Nora
Birra Baladin

NoraNora
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From:
Birra Baladin
 
Italy
Style:
Herb and Spice Beer
Ranked #3
ABV:
6.8%
Score:
90
Ranked #10,171
Avg:
4.01 | pDev: 10.97%
Reviews:
160
Ratings:
378
Status:
Active
Rated:
Yesterday at 11:23 AM
Added:
Jul 01, 2002
Wants:
  85
Gots:
  67
This Egyptian inspired brew is spiced with ginger, myrrh, and orange peel ... very complex.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by elNopalero:
Photo of elNopalero
Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan

4.39/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Brought this back from a trip to Rome. I like the design of their bottles and even the fonts in their labels. Waxed bottle, cork held in place without the aid of a cap or cage. That’s a first for me.

Poured this into my Baladin teku. Seemed appropriate enough!

This has a pleasing pumpkin-amber orange tinged glow to it with tight bubbling on the foam. I could wax poetic but the point is it looks fantastic.

I’m struggling to place the aroma. It’s akin to a Belgian-style triple, with a light, floral, fruity ester characteristic. There’s a slight must to it, reminding me of white grapes, with just the faintest whisper of lavender and orange blossom on the margins. Wow. Fantastic, layered and complex.
Each sip lit an explosion of flavor on my palate. I get the same floral-fruity complexity, with a great combination of orange blossom, clover honey, and a touch of ginger spice. There’s an almost-champagne effervescence to it, keeping it light and delicate.

Opens with amber honey, orange sweetness, floral essence, light, delicate and inviting.

Yes, it’s that good!

I am glad I saved this for a special occasion as it deserved my full attention. This review is a little bittersweet, as this is the last of the brews I brought back from my Italy trip. Alas, now all I have left are my memories.
Jun 02, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of ovaltine
Reviewed by ovaltine from Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a completely unfiltered orange color with a sudsy white head. Notes of orange peel, honey, ginger, caramel, and black pepper on the nose, which is precisely where the taste comes in, all in perfect balance. Really well executed herb/spice beer that I would gladly try again.
Yesterday at 11:23 AM
 
Rated: 4.59 by rawbraves from Colorado

Oct 15, 2023
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.21/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
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
Aug 02, 2023
Photo of puboflyons
Reviewed by puboflyons from New Hampshire

3.71/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
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.
Mar 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.13 by Shiredave from New York

Mar 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4.48 by jbertsch from Massachusetts

Dec 17, 2022
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.92/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
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.
Nov 06, 2022
 
Rated: 3.72 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Mar 27, 2022
Photo of JuanCalle
Reviewed by JuanCalle from New Jersey

4.46/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
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.
Feb 19, 2022
 
Rated: 3.86 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Dec 16, 2021
 
Rated: 4.03 by shelby415 from Oregon

Jul 17, 2021
Photo of Peach63
Reviewed by Peach63 from New York

4.26/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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.
Apr 16, 2021
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.34/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
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
Feb 19, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by shigg85 from Japan

Jan 18, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.38/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
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.
Jan 07, 2021
 
Rated: 4.51 by Briggsy43 from South Carolina

Aug 03, 2020
Photo of hopsputin
Reviewed by hopsputin from New Jersey

3.66/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
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
May 13, 2020
 
Rated: 3.72 by BarryMFBurton from Indiana

Sep 18, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by alexsergio from New York

Aug 03, 2019
Nora from Birra Baladin
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 378 ratings