Baladin Wayan

Brewed by Le Baladin
Style: Saison
Piozzo, Italy

750ml uniquely shaped bottle. Multi-faceted saison. Smooth and creamy, with a orange-lemon fruity taste coming through as well. Mellowed significantly by the oats. A great beer.

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 5     Pale Yellow(1)->Copper(5) : 1     Still(1)->Volcanic Sparkling(5) : 4
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 3     Lasting: 2     Lacing : 2
Aroma:
Intensity : 3  
Yeast : 3   Bread : XX   Dough : 2   Esters : 3   Phenols : 3   Dusty : XX   Spicy : 2   Apple : XX   Banana : 1   Tropical Fruits : 2   Brett : XX   Barnyard : XX   Leather : XX   Wood : XX   Vinous : 2   Cheese : XX   DMS : XX   Diacetyl : XX Sulfur : XX
Malt : 3   Pilsner : 3   Pale : XX   Vienna : XX   Biscuity : XX   Toasty : XX   Hay : 2   Caramel : XX   Honey : XX   Cereals : XX   Grainy : 3   Wheat : 2
Hops : 2   Noble(1)->American(5) : 1   Leafy : XX   Perfume : XX   Orange : XX   Floral : 3   Lemon/Lime : 2   Herbal : 2   Grassy : XX   Piney : XX
Notes : Pepper : XX   Cloves : XX   Coriander : 2   Ginger : 2   Orange : XX   Earth : XX   Vanilla : XX   Oxidation : XX   Bubblegum : 3
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 3   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 3   Sourness : 2   Acetic : XX   Lactic : XX   Bitterness : 2   Farmy : XX   Complex : XX   Length : XX
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 3   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 4   Clean : XX   Sharp : XX   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : XX   Alcohol : XX   Mineral : XX

Comments: Sweetish, tea-like, but not overly spiced saison. Less fizz and some extra dryness would make it far more enjoyable though.

Medium coarseish shiny offwhite lasting head. Hazy pale yellow body with carbonation. Light mealy soft metal barnyard aroma, quite mild. Dry mild peppery mealy spicy herbal taste. No real aftertaste. (0.75l bottle at Isola della Birra, Milan.)

Pours with a just barely hazy, lightly orange tinged, full gold color. It is topped by a frothy, initially three finger thick, meringue like, barely off white colored head. The beer is quite well carbonated, with mad streaming rivulets of carbonation bubbles rushing to the surface of the beer. Quite a distinct aroma of fresh apple cider emanates from my glass, even as I am pouring it. Upon closer inspection pale-malted barely notes are noticeable with aromas of toasted soda crackers and pale biscuits. There is quite a bit of spiciness here as well; I did not notice it at first, but now that I have it is quite noticeable. Aromatic spice notes of black pepper, resinous pine or better yet rosemary, something that I imagine as dried lichen, and some flower notes reminiscent of lavender, perhaps a touch of rose and even chamomile. The up front fruit note is certainly not the dominant note (I am not sure any one note is), but does still play a role throughout; besides the apple there is also some pear like notes, but the apple is the most distinct. This has a very interesting, very complex aroma to it. I really like how the distinct notes of fruit, malt and spice interweave here; all are quite distinct and noticeable at various points, yet none totally dominate the others.

Lightly sweet up front, with a touch of acidity to it, both of these notes accentuate the apple notes in the flavor. The beer immediately froths up on my tongue, but somehow manages to remain fairly soft & creamy feeling, without the usual carbonic bite that one usually gets from a beer this well carbonated. This is actually fairly tart, though I would not characterize this as a sour beer. It is a very soft acidity though and is akin to the type of acidity found in ripe fruit. Flavors of apple, star-fruit and lemon round out the fruity notes. The complex spices from the aroma are much muted in the flavor, which is actually a good thing. Instead they form a subtle backdrop, which adds notes of white pepper, ginger, earthy coriander, hints of some turpene notes (reminiscent of tongue numbing nutmeg), orange blossoms and lavender.

By the second pour the pear notes have become much more apparent in the aroma, even more so than the apple. A touch of yeasty / bready aromatics has also been added to the aroma, as there was some sediment from the bottom of the 750ml bottle poured in. Along with the second pour flavor notes of orange peel (creamsicle with the creamy mouthfeel), and the fruity tartness become more apparent.

This is a really nice beer, and more importantly it is thoroughly enjoyable. It is really complex, almost challenging in the nose, yet is so smooth and drinkable, because of both the soft creamy mouth feel, yet light body and the smooth, well integrated flavors; this is almost a perfect combination as a bunch of complex spice notes in the flavor would have made this too cluttered.

Poured a hazy yellow with a small white head. The aroma is dry and spicey with floral notes as well as some light leather and tartness. The flavor is light and citrusy. Hints of spice and a semi-dry finish. Light to medium bodied.

Bottled 75cl. It pours a hazy yellow beer with a quick diminishing white head. The aroma is of grapefruit, coriander, pineapple with quite a lot of citrussy elements; A pleasant nose. A rather sour taste. Light bodied. The alcohol is well hidden. Lots of orange and lemon in the flavor too. Spicy and peppery. the finish is dry with hints of lemon.

Date: 05/05/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Yankee Go Home!

clear gold, fine white head, sweet lemony and spicy aroma, light body, nice spicy malt flavor, light sweetness, only a hint of saison funk, light bitter finish, nice peppery character

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

Botle sampled. Pours hazy golden with a large white head. Aroma of spices, citrus, and fruit. the flavor is sweet upfront, citrus, fruit, spices, with traces of bitterness in the finish. Good brew.