Lurisia Dodici
Birra Baladin

 

 

 

Purchased from an Italian market in Daikanyama, Tokyo. Wax-sealed and corked. Individually numbered bottle (Batch 31, Bottle #2064). Poured into a Rochefort chalice. No bubbles at all... at all. A very strange brown-red hue with a thin purple rim along the top of the brew, highlighting its age. Very cloudy beer with pieces of hops and tea leaf floating statically in the brew. Strong smell like hoppy wine mixed with wood, fermented fruit jam, and bitter herbs. Immediate impact of sour plum backed by a bitter tea flavor that is then followed by another sweet sensation of grape. The mouthfeel is something between a cognac and a red wine, silky and smooth, thick. This was an absolutely amazing experience. I was honored and privileged to drink this outstanding brew, and I will be looking for some more of Lurisia's amazing blends.

Another very unique beer from the Lurisia-Baladin collaboration: this is one of the strangest, most engaging, interesting beers that I've ever had. From a thick 375 ml bottle, this beer took some work to uncork. It was protected by a thick, hard wax and a traditional wine-type cork. After (literally) hammering away the wax, I uncorked an almost perfectly still beer. It's a ruddy, earthy, brown color with zero head and lots of cloudiness. It's not an attractive beer at all. However, the smell is out of this world. The beer is brewed with Lapsang souchong tea from China, a smoked tea. This gives the beer a fantastic smoky character...almost rauchbier-like, although much more subtle. The aroma also has a moderate toasted malt backdrop and an herbal otherworldliness that's very difficult to describe. There is a hint of fruit (overripe cherries?), but no alcohol in the aroma, and no hop smell either. The smoke character is eerily reminiscent to a bacon scent (but this is, of course, not a 'bacon beer'). The taste is equally enthralling...loads of complexity...huge malt sweetness in the front, followed by a lot of tea flavor (akin to a fresh teabag), followed by an herbal and peppery spiciness that lingers for minutes after the sip. All of these flavors take place inside the frame of a subtle smokiness. Wonderfully complex and truly unique. The ABV, despite being 12%, is not present in the taste, although it quickly shows up in mouth, face, and throat warming. The tea quality gives the beer an almost tartness that is more present in the mouthfeel than the taste, something of an acidic quality brought by the ingredients. (tannins maybe?) Being completely still, the beer is very wine-like, and not at all mouth filling, but it does suit the flavor very well. This is a seriously engaging and very fun beer-drinking experience. I love it!