Baladin Super Baladin Sour Edition

Formerly brewed at Le Baladin
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Piozzo, Italy

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Slightly hazy orange-brown body beneath a thin white head. Funky, yeast aroma that also has notes of cheese and tropical fruits. Pleasant tartness, but no overly sour flavors. Lots of fruity citrus notes and some floral earthy flavors too. Not bad.

Pours with a two-finger thick, light tan colored head that sits atop a hazy, lightly chunky, reddish amber colored brew. The beer has a distinct aroma as I pour it that reminds me of a desert-type, white wine grape varietals; one with a touch of tartness, but a really nice fruity, sweetish character to it reminiscent of apricots, and perhaps a touch of orange zest. A tart backdrop to the aroma certainly does not dominate, but adds a nice level of complexity to the more noticeable fruit notes. I also notice notes of almonds and amaretto up front. As my nose gets used to this brew I start to notice some light, yet serious funkiness here; notes of stinky-farmhouse cheese, limburger, moldy wood, dank mushrooms and really what just seems like old cheese are all faintly noticeable underneath the more dominant aromatics; though I must say the funkiness becomes more apparent the more my nose gets used to the brew; still it is never overwhelming. I also notice aromas of sweet spices like clove, nutmeg and some sort of woody herb like birch or perhaps sarsaparilla. This ends up with a very complex nose, though I could see the funkiness being a bit off-putting to some; for me though, I definitely am enjoying the last 7 minutes I have spent smelling this brew.

The flavor still has a light sweetness to it, plus the apparent tartness, both of which accentuate the fruit character of this beer. There is also a subtle spiciness here that has components of clove, perhaps some cardamom, a touch of mace and again some root spice notes here that I can’t quite pinpoint. Fruity notes of Macintosh apples, raisins, sweet-concentrated plums (though not quite to the point of prunes), hints of fresh fig, a chewy cherry note and a berry-like currant note are all discernable here. There is still some malt character here, one always gets a sense of it without quite picking the individual contributions out, but when I do distinctly taste it I get notes of caramel, toasty malt, and a soda cracker-like note; all of these individual malt flavors are very subdued though. The sourness is noticeable, yet fairly subtle; it really plays a supporting role here and fortunately it is a role that it plays quite well.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable brew; rich and complex, it is certainly a sipping brew. Despite this, it is not heavy, the light sourness really helps to make this that much more drinkable and even enjoyable. I really like how the various flavor / aromatic groupings of this beer come together; fruit, spice & funky tartness all contribute significantly to form a unified drinking experience.

Cloudy brown with a quickly dissapating head. The nose is faint. Citrus and bread come through. The flavor is sour and the feel is good. I really like sour beers.

UPDATED: JAN 7, 2008 Bottled 0,75L. Bulky and creamy head, good persistence. Dark brown color with reddish reflected; much solid and with optimal bubbly aspect. Complex and vinous aromas with stum notes, roasted malt, macerates red grape acinus. Acidulous body with notes of stum, Iyeast and wine cellar.

Bottle from Degarth as Secret Santa. Light aroma, with lime, peach pit, very clean. Unfiltered dirty yellow pour with a nice poofy head. Smooth sour flavor, slightly cheesy, very mild sour fruits. Tasty though lacking in complexity. I drank probably 3/4 of this bottle and I had a great time doing it. Well done.

2005 bottle thanks to Bu11zeye. murky gold pour with a thin cream head. nose of musky yeast an some sourness. nice on the palate with a sour flavor and a smooth finish.

Bottle. Amber beer with a cream colored head. Nice sour, lemony aroma. Sour/tart lemon flavor with earthiness, summer fruit, and hay. Smooth, medium body. Lingering tart summer fruit, grape, malt, hay, and spice. Nice refreshigly tart. Decent complexity. Very drinkable.

RBSG 2007: Bottle thanks to hopscotch I believe: Poured a hazy orange gold with an off white head. Aroma, nutty, sour and tangy. Flavor, sweet malts, some sourness, fruits, and a tang to it. Pretty tasty.

2005 edition bottle via trade with hopscotch, thanks Eric. Shared by WeeHeavySD after a great meal cooked by his girlfriend Cyn. golden ornnge with a nice about of carbonation. Nose is tart and herbaly, good smooth tart flavor with a fruity finish. very tasty. thanks to jon for sharing this rare treat

Bottle at a tasting. Thanks Ariel. Murky dark orange to amber color. Aroma of sour fruits, brett, biscuits and wood. Sourish-sweet flavor with fruits, malt, a bit of caramel and wood. Medium-bodied. Nice and the alcohol isn’t really noticeable.