Baladin Xyauyù Etichetta Rame (Copper Label)

Brewed by Le Baladin
Style: Barley Wine
Piozzo, Italy

Serve in Snifter

bottle, thanks to bu11zeye, medium amber with short lived foam, aromas of graham crackers, prune, honey, flavors of honey, toffee, fruit, ambrosia, very nice finish

Bottle from 2005 shared amongst everyone at work after 7 hours of doing inventory. Pours a clear ruby brown with a thin white head. Vanilla, sweet pear, malt. Sweet caramel, light port and faint cocoa notes, almost no hint that this is 13% or so. Almost oily looking, clings to the glass. Silky and smooth, long sweetness to this, but it doesn’t really hit cloying levels. Finishes smooth and sweet with a lingering fruit and almost maple quality.

UPDATED: MAR 7, 2010 500ml. 2005 vintage. 13%. Pours a dark amber with no apparent carbonation. Just a few bubbles here and there. Aroma is of big malts and sugar simply, a little honey and generic fruitiness. Alcohol is present in the aroma but not as much as is in the Argento opus. Simple but bold aroma. Wow, flavor and finish are quite smooth. Just a little bit of boozy warmth, but not heat. Flavor is big yet unassailing: Very fruity now with winegrapes, pear juice, sweet nectarine, loads of sugars, et cetera, and quite sweet. Reminicent of port in several aspects. The oxidation is just slight, less than expected considering the vintage and deliberate oxidation process of the maker. Perfect level of oxidation though right now in my opinion. Dead, oily mouthfeel. I just wish it was slightly more alive; even with minimal carbonation the feel would’ve been vastly better. In the end, a nice sipper, the flavor being the only highlight. Enjoyable, not mindblowing. Overall, very good.

Light hazelnutt brown with no head, just some legs. Nose has very noticable "cellar notes" of wet basement and mold-like funk alongside the expected caramell and sugar notes. Some cognac vibes with raisins and boozy fruit is also noticable. Flavor is about the same but with even more prominent cellar funk which does disturb the overall clean character of this very sweet beer. Ends on a warming note with a big lingering sweetness. Mouthfeel is flat, body is sticky.

Bottle brought to my tasting by WeeHeavySD, thanks Jon, 04 vintage. Rating #144. Dark brown with a dark orangish glow kind of coming through the center of the beer. Sweet molasses and toffee come to mind, very strong aroma. Wow, this is sweet, maple syrup, ginger bread, just "BAM" smacks you, but it was good though, thanks again Jon. (1141)

2004 Bottle I got via trade way way way back. In looking through my cellar I thought it was about time to try this beer. Pours big brown with a white head. Nose is sweet, with maple syrup and a touch sharp. Taste is sweet with a thick maple syrup taste. The alc is totally hidden. If this wasn’t $40 a bottle I’d pour it over waffles.

Shared by weeheavysd..pours clear red brown with no head...Aroma is verrrry sweet as is the taste.. no carbonation but I kinda like it.

Bottled. Deep copper colour, viscous with no head. Intense cognac aroma. Sweet and soft with lots of molasses. Thick and mouthcoating oily, hugely malty with raisins and cognac. Velvetty and pleasant with mild warming alcohol. A huge beer.