Aurea Vienna Lager

On our way back to our hotel in Lisbon, the Bitter Wife and I stumbled past Cervejaria Trindade, billed as Portugal’s “oldest and most beautiful brewery.” The brewery, housed in a converted monastery, was genuinely aesthetically pleasing—a big, airy, and venerable space with a lovely courtyard (the cloister) and pretty tile work on the walls—sadly, I don't seen to have snapped any good pics. We opted to sit in the old rectory, where the BW indulged in cheesecake and a glass of house red while yours truly enjoyed a pint of the Aurea Vienna Lager.

My beer arrived in a (it should be mentioned, very dirty) glass. It was a hazy dull gold lager topped with a thick off-white foam. It had an assertive toasted malt and copper aroma. To my tongue, the beer was toasty, yet crisp, and quite full-bodied, with lots of grain notes and a slightly metallic, yeasty tang.

The beer was pretty good—a bit too metallic, perhaps—but enjoyable. However, the setting, from the old world monk vibes to the remarkably gruff service to the completely unexpected revelation that there was a brewery at all, made our visit to Trindade a memorable experience.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.