Xfumé (Lapsang Souchong)
Birra Baladin

Xfumé (Lapsang Souchong)Xfumé (Lapsang Souchong)
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From:
Birra Baladin
 
Italy
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
14%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.38 | pDev: 9.13%
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
37
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 17, 2015
Added:
May 31, 2009
Wants:
  17
Gots:
  4
X Fumé 2006 Riserva Teo Musso was brewed in 2006 and bottled in 2008. This begins as Xyauyu, with the added 18-day infusion of smoked Lapsang Suochong Tea.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by DavidHume:
Photo of DavidHume
Reviewed by DavidHume from Virginia

4.99/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I asked the bar tender at Open Baladin Roma to surprise me, and this is what he poured.

Color is a deep brownish orange, with great legs and no head. It looks more like a liqueur than a beer. The aroma is filled with notes of smoke and fruit, like a hybrid between a brandy and a scotch.

The flavor is filled with caramel, toffee, figs, brandy, and a wisp of smoke on the finish. After 9 years in the bottle, it's incredibly smooth and impeccably balanced.
Jun 17, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 5 by pathman from Ohio

Dec 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by CBodamer from Pennsylvania

Dec 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by BucketBoy from Pennsylvania

Dec 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by AlexFields from Tennessee

Oct 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Claytonbrewsby from Virginia

Apr 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by brother_kenneth from Virginia

Jan 13, 2014
Photo of Doppelbockulus
Reviewed by Doppelbockulus from Florida

4.54/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
I realize I had mistakenly reviewed Fume. So here is the correction to that mistake, and I have deleted the erroneous review for Fume.

This is one of those beers that should make anyone say, "Wow."

It is a wonderful red amber color with no head and just a bit of sediment.

The smell is a bit unusual and is a combination of smokey wood and rubber erasers. Imagine rubbing one of those large pink erasers and smelling it next to a good glass of scotch.

The taste is mostly what I was expecting with the remaining mystery emerging just as pleasant as the defining flavors of each edition of Xyauyu. Loads of caramel come through combined with dark honey, whole wheat bread, and a bit of brandy. A light alcohol presence and dried raisins finish out the flavor. I wish I had a better ability to pick out flavors and describe them, because this is phenomenal.

The feel is very smooth and is very much like that of a great port. It is mildly warming and mildly tannic. Very pleasing.

Overall, I want more.
Aug 04, 2013
Photo of HopHead84
Reviewed by HopHead84 from California

4.56/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
04/14/2013

2006 vintage into a snifter. The nectar is an orange copper and pours completely still. Great color. A swirl leaves an alcohol collar on the glass. The aroma is smoky, with elements of peat and beechwood blending with the traditional Xyauyù oxidation notes such as sherry and leather. Maple accompanies brown sugar and plum, toffee and caramel. The flavor has a candied sweetness with a lighter smoke presence from the tea. It lingers in the distance. Orange liqueur meets date, plum, sherry, nuttiness, leather, maple, and brown sugar. There's a slight spiciness from the tea. It's damn delicious. Lower full in body and completely still. The mouthfeel is sticky and smooth with ample alcohol warming on the palate. This was a great variation on Xyauyù. Highly recommended.
Apr 15, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by ravot from Illinois

Mar 14, 2013
Photo of Etan
Reviewed by Etan from Wisconsin

3.71/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
500ml bottle, 2006 vintage, into a snifter.

A: Pours a translucent yet lightly dull amber with no head.

S: Soft, raisiny oxidation character, rich molasses, moderate peat-like smoke character. Pretty smoky aroma, although it blends into the other elements more as it warms.

T: Gentle vinous sweetness, mild earthy campfire smoke, figs, honey, dry maple.

M: Flat, medium-bodied.

O: This is pretty interesting, although I don't really like the combination of the smokiness of the tea with the oxidation character of the base beer.
Mar 13, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Jan 09, 2013
Photo of corby112
Reviewed by corby112 from Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev -10%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2006 vintage.

Pours a dark copper/chestnut brown color with mahogany edges when held to a light.  Completely still with no head or lacing.  Definitely has legs though after an aggressive swirl.

Sweet, boozy aroma with a nice smokes malt character and Port/sherry like qualities.  Musty and leathery malt along with sweeter touches of hazelnut, caramel, toffee and dark fruit.  Can pick up a lot of booze but it's not as strong as in some of the other versions.  Becomes more complex as it warms with subtle honey and fruit notes.

Medium bodied with very delicate carbonation.  Not as still as some of the other treatments but almost flat. That little bit of carbonation really makes a difference.  Boozy sweetness with leathery and sweet malts notes and a  lingering smokey finish.  Strong alcohol presence along with sweet caramel, toffee, dark fruit and honey.  Fruit notes most prominent toward the finish with some fig, raisin and plum.  Smoke is all in the finish but it lingers and definitely adds another level of complexity.  Nice warmth in the finish but not as harsh as the other versions.  High ABV is relatively well masked.  Hard to believe how much more I like this than the regular copper version, especially the smoke presence.
Sep 02, 2012
Photo of DefenCorps
Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon

4.76/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
$9 for a 5oz pour at Max's today. Holy fucking fuck.

Mildly hazy, this beer is still with no head and is dark orange in color. The nose is rich, full and sweet with caramel, tea and mild smoke, along with some tobacco. Moderately fruity as well with bright notes - light plums and a little raisin character are noticeable. As the beer warms up, it gains a peaty note that just makes me swear in delight.

The palate opens sweet, full and excellent. Fantastic stuff! Mild oxidation is noticeable, this really is a showcase for what oxidation could do for a beer. A little smoke, some tea, this is so well-integrated. Full in body with a long sweet finish with balance between the team honey and caramel notes, with some toffee as well. So good!
Jul 14, 2012
 
Rated: 5 by chrispoint from Connecticut

Jun 06, 2012
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

4.32/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle purchased at New Beer Distributors. 2006 vintage. Served in a tulip of some sort at Thorpe429's place.

A - It's still. Maybe a crust of bubbles from a hard pour. Transparent dark orange-brown body, with tons of suspended sediment - since this isn't bottle-conditioned I'm guessing it's leftover tea?

S - Massive smoked and slightly meaty character. The Lapsang Souchong is incredibly potent, even with the relatively short infusion time. There's a bit of alcohol bite in the Utopias mold, but it's appropriate for the 14% ABV and integrates well with the intense smoke, earthy tea, and sweet oxidized barleywine flavors.

T - The smoked flavors move further to the periphery in the flavor, and the alcohol gets dialed back a notch - as a result I actually think the flavor is superior to the aroma. Intense caramel and brown sugar flavors dominate mid-palate, with the smoked flavors showing up in the finish to provide balance.

M - It's still, but that's never been a complaint when it comes to this series of beers. Full bodied, with a chewy and smooth texture, and light alcohol warmth. It's a good example of style and flavor-appropriate mouthfeel, and the lack of bubbles makes it quite easy to drink.

D - For 14% this beer is pretty crushable (if you could afford it, that is). I'd love to have this again, but it seems to have dried up on store shelves as people have begun to notice how awesome the Xyauyu lineup is. I could easily share this 2-3 ways, or even drink it on my own with sufficient time. At six years old this beer is still going strong, and I can see it lasting another six years easily.
Apr 05, 2012
Photo of mdfb79
Reviewed by mdfb79 from New York

4/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From 03/30/12 notes. Thanks to Masterski for sharing this one; nice to finally meet you! 2006 vintage.

a - Pours an amber-red color with one inch of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of smokey malts, fruity malts, bread, light caramel, and sugar. An interesting mix but pretty nice for a smokey beer.

t - Tastes of sweet fruity malts, smokey malts, bready malts, sugar, molasses, toffee. More fruit then the nose, very sweet taste.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Pretty easy to drink; definitely does not feel like 14% ABV.

o - Overall a very interesting beer. A mix of smokey malts and sweet fruits, but it kind of works. I don't think I liked this one as much as most people but fun to try and would give it another shot.
Apr 05, 2012
Photo of drabmuh
Reviewed by drabmuh from Maryland

4/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to Masterski for sharing this bottle. Why do Italians like putting so much tea in their beer? Do hops not grow anywhere in Italy?

Beer is amber and hazy, I sort of got the dregs from the bottle so I rely on others for the appearance here. White head, low retention, no lacing. Looks fine.

Aroma is roasty and sweet. Interesting, a little floral and tea-ish.

Beer is medium in body and surprisingly bitter, mixture of earthiness and tea with a lot of roast on the backend, apparently all from the tea. Interesing but probably not a repeat for me.
Apr 05, 2012
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

4.27/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Huge thanks to Masterski for bringing this one to the Stone tasting. Served in a SAVOR glass.

Pours a moderate caramel color without much of a head. Perhaps some legs after a bit of a swirl. The nose brings great notes of sherry, sweet malt, caramel, and light fruit, plus a lingering smoke character in the background. The flavor is similar with a greater emphasis on the smoke. Body is medium and sweetly chewy without really any alcohol. Really nice and smooth. Glad to have tried this.
Apr 05, 2012
Photo of Huhzubendah
Reviewed by Huhzubendah from District of Columbia

4.52/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle shared by masterski. Thanks Alex!

Hazy and light orange, the beer is transparent with a small and fleeting head. The aroma offers ample smoke with some sweet, candied malt. Wow, this is delicious. Tea flavors emerge more in the flavor than the aroma. Quite tasty. Lovely feel. Silky smooth with a mild and delicate warmth. Fabulous for sipping. Would love to have this again.
Mar 31, 2012
Xfumé (Lapsang Souchong) from Birra Baladin
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 37 ratings