Baladin Xyauyù Etichetta Rame (Copper Label)

Brewed by Le Baladin
Style: Barley Wine
Piozzo, Italy

Bottle, sampled at Bruxellensis. This one pushes the beer envelope and arrives firmly in digestif territory. A clear, honey-brown color, no head, and serious legs in the glass, it looks like a liqueur. Nose has sweet whiskey, bit of chocolate, port. Fairly sweet but not cloying with an expected touch of alcohol burn. Tastes good and warms the belly. An indulgent beer and a nice experience.

2004. pours a brown/amber with no head. raisin and honey aroma. flavors of honey, raisin, caramel. sticky palate.

(BCTC, 50cl bottle, thanks acrdz) Cloudy red-brown body that lacks head. Aroma is moderately sweet, plum/raisin, amaretto, some molasses, alcohol. Taste is super sweet, molasses, plum, alcohol. Sticky full body with no carbonation.

My Bottom Line:
Luxurious prunes and their caramel swell from this portly and still sipping experience, as sweet soy, raisins and cherries develop with time. This is very well done and has to be commended for efficiently extending the Barley Wine concept to realms rarely explored.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-There is no head at all atop the dark ruby brown.
-The body is liquorous but velvety smooth when served at the right temperature.
-Served cool at the Mondial, I found this to be quite harsh, overly sweet and alcoholic. But served at room temperature at Isola Della Birra, a classy beverage appeared, much like port wine or ice wine. (3.8) Next time I have it, it’ll definitely be at room temperature.
-Alcohol was not too perceptible at room temperature, which is quite a feat at this gravity.
-Don’t drink this when you want a "beer". A fireside strong sipper is what you should have a hankering for.

From the bottle at the Mondial de la Bière, Montréal, and Isola Della Birra, Milano.

500ml bottle. Pours still and flat, but with high viscosity and intimidating thickness. Murky brown in color. Nose is big, sticky maple and bacon scented bourbon, with a softer malt/brad/bread/plum note. Flavor is essentially the same: sticky, big, sweet maple and bread malts, some overripe/moldy apples and plums, some sweet tobacco juice, wet bran, etc. Way too sweet, difficult to drink, difficult to even find polite words for such a messy beer.

500mL bottle, generously supplied by acrdz, Friday at BCTC. Thanks, Mike! Pours a murky, orange-amber color; minimal light-tan head. Loads of dense, chewy caramel, dried dark fruits, and intense brown sugar; boozy, sugary, hugely brown sugared and tea-infused nose. Full mouthfeel: intense brown sugar, oily caramel, maple syrup, and boozy alcohol in the mouth; paint thinner; enormous, sticky, boozy beer; loads of brown sugar. Huge finish: loads of brown sugar, sticky sweetness, and chewy caramel.

Thanks to a few Santas ago for this one. Pours out a thick reddish brown with no head, no carbonation, was like that I’d think pouring Mrs Butterworth’s into a snifter would be like. Aroma was very sweet with some dried fruit, earth and alcohol. Thick, syrupy mouthfeel with notes of dried fruit, caramel, alcohol, toffee and some port also. Sweetness dominates. Interesting but at the price tag I thank Santa for this one, because I’d probably never buy it.

2004, corked. Reddish bourbon color - no head or carbonation. Immensely sweet smelling - port and sherry character, prunes, dark fruit. Like a caramel infused Sauternes. Flavor is nice, too sweet. Would work with a chocolate dessert probably. Caramel and toffee, alcohol traces left on the lips. I would’ve really like some more apparent hops and some carbonation in this. I get it, I just don’t like it, and it’s not a barley wine on a normal day.