Baladin Elixir

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Bottle. Pours a hazy amber body with an off white head. Spicy etoh warming, with some whiskey notes and a spicy yeast character. A light cinnamon note and some fruit esters apple pear amongst the warming. Decent ale.

Tap at Blind Tiger. Poured a slightly cloudy amber with a thin white head. Nose has some sour and yeast notes. Vey smooth and slightly hoppy almost sour ale. I say almost sour because there are only hints of it. But some nice hop notes and a nice bitter finish.

Bottle. Now this is an unusual beer. Pours slightly hazy orange with a fizzy white head that doesn’t last long. Very fruity aroma, with touches of spice, and notes of fruit salad, mandarine, tinned pineapple, ginger and grapefruit. Flavour is just about identical to the aroma. Quite light in body with lots of tingly carbonation and a slightly sour finish. Not exactly what I was expecting, and in fact reminds me more of a fruit and vodka concoction than a beer, but still drinkable, and certainly interesting. Can’t see myself drinking this often though.

750ml from State Line Liquors. My bottle says al-Iksir, but apparently it’s this beer. Dark golden pour with considerable carbonation, a lively fill of the Duvel tulip. Aromatic yeast and some elusive spices in the nose, perhaps a bit of cardamom and cinnamon? The taste reveals a sort of interesting clash. For all the heavy spice and boozy sweetness, there’s also part of the beer which heads in the direction of yeasty dryness in the finish. It’s not an unappealing combo, and it seems held together by the whiskey yeast used in the primary, but it’s not top notch.

Bottle, ABV 10%, at RBNAG 2009 in Vatlandsvåg. Hazy orange to amber colour, moderate head. The aroma and flavour are oaky with hints of whisky and funky notes. Interesting and powerful beer.

750ml bottle, given to me as a bonus.... pours a mostly lucid apricot brown with a thin white head.... aroma of sweet canned pineapple juice, sugar, and a little dough... flavors of lively ripened fruit, pineapple with active carbonation. a little bit of spicy bitterness in the finish which helps as it cuts through some of the sweetness. almost a tad tart in the finish. not bad...

Bottle. Mondiale 2009 - day 3. Clear amber with a small off-white head, tiny particles suspended in it. Sweet, boozy aroma, tangerines and dry spice. The taste followed, with the addition of mild black pepper and honey. Slick, boozy, lively mouthfeel, quite a bitter-spicy finish, and a sweet aftertaste; very nice.

Bottle, big thanks to my friend Fredrik for this one! Pours a hazy orange color with a nice white head. Aroma is fruity with notes of candy, toffee, and spices. Flavour is sweet and malty with notes whipped cream (!), toffee, some light dried fruits and candy. Fullbodied, texture is creamy, the carbonation is lively. Alcohol is very well hidden. It’s a really good beer!