Baladin Nora Sour Edition

Sample @ Coles Italian Beer Tasting. Pours amurky golden orange. Citrusy tart aroma. Tart, orange, very citrusy. Sour patch kid like fruitiness & sour tartness. Full mouthfeel. Pretty good

Pours a slightly hazy golden orange with golden burnt orange hues when held to a light source and a 2 finger fizzy white head that quickly settles into a lasting ring. Minimal lacing. Slightly tart earthy funk aroma with a bit of oaky tannis and crisp fruit notes. Not as much horseblanket barnyard funk as I prefer but rather has a much more prominent fruit presence, especially dark cherry, raspberry and strawberry estery notes. Tart sour funk up front that is not strong enough but lingers throughout. Again, there is a lot of crisp golden fruit notes and a creamy medium body but not enough funkiness going on. Hints of apple, pear, cherry, strawberry and other dark berries. A bit too sweet with a slightly dry finish. I really enjoyed the Supra Sour Edition but thought that this one was average.

2005 Bottle. WOW! Totally different and unexpected. I really like this. Pours a golden color with a huge foamy white head and a ton of carbonation. Carbonated almost like a champagne. Aroma is sour, a little yeasty and full of light fruits like pears, peaches and apricots. Flavor has a blend of fruit flavors and a funky tartness. Sour grapefruit is dominant, but apricot lingers in the finish. Lovely beer.

750ml bottle. Hazed/cloudy red wheat colored body with a fine-bubbled small white head. First impressions of the nose are metallic apricots (tainted cap?) and a white grape-like skin character. Texture is mildly fizzy, light to moderate acidity. Body is medium, feels somewhat uplifting and lively on the tongue. More dried, metallic apricot skins as a glass is slowly consumed. I generally don’t like any sort of metallic character in beer but I honestly dig this one, maybe it’s the dried, tart apricot and peach skin flavors. Lovely texture when it reaches room temperature. Awesome stuff.

Bottle pours out a a hazy straw topped with a white head. Aroma of sourness, some green grapes, a little spice and light pit fruit. Tast was much the same sour fruit apples, grapes and some spice yeast. I am glad I got to try it.

Poured yellow with a white head. Aroma of fruit and spice. Taste was kind of watery. Some sourness with fruit and spice hints. Big recommendation from store employee. Said it was extremely good. One of the best.... wow.

2005 bottle, aged nearly 4 years. Pours a hazy golden-amber color with a spongy, pure white head. The foam settles slowly to a pretty, pronounced ring, but leaves little to no lacing behind. Upon the first waft of the tart, musty, spicy aroma, I can tell I’m really going to enjoy this beer. Notes of white pepper, bold new oak, fresh cedar, wildflower tea, and dried orange zest provide for a funky, feral spice profile, while notes of hay and candied pale malts add contrasting dryness and sweetness. Flavors aren’t as well defined, but still provide excitement with notes of peppery cedar, candied orange peel, wet straw, chamomile, and floral hops. A tart, bretty, funky punch comes through, and is intensified by the mouthfeel. Tart, zesty, effervescent, and refreshing, the moderate body makes for a near perfect summertime palate, and not a hint of alcohol is detectable. There’s a little bit of Fantome Dark White and maybe some Hitachino Classic in this brew, both of which are a very good thing. This is a nice beer. Right up my alley.

Bottle. Very light tart aroma, peach if anything. Cloudy yellow with a thin head. Extremely dry with a very mild flavor, a touch tart with light spice notes. Very highly carbonated. Possibly past its prime, it seems to have lost too much to the souring organisms.