Baladin Xyauyù Etichetta Rame (Copper Label)

Brewed by Le Baladin
Style: Barley Wine
Piozzo, Italy

2005 bottle forced on the phx crew by rustychiles... rusty brown colored and absolutely still. it smells sticky... more exactly, it smells like oxidized barley wine mixed with tawny port... vinous, hot, chocolate, soy sauce, fig and vanilla. it tastes the same with the addition of some toasted nuts and coffee... along with being obscenely sweet and beyond rich into seizure territory. thick cloying mouth feel is not helped out by the lack of bubbles. interesting. not necessarily good though. 8/4/3/2/10/2.7

2005 bottle, 4 years old. Gold print, 13.5%. Vinous aroma, sweet, but with some roughness to it. Almost clear dark amber colour. The flavour starts off a little sweet. Has some cookie sweetness, a little spice. The finish has a vinous bitterness. As from grape peel. The flavour is also vinous, port-like. Syrupy mouthfeel. A little alcohol burn in the finish. Interesting, but not something I enjoy immensely.

Sampled at hellbilly’s hellraiser 3 gathering. Bottle courtesy of rustychiles. Pours a deep red color with little head. Lots of roast, spice, fruit and alcohol in the aroma. Flavor is sweet malt, fruit, raisins and spice. Decent alcohol bite and some hoppiness on the finish. Delicious. Thanks Rusty!

16oz bottle, thanks to Kevin for bringing this one. Pours a burnt mahogany. Looks like a tawny port. Holy god does it smell like one to. Unfortunately this beer has a bit of a cork taint, only a little. But the dusty wood and rotten apple at the nose of the bottle is a telltale sign. A shame as that mutes the flavor somewhat. Nose in the glass has green apple, huge fig and raisin, tons of caramel and cinnamon, cherry, vanilla. Christ its a complex nose, shame about that cork taint. The flavor is a hands down 10 though even if it is muted by the cork taint it still amazing. This is basically like a tawny port in a beer bottle. Huge deep chocolate, caramel with rather intense brown sugar and green apple notes. Some maple creeps in and a bit of vanilla toffee in the finish. Wow, what a beer. I didn’t expect this to be as good as it is. The Italians are really kicking ass if the recent beers I have had from there are any indication.

Thanks gunhaver for the share. Holy mackarel, this beer was amazing. 2004 vintage. Pours clear brown with a minimalists’ kind of head. Nose is boozy as hell- burn nose hairs off boozy with contributions from raisins, sugar, ripe fruit, cherry, vanilla, maple, malt, and some nuttiness- many characteristics of an icewine. Flavor is silky smooth with malt, vanilla, brown sugar, raisin, and caramel. I agree with sebletitje in this being like a liquor. The best Italian beer I have ever had. Simply amazing.

2004 bottle. Pours a tea color, with no head or lacing. Perfectly still. Nose has tons of big oaky notes, maple syrup, caramel, a slight burn, dry maple and a very subtle nuttiness. Flavor is badassness. Very sweet bite to start, with a lovely burn in the finish. Maple syrup, brown sugar, very complex and very awesome. Velvety smooth. Very balanced. Just amazing. Tastes and feels like a sessionable Utopias. Hard to say if it’s worth the price, but damn is it good.

’04 Bottle thanks to gunhaver, rating #1900: Poured a reddish brown with little to no head. Aroma is sweet aged fruit, caramel malt, and boozy alcohol. Taste is amazing with sweet caramel malt, sticky sugary fruit, and more of that boozy alcohol to keep the mouth warm. This is the best Italian beer I have ever had and really left my mouth waiting for more.

Thanks gunhaver for this one, you rock man. 2004 bottle. Finally found a somewhat more affordable version of Utopias for 1/2 the abv. Pours light reddish-amber no head and some sticky golden lacing. Aroma is boozy and loaded with caramel, brown sugar, but it remains overly sweet. Taste, sweet drinks like a sweet liquor with plenty of brown sugar, caramel, light notes of fruits (pear) and some subtle chestnut toward the finish. Light body. Slow sipper, this is one amazing brew.