Baladin Noel du Baladin

Brewed by Le Baladin
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Piozzo, Italy

Pours cloudy brown with a beige head, floaties. Aroma is caramel, light spice and plum. Flavour is sweet caramel, alcohol, raisin and plum.

THOUGHTS: This was my first truly "craft" beer from Italy. A little light on body, but nice. Hid alcohol very well. Not all that Christmasy. It was also my first Baladin beer so I don’t know if this was a special gift, above and beyond their regular offerings, but I certainly wouldn’t mind if someone gave me on of theses for Christmas. It was interesting, but I think Jolly Pumpkin and Rodenbach do a much better sour beer. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a medium to dark chestnut with orangey, reddish brown highlights and and an average, just off-white head that kept a thin sheet and left good lacing. The aroma was light chocolate; moderate to heavy sour funk an spicy yeast; apple, cherry, red wine and sour fruit. The initial flavor was sweet and rather acidic; while the finish was lightly sweet, very acidic and sour. There was sour fruit, hints of chocolate, lots of yeast, tobacco, very sour fruit, red wine, apple cider, sour cherries, hints of wood and spicy yeast. Overall the flavor was a bit watered down. The light to medium body was a bit watery, but syrupy too and then dry at the end with rather fizzy carbonation and a dry and moderately astringent finish. The palate made me wanna keep sipping.

Started my night with my Bottle of this. Bought on sale and was pretty happy with it. Pours a medium hazy orange/amber. Aroma is fruity and has some spices and malts. Flavor was some grape, wheat, and malts.

dark brown with a lot of suspended yeasts. tan medium head, not long lasting and lacing... aroma is strong roasted malts, pineapple and raspberry taste is smoky, toffee and nuts. strong body with creamy texture, lively carbonation and long finish a very good beer to taste in front of fireplace waiting for santa claus!

(Bottled, 0.75l) Clear, dark amber with a small, partly lasting, tanned head and yeast clumps in the bottom of glass. Mild aroma with sweet maltiness, some dried fruit and dry coffee roastedness, and a touch of alcohol. Flavor is dried-fruity, lightly peppery-spicy, somewhat roughly grainy and alcoholy, with a sweetish, berryish note and vanillaish licorice towards the finish. Medium to full body, soft carbonation. This is a bit hard to rate, as I didn’t like the grainy harshness, but liked the overall balance, dryness, and complex flavors. Still enjoyable at almost room temp.

Bottle. Sweet banana, rose, cherry, white pepper and barley malt aroma - excellent. Dark reddish brown with small head. Sweet floral fruit flavor up front followed by chocolate malt and astringent alcohol. Excellent - enjoying this one by the fire on a cold, dreary German New Year’s Day.

Cask at the White Horse Old Ale Festival, 27th Nov 09. Very dark brown looks. Amazing nose - cereal, christmas cake, spices. Tastes superb - so much spice and fruit, with a wonderful peppery hint of the alcohol in the finish. An utterly sublime Christmas beer. Awesome.

750ml bottle, fresh. unfiltered, bottle conditioned, little muddy and cloudy from a careful pour. oat bran color. some ethanol esters in the nose, a little bit of metal/iso acid, seems to settle out after aeration. dark stone fruit and honey in the nose with some brown malts/brown sugar notes. silky and smooth texture, medium body. unexciting approach with a somewhat disappointing finish. has the requisite brown sugar/toast/honey malt typically found in baladin beers, and the cheesecloth/yogurt/staleness of the yeast, but it lacks depth and punch. the finish of coffee doesn’t see to work well. interesting but not a favorite from baladin.