Baladin Xyauyù Etichetta Rame (Copper Label)

Brewed by Le Baladin
Style: Barley Wine
Piozzo, Italy

Bottle bronze label 2004 vintage: Pours a viscous oily transparent deep copper with a thin ring of off-white bubbles, but mostly still. Aroma of dense, sweet caramel malt with oxidized dark fruity raisin and brown sugar complexity. Body is rich and molten dark caramely sticky sweet with a nice balance of fruitiness, brown sugar, and alcoholic warmth. Well-aged and very complex with a smooth, yet rich finish.

Name: Xyauyu
Date: 10/14/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting
Vintage: 2004

clear dark copper, headless, flows down the side of the glass in sheets of viscous liquid, big sweet dark caramel aroma with lots of fruity character and some alcohol fumes that fade over time, thick body, rich malt flavor, touch of brown sugar, maple and moleasses add to the sweetness, touch of fruity character, warming, alcohol is well hidden behind the sweetness,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 9/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 4.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

Bottled. Beer is hazy dark reddish-brown. No head.<P>Not a pretty first impression on the nose: kombucha juice and old sherry dominate. Only survivors are a light note of boozy wood, a moderate candy sugar note, and a flicker of toasted bread crust.<P>The flavor is moderately/heavily sweet, lightly bitter with a long, warm, lightly bitter, moderately sweet finish.<P>The body is medium/full, the texture is syrupy and the carbonation is still.<P>No real redemption.

Bottle. No head (still). Body is hazy dark amber. Aroma is moderately malty (caramel, molasses), with notes of walnut shells, sherry, maple syrup, raisin, wood, alcohol. Flavor is heavily sweet. Finish is moderately sweet, lightly acidic. Medium to full body, oily/syrupy texture, flat carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. Don’t know quite what to say...try as I might, I can’t find anything particularly enjoyable about it. The fancy bottle and high price don’t sway me...to my senses it’s little more than an old, syrupy sweet, flat, oxidized beer.

Poured a dark amber color, with no head or lacing. Aroma of maple, smoke, roast, a bit of chocolate, wood, and some vanilla. Taste of wood, nuts, smoke, roasted malts, with tons of maple syrup, vanilla, brown sugar, some caramel, and alcohol in the finish.

auburn copper color, lighter golden edges. aroma is like a desert wine and honey, mead. flavor is sweet sherry and honey mead. a little heat in the finish but not too much. thanks JimMack!

Light red, with basically no head. Sweet dark fruit aroma, somewhat muddled and unpronounced. Amazing flavor of dried fruits, pear, peach, cherry and lingering banana peel and banana. Finish reminds me of a tawny port, with notes of macadamia nut, pecan and caramel. It’s very, very impressive. Complex, dramatically flavorful. Extremely well hidden alcohol (I detect no alcohol flavor at all) Immensely satisfying, but unfortunately, this one empties the wallet too fast.

2004 Vintage 500mL bottle. Poured a still, transparent ruddy brown with very fine particles suspended in there.. nothing doing for head, but it left some lovely legs on the glass. The aroma was just enchanting.. brandy sugars, vanilla, and dark fruits meld expertly into sweet, lightly-toasted oak and caramel.. came across as rather innocent, but darker, more powerful forces were apparent... almost came across as more of a fine liqueur than a beer.

The flavor picked up where the nose left off.. syrupy dark fruits with a Port wine feel lead off with caramel, molasses, and mild herbal notes across the middle.. sweet and warm finish hid the alcohol very well. Syrupy-thick on the palate with mild, complimentary spices and only warmth from the alcohol.. flowed nicely across the palate. This was quite a treat, but I think it’s going to catch up to me in about half an hour.