Baladin Wayan

Brewed by Le Baladin
Style: Saison
Piozzo, Italy

Serve in Tulip

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Aged roughly two years: Dull yellow. Dense smattering of creamy, clingy froth holds extremely well. Explosively perfumey esters are accompanied by a touch of bandage phenols, chamomile, cardamom, and lavender. Lurking notes of lime peel and vibrantly floral hops. Soft, expansive effervescence. Dryly phenolic and white peppery, initially, with a juicier yet notably subtle blend of pear and floral hops soon emerging. Pronounced lavender gives way to the feisty phenols which stop just short of becoming overly astringent. Grassy bitterness persists, though much is negated by the intense dryness. Deceptively slick and juicy due to the brisk dryness and snappy phenols. Cardamom- and coriander-infused peaches bolster the body’s succulence. Possesses just enough rounded unripe-peach acidity which gently counteracts the phenols while brightening the vibrant lavender. Malt is fairly firm and crackery, but virtually undetectable. Finishes greenly peachy and heavily musty with lingering notes of baked apples, mandarin oranges, and chamomile. A lovely take on the style. Unlike too many saisons, this doesn’t solely rely on the heavy-handed use of spices and herbs to achieve complexity. There is an array of supportive accompaniments such as esters and phenols, which is indicative of the craftsmanship here. Rather polished and quenching, overall, and also deeply rustic yet sophisticated.

Bottled: Very fine, fruity aroma. Notes of citrus fruits, sweet tangarins, spices, koriander, malt and grain. Flavor is sourly sweet with lots of different grain notes, fruit and spices like koriander, cinnemon, pepper and some more. Very peppery, dry and medium bitter finish. A very good, complex brew.

Bottle: poured a light cloudy light copper color ale with a large pure white foamy head with good retention but minimal lacing. Aroma of coriander and zesty refreshing and overall dry hops is very enticing. Taste is a nice mix between some nice Belgian malt, some coriander and a hoppy dry finish that is very well balanced. Body is quite full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Well balanced between malt, hops and spices with some interesting esters.

Bottle. Lemon, orange, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander and malt aroma - very nice. Cloudy yellow color with nice head. Light sweet-dry lemon, orange, cinnamon/nutmeg and malt flavor - nice balance between the sweetness and dryness but leans sweet. Excellent.

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy orange with a large white head that fades to a ring leaving some lacing. Aroma of citrus, coriander, black pepper, light clove, other spices I can’t pick out, yeast, and floral hops. Taste is spicy and slightly tart with a wonderfull balance between different malts and spices. Medium mouthfeel that finishes dry and spicy with a well balanced bitterness. A very good Saison that is extremely underrated.

Bottle. Hazy gold colour. Aroma of cracked pepper. Palate is spicy, yet soft, approacable and more-ish. Probably not the most complex beer you’ll have, but it was quite subtley seductive, and i found myself yearning for more after every sip. Palate wasn’t exactly intense in terms of sweetness, bitterness, etc, but it seemed to cover all bases if you know what i mean, nice and spicy, but not overly so. This was very good.

Bottle. Hazy yellow body with a pillowy white head. Spicy aroma with notes of toasted grain, herbs, grass and some earthiness. The flavor was moderately sweet and lightly bitter. It finished lightly sweet , moderately bitter and dry. Medium body with a watery, but very smooth texture and lively carbonation. Peppery flavor with a hint of nutmeg ride atop the malts which take a backseat to everything else going on. This saison is very comfortable on the tongue, yet finishes with a bite. Excellent in its complexity and sophistication.

The body is dark gold that has a hint of orange at the thicker part of my glass. There is a large white head with lots of vigorous carbonation working it’s way up the glass. The aroma is floral with some lilacs and some orange sherbert. There is a hint of cinnamon toast with some peaches. A nice and pleasant, inviting aroma. The taste is pleasantly mild with some warmed peaches and a hint of cinnamon spice in the finish. There is also a little bit of leather and salt in the finish. This is very pleasant and light on the palate. The carbonation is also very soft in the mouth feel. A nicely made winner. I really appreciate the quality that Baladin always seems to have in their beers.

Pale orange colour, nice head, really lasting. Strong apricot and peach aroma. The flavour is very fresh and fruity with hints of peach, apricot, apple and plums. The finish is spicy, with traces of corn. Really pleasant!

This is a very nice saison. Baladin is an exciting brewery in Italy, making some top-quality beers in a country not necessarily known for its beer. This one pours an excellent cloudy opaque gold with quickly diminishing head. Aroma is slight and soft -- almost grassy. Taste is all smoothness. Sticks to your tongue. Beautiful. True, at $12.99 a bottle in the USA, it’s not a steal, but anyone travelling to Italy, look for Baladin, including this beer.