Baladin Nora Sour Edition

Formerly brewed at Le Baladin
Style: Sour Ale
Piozzo, Italy

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.

2005 bottle graciously shared by bockyhorsey.

hazy strawberry blonde colored pour with a large short lived orange tinted white head. a blast of flowers (roses especially) hits first and is followed by aromas of white pepper, orange, lemon and wet concrete. the flavor is neat but is seems a bit watery... hay, orange, mild lemony tartness, faint caramel, pepper/tannins? and iced tea florals. there’s a stoney dryness on the finish. light-medium bodied with a prickly mouth feel from the high carbonation.

this would be easy to drink with lunch... 7/4/7/3/14/3.5

Sample shared by bockyhorsey at hellbilly*s holiday tasting. Aromas of wood and sour fermented fruits. Gold body with white head. Sour and spice in the flavor along with some lemon juice. Sour, tart and carbination belch on the finish.

Sample courtesy of bockyhorsey at the hellbilly holiday tasting. Pours a nice hazy orange color with a foamy head. Sweet fruity aroma. Flavor of slightly tart apples, yeast, lemons and vinegar. Soda-like carbonation. Spicy finish. Not super sour, but not bad. Thanks Bill!