Terre
Birra Baladin

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From:
Birra Baladin
 
Italy
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
12%
Score:
93
Avg:
4.43 | pDev: 5.19%
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
13
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 07, 2024
Added:
Dec 08, 2014
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
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Photo of SLeffler27
Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York

4.64/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
This one sat in the cellar for about seven years. A double-walled snifter hosts the dark, blood/ruby red beer that is clear and still. A thick, viscous sheet eventually develops voluptuous legs and moves like a thin syrup. The highlights have a dark red mahogany appearance.

The expected plum, raisin, and toffee mingle with rich sherry. Light fumes of alcohol increase with warmth, while fresh-baked pumpernickel bread comes to light. There is a faint background of wood smoke and brown sugar.

Light bitterness is eclipsed by moderately high sweetness. The sweetness is far from cloying. All of the character from the aroma is represented here. Marzipan and mild peat build as the long finish stretches out. There is a ton of soft, earthy flavors and umami from roasted morrell mushrooms. The sherry becomes more like a cream sherry as it warms.

The alcohol is strong, as would be expected from 12% ABV, while the heat is light. It has a dense, syrupy-smooth body with absolutely no carbonation.

Birrificio Le Baladin makes an exquisite line of English Barleywines. I have yet to have one that was short of outstanding. While the progression in this one is subtle, that subtlety is overcome by abundant character. While I can't say for sure how the age impacted it, it clearly has pleasant oxidation.
Jan 07, 2024
Photo of Bruno74200
Reviewed by Bruno74200 from France

4.44/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2010 vintage enjoyed in 2019. This is the oldest beer I've had to date.
It was aged for several years in red wine barrels which brings some nice complexity.
Seems like a walnut wine
May 05, 2019
Photo of bshefftz
Reviewed by bshefftz from California

3.98/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
2010 - totally flat, thin mouthfeel. Complex flavors with undertones of sherry and port, but because of the flatness and thin mouthfeel I did not find this very enjoyable, especially for the price. I feel that my interest in trying something rare was not rewarded here - would have been much happier with other BA English Barleywines on my shelf, including Mother of All Storms or Arctic Devil, and both of those coming in at a quarter of the price.
Apr 02, 2018
 
Rated: 4.55 by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

Mar 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4.45 by liamt07 from Canada (ON)

Aug 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.39 by Texasfan549 from Texas

Mar 08, 2017
Photo of jrenihan
Reviewed by jrenihan from Canada (ON)

4.12/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2010

Nose is sweet, toffee caramel and brown sugar. Taste is good but a bit muted considering the style and abv. Some chocolate, alcohol, brown sugar, raisin. Heavy, uncarbonated, syrupy.

2012

Very different from 2010. A berry flavour becomes present, strawberry and cherry. Red wine. Sweet and sticky. Good.
Jan 12, 2017
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

4.04/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5
2012 much better than the 2010. A berry and unique flavour, with black rice, and a bit of red wine character. Very smooth and one of the best reserva I have had.
Jan 12, 2017
 
Rated: 4.54 by dannycohen62 from Illinois

Jul 25, 2016
Photo of ONovoMexicano
Reviewed by ONovoMexicano from New Mexico

4.52/5  rDev +2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Reviewing a 2010 and 2012 side-by-side.

Both are poured into mini-snifters from the 500mL bottles. I start with about two to three ounces per glass.

The 2012:

Look- Pours viscous and caramel thick into the glass. No head or carbonation as expected as these beers are intentionally still. In the glass it looks almost like bourbon or some heavier spirit, or even maple syrup. Within the liquid, there are swirls of oiliness that add to its rich appearance.

The 2010:

Look- Practically identical to the 2012 but with a tad more clarity.

The 2012:

Aroma- Fruity and vinous first, I'm picking up notes like plum wine or raisin wine. Oak is present as is a spicy edge. Caramel shows but in a distant fashion. The wine really pops here but does slightly overshadow the barleywine characteristics.

The 2010:

Aroma- Much more barleywinesque. Toffee and caramel and butter all deliver first. More liqueur-like and the wine is less prominent. There's more of a grape sucker quality and more oak than wine, though the overall smell does suggest grapes.

The 2012:

Flavor- Still very similar to a plum wine with a tart, fruity start. There's some crisp pear and wine grape. Mid-palate offers some malty notes that translate to biscuit, hints of dark roast and finally, caramel and toffee. Like the other Baladin barleywines I've had, this beer is tremendously layered.

Palate- A touch tart, but not in a way that suggests infection. Certainly a result of the wine-barreling. The body is a tad thinner than medium, but still very viscous and capable of coating the mouth and lingering pleasantly. Mid-palate the tartness cedes to sweeter sensations.

The 2010:

Flavor- Fascinating how much more buttery toffee and caramel forward the 2010 is. I still get wine flavors injecting plum, pear and tart grape, but here they follow the sweeter, savory barleywine base. The finish is also more raisiny and introduces a touch of charred oak and brown sugar, a wonderful bonus.

Palate- This drinks thicker too. More creamy, viscous, rich caramel mouthfeel and less tartness and vinous quality. It's sweeter and more dessert-like, ultimately.

I'm about the biggest Baladin barleywine fanboy there is right now, I think. Every barleywine these guys make has caused me to marvel at its richness, multi-layered flavor and feel, delicious flavor and interplay or barrel and base beer. The Terre beers are no exception. These are something special.
Jan 31, 2016
 
Rated: 4.61 by SFCraft from California

Jun 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.71 by DavidHume from Virginia

Jun 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4.64 by Johnct from New York

Dec 08, 2014
Terre from Birra Baladin
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 13 ratings