Malthus Baluba

Brewed by Il Birrificio di Como
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Como (CO), Italy

Serve in Lager glass, Tumbler

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Chestnut, red highlights; amberish head. Dark chocolate malts nose, sweet, and traces of diacetyl. Dry, sherry-ish taste, with dark malts to the fore, chocolate, leafy, faintly herbal. Slick, well-bodied, notable alcohol-warming. Good experiment, even if I cannot trace its specific components. I want more of those around, beats some established Italian microbrews with a lot of fame. Grazie, Lorenzo.

From the tap poured a brown color with a fair amount of head. Nice light malty flavor with a quick tart finish.

Draft at the Farmers’ Cabinet in Philadelphia. Pours a cloudy, dark amber color with a two finger, frothy beige head that slowly settles into a lasting ring.  Streaks and chunks of lacing left behind. Sweet vinous aroma with dark fruit, subtle oak and a nice roast character underneath.  Lots of red wine notes especially grape and other dark berries.  Faint vanilla and toasted oak.  Some toffee and caramel as well. Medium bodied with soft carbonation up front and a very prominent red wine flavor that dominates the flavor a bit, lingering into a sweet finish. Lots of dark fruit especially grape, plum, currant and other dark berries.  Tart with a slightly creamy texture and some dry oak toward the finish.  Malt is overpowered and barely noticeable.  The flavor is good but it’s a bit one dimensinonal. Whiskey becomes noticeable as the beer warms but is nicely integrated into the flavor balancing out the red wine.  

Part of flight at ginger man. Pours standard copper with light head and funk on the nose. Tastes of vinegar, caramel, prunes, malt, vegetable matter, with drying finish. Quite odd

Oaky barrel funk with doughy yeastiness. Savory mineral components to go with a tangy and lightly sour profile. Semi-dry finish, very nice.

750 mL bottle. Pours brown with very small khaki head. The aroma is malty with some bready yeast notes and a very distinct fruit and berry character. The flavor is quite fruity, but in a way that is hard to tell whether it comes from fermentation character or from the actual fruits added. There is a somewhat sweet caramel and raisin maltiness and a slight fruitcake note toward the finish. The aftertaste is clean and not very long lasting. I actually kinda like this.

A cloudy brown body with a tan head that had little retention and no lace. Carbonation was well balanced. Aroma had a sour fruit note to it. No real distinction here. Flavor was predominantly malty generally with a fruity note although there was some mild bread notes to take some of the edge off. I really couldn’t tell if the hops gave it a slightly herbal note in the finish or just what ever adjuncts they flavored with. Not a bad beer, but nothing to write home about.

Bottle 750ml.
Unclear medium amber color with a average, frothy to creamy, good lacing, mostly lasting, light beige head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, herbs - vegetable, oxidide notes. Flavor is moderate sweet and light bitter with a average to long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20100314]

Mmmm, different and good! We likes it. Looked up Rue and I just hope..... nevermind. Poured with a smallish off white head and a little lace. Aroma is - odd, good, but odd: spicey malty rich roasty and a little bakelite. Flavor we really picked up on the rue. Nice stuff. Good body and carbonation. Nice finish. A litle like ginger. Good finish. Borderline session depending upon mood.

Bottle @ Copenhaniacs tasting, Pt.1. Pours cloudy amber with lots of floaties and a small head. Yeasty and malty nose with lots of sweet cookie dough, caramel and spices. Medium and smooth palate. Flavor is caramel, dough and nuts. Tasty

Bottle (#297) at Papsø’s - Thanks. Clear brown - white head´. Ryebread, smokey, doe, roasted, berries, chocolate, spicy, dried fruits, sweetness, high malty, light bitterness.