Nora
Birra Baladin

 

This was once the highest rated Herb And Spice Beer on BA and I always wanted to tick it off. It got bumped down to slot 2 some time ago but I still wanted to try this one, so I figured it was a no brainer to grab when I saw it at OEC. Let’s pop it open and see what it’s all about

Pours a cloudy orange gold with 2 fingers of off white head that fades to a thin ring and leaves minimal lacing

It’s honestly not super spice forward in the nose, rather gentle even. I’m picking up on aromas of orange zest, orange blossom honey, dark bread, black tea, earthy hops, light ginger, and molasses

The spice is definitely more defined in taste, but doesn’t feel overbearing in any way. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting orange zest, black pepper, black tea, biscuity malt, wildflower honey, toasted grain, light molasses, and ginger. The swallow brings notes of wildflower honey, biscuity malt, orange marmalade, ginger, black pepper, black tea, earthy hops, light molasses, and dark toast

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a slick beer. Finishes slightly sticky but dries out over time

This one is damn good. Not too crazy with the spices but they definitely make themselves known

From, a bottle stamped 150/210-1. Tried ion March 18, 2023.

It pours an amber color underneath a modest off-white head. Decent clarity.

The aroma is caramel malt forward with butterscotch and a low to no notable hop presence. Maybe light earthiness.

Creamy smooth medium mouthfeel.

The taste is sweet and alive with caramel malts. I notice little in the way of herbs and spices but it is a pretty straight forward amber ale.

 

 

330ml bottle into a teku. Freshness dating no help in determining age.

Looks nice enough. Dull honey brown colored body l. Small white head eventually fizzes away, no lacing.

Light aroma, some honey notes.

On tasting no herb or spice, so guessing some age on this one. Stripped of adjuncts, what's left is a smooth warming sweet drink, a pleasant sipper.

Mouth medium. Finish a pleasing slow sweet burn from the abv.

Overall, not what I thought it was going to be, but not a waste of $7.95 either.

 

Great amber color, medium foam small and medium bubbl es, the foam doesn't stand longer and the carbonation is good.
Nice caramel/toasted bread and light sweet hay aroma.
Crisp, fresh and spicy, balanced light bitterness and nice refreshing finish.

 

 

Pours amber with a 1 inch white head, which slowly fades. Moderate lacing. Suspended yeast particles.

Aroma of cloves, pepper, bread, yeast.

Taste is nutmeg, cloves, allspice, pepper, ginger, yeast.

Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. Spicy finish.

This is a very good Italian beer.

Cloudy bright orange pour, eye catching, fat finger of cream foam with spotted lacing. Toast, dark grains, wood root, a healthy amount of ginger, orange zest, and general incense in the nose. Taste is equally complex while adding a kiss of booze and caramel malt, grains and spices seem really well matched. Feels complex with all the spices, grains, malts, booze, and zest elements, while keeping the spices front and center which in my opinion what the style should show off. Surprised by how much I enjoyed this both as a curiosity and a nice change up beer, but also as a beer cut above many others I have had

 

750 ml corked and waxed bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.8%. Hazy deep golden to amber cour, large white head. Very interesting spicy and exotic aroma, notes of incense, does indeed fulfill the brewer’s intentions of bringing some the smells of the Middle East. Also notes of yeast. Interesting flavour too, complex spicy notes, fairly refreshing. The spiciness is never sharp nor burning. Intentionally lightly hopped to bring the spicy notes up front, but a little more hops would not hurt. The finish is too perfumed and "soapy", and ruins much of the pleasure for me.

 

a: slightly hazy copper and pale burnt orange with a 1/5 finger fizzy off-white head

s: orange peel, wheat, tobacco, coriander, sweet lemons, grass, sweet hay, and a nice sweet malt. there's also something in here that i can't put my finger on because i don't recognize it

t: sweet malts and honey bread upfront. apple juice, coriander and cardamom. sweet orange juice and coriander powder. sweet lemons and honey wheat crackers

m: medium mouthfeel. lower moderate carbonation

o: it's alright. to me, it tastes like sweet apple juice mostly. not bad, but i'm not picking up the complexity of the spices i was hoping for. i'd drink another of these because it's tasty, but it didn't meet my expectations