour full of treacle and cereal, with a little banana and only the faintest hop balance; a dry mineral bite rather than actual bitterness.
Did it work as a transport to another realm? Yes -- and as a reminder that other realms are chock full of bad lager. This one is too sweet and cloying to be properly refreshing. I can see myself drinking one on a sunlit terrazzo, but also vowing thereafter to never touch it again.