Xyauyù Etichetta Rame (Copper) - Birrificio Le Baladin

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4.68/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Viggo and i split on this bottle during a recent beer shopping trip in buffalo. picked this up at premier gourmet.

1pt 9oz corked bottle. 2004 vintage. label says 13%abv.

pours completely still crystal clear reddish brown, showing a nice garnet colour when held to the light.

aroma is great. smells more like a port or mead than beer. loads of fruit. raisin, date, fig, cranberry, cherry, currant. alcohol. bit of red wine. vanilla. caramel. honey. maybe a bit of maple too.

taste is great. much like the aroma, there's a lot of port and mead here. lots of big fruity character. light alcohol. caramel. vanilla. honey. bready malt. very low, almost non-existent bitterness. nice sweetness without seeming syrupy. the alcohol seems to have mellowed nicely too, not showing much.

mouthfeel is good. no carbonation at all. medium body.

drinkability is great. excellent fruity depth. nice balance. hides its alcohol well. much like a mead or port, it's a bit of a sipper, but one you'd be happy to enjoy for an evening. great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2008 04:50:53 | More by grub

paulthebeerguru

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2005

A: snifter. looks like a flat coke. very little carbonation if any. deep mahogany color, reddish hues. some sediment in there. no lacing.

S: huge grape aromas. tons of pinot hints in the nose, as well as a massive green grape and raisin aroma. huge alcohol burn.

T: Wow! nothing like it smells. huge sweet flavors from the malts. some sweet red grape flavors. very complex palate form the barrels. molasses, cherries, figs, light hints of coconut.

M: very sticky. medium to heavy mouthfeel. very intense, almost nectar-like.

D: for 13% this beer is ridiculously smooth. Well worth the try if you want to front some dough.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2008 17:41:17 | More by paulthebeerguru

Crosling

Colorado

4.22/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light red, with basically no head. Sweet dark fruit aroma, somewhat muddled and unpronounced. Amazing flavor of dried fruits, pear, peach, cherry and lingering banana peel and banana. Finish reminds me of a tawny port, with notes of macadamia nut, pecan and caramel. It's very, very impressive. Complex, dramatically flavorful. Extremely well hidden alcohol (I detect no alcohol flavor at all) Immensely satisfying, but unfortunately, this one empties the wallet too fast.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2008 00:38:50 | More by Crosling

hoppymeal

Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark amber in color with purple? hues, zero head, even with an agressive pour at the end, mainly clear, just a slight haze. Gorgeous aroma of raisins, toffee, and caramel. Very sherry or port like in quality, some rich leather and pruney notes as well. The taste lives up to all the aroma promised. Large raisin flavor, and a strong date quality as well. Sweet and sugary caramel up front mix with the dark fruits before a warmth of alcohol hits the throat in just the right quantity. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy in body, basically no carbonation feels a little syrupy, but not overpowering. Alcohol drys and warms in the finish. Awesome beer, very much like a port in alot of ways, a definite after dinner sipper to keep the happiness flowing. An outstanding barleywine. Thanks Greg for the opportunity!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2008 02:40:08 | More by hoppymeal

pwoods

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to grandq for this trade.

The bottle says 1 pint 9oz. but I'm assuming they mean 1pint .9oz. because the bottle doens't look close to a 750ml

Poured into a snifter. Brewed in 2004.

A: Pours a very deep orange with plenty of maple tinting. Pours with very very little carbonation. No lacing.

S: Rich, sweet dark fruits with a very complex alcohol line. Among the pineapple, mango, strawberries, lime, apricot, and peach aromas, there is a constant juicy, ripe, firm plum character that is fucking amazing. Some dense, moist bread plays around, too.

T/M: Yeah, basically has zero carbonation. Alcohol is a little more subdued that the nose would suggest, but it's still there and still tasty. More of sweet dark fruits with an even more intensified sweetness, almost table sugar/koolaid sweet. The moist bread is also there with a touch of soft desert cinnamon.

D: The lack of carbonation really hurts this brew. It actually makes it feel a bit watery. And not just the mouthfeel, I think everything would come together and fit better if there was at least a bit of carbonation. To more or less round out the edges. No carbo = no head or lacing, too. Tasty, nonetheless. And the bottle looks awesome, lol.

Edit: Looking at my scoring, even if this brew mild carbonation, I more than likely would be able to bump appearance up a half point or more, taste up a half point or more, and mouthfeel at least 2(if not more), and it'd make it more drinkable, too. This could have possibly been around 4.5 overall.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2008 02:15:00 | More by pwoods

Durge

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This unusual brew is a cloudy, creamy brown color with no head or lace. I detect a fair honey and brown bread aroma. The feel is thick and cloying. It tastes of super sweet malt and honey, no carbonation. Cherry vanilla comes to mind. Thick and not highly drinkable. Quite strong in alcohol but very tastey. Everyone should give this a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2008 01:59:58 | More by Durge

grandq

New York

4.45/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

After wrestling with the cork (which smells wonderfully sweet) this pours a hazy iced tea brown. Floral sweetness wafts up from the glass at a couple feet away. Honey, plum wine, sherry and port come to the nose. The flavors are quite similar to the above, heavy on the sherry and plum wine qualities, with a slight warming alcohol tinge on the end. Honey and butter on a biscuit followed by melon and berry cocktail. Some petals in here. Maybe a touch oxidized. This calls to mind Utopias, though not nearly as big and boozy, appealing much more to sweeter palates. The mouthfeel is carbonationless and liquorlike - a tad thin at first and perhaps too syrupy toward the end. Very much a sipper, meant to be shared and savored, but for all the sweetness and alcohol, it goes down easily. Even the burn is pleasant. Not something I could drink on a regular basis, but a lovely, unique beer to sip once in a while.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2008 03:41:18 | More by grandq

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a cloudy brown that has no head, but seems thick like something you wouldn't normally have. Nose is figs, alcohol, slight dust, some wood. Fruit is there as well. Flavor is magnificent. Rich port and sherry like qualities. Fruit is there. Sweet sugary tones. Just stellar. Feel is smooth and thick on liquid with an extremely low carbonation. This is really in a class of its own. Very little compares to it. Absolutely worth trying. Buy a bottle and share it with a group of anyone you know; beer lover or not.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2008 11:47:35 | More by RblWthACoz

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a still, clear reddish-brown body. It certainly does look viscous!

Smell: Honey blended with rich caramel syrup and light brown sugar. Distinctive golden raisin character. Hint of oloroso.

Taste: From the word "go" it's an extreme honey-sweet, caramel flavor with plenty of golden raisin fruitiness. Some slight oxidative notes. Faint hint of herbal hops. Sweet, succulent finish with a perky alcoholic kick. It's hard not to have a certain "glow" about you after that first sip.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Mild carbonation. Nicely warming. Xyauyù has a lush, velvety mouthfeel you'd expect from a sweet dessert wine.

Drinkability: Truly, a fantastic beer! And it better be for the cost, especially when you consider the picture of the bottle on your screen is the actual size of the bottle itself.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2007 05:21:17 | More by ChainGangGuy

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I picked this bottle up at Well's Wines in Baltimore. Poured slightly warm into a snifter.
A - Deep amber shades of rust w/ no head, but a clinging of brussels lace like port appears.

S - A sweet and pleasantly boozy nose w/ scents of graham cracker w/ a woody dry scent that has a slightly biscuity aroma.

M - Smooth, full of body and dense w/ honey like sweetness on the lips and a dry boozyness as it is swished around in the mouth.

T - Very intense w/ graham cracker and peppery notes w/ a sweet nut and toasted almond buttery flavor. There is subtle stone fruit sweetness and candy like malt flavors all blended to create a unified taste, superb flavor that rests relaxed on the tongue and waits to be swallowed.

D - This is a beautiful barleywine, like none I have ever had. It has flavors that are deep and complex yet does not overpower the palate at all. Very smooth and delightful mouthfeel. This is one to sip and savor. I would seek this one out, it tasted strong, but nowhere near the 13% it contains. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2007 15:52:02 | More by Slatetank

Suds

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I had this fantastic beer at an outdoor cafe in Turin. Served in a large goblet, the beer is a deep reddish brown color. There's no head at all, but the color is rich and has an exceptional depth of varying hues. The aroma is complex and intense. There's a forcefully intense malt aroma. It's grist-like, and very thick. There's also booze-soaked fruit...raisins and dark berries. There's a touch of hops, but it's all about luxurious and sweet malt. The flavor is a masterpiece. The malt is intensely sweet, but the beer never gets cloying. The sweetness is perfectly dovetailed with the alcohol, and a a very restrained bitterness. Chocolate, candy, booze, and lots of grain. Smooth. Enchanting. This is an amazing barleywine!

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2007 06:45:59 | More by Suds

stcules

Italy

5/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Special beer, defined "sofa beer" by the brewer. Brewed with Solera method. Something similar to a barley wine, but absolutely not easy to be classified.
The color is something between a dark cherry-wood and plum. No head. The appearance is more of a wine than a beer.
In the smell it reminds a passito wine. Plums, ripe apricot, raisins, a touch of sugary. Maybe melon, too. Surely, ripe fruit.
The taste: again vinous, delicate, raisins, tamarind. Definitely oily, full, and powerful. Unique.
Then, something more loaded, it tends to a porto. It left a lot of maltiness in the mouth. Dry figs, dry fruits. Oxidations.
The beer comes with some chocolate (candied fruit covered with chocolate). The pairing is perfect. The orange of the chocolate is exalted, and the remainig chocolate is perfect.
Body? Well, the body there is, it rises up, it persuades, it becomes full, it doesn't leave you, it fulfils you, cover you, grasps you. It pleasures you!
It is impossible to compare. And for the same reason, it is also difficult to give it a vote. We give it a full 5's, just to prove the uniqueness of it.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2006 12:53:16 | More by stcules