Wayan Sour (Le Baladin)

I finally got to my holiday destination the day before Christmas. I enjoyed lots of family time and had a great time catching up with friends. We met one college friend at Broken Barrel Tavern in Palm Bay, Florida. I'd had the pleasure of meeting up with Mr. K's old friends on another visit and wasn't disappointed.

I haven't had a chance to try their mouth-watering barbeque or sample the smothered nachos, but their beer selection is out of this world. They have a great tap list and rare bottles. It's what Beer Geeks will be one day. On this trip I helped them clear out some of their rare sours. They were sours done right from Italy and Belgium. All of my notes are terse, I was enjoying the conversation.

We sipped our beers, talked about the history and future of 3D printing, and discussed life. It was fun to be around a like-minded person. It made me a bit homesick.

This Saison from Piozzo, Italy was delicious. It hit the spot. Le Baladin's website shows a mix of spiced, sweet, and hoppy brews. Brews infused with coffee and sours. This birreria started in 1996, when Le Baladin pub (1986) started brewing their own beer. They seem to take the craft very seriously, and that shows in this sour. I'd like to find more birra di Le Baladin. Lucky for me, it seems that they have a collaboration birreria with  Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Leonardo Di Vincenzo of Birra del Borgo in the Chicago Eataly. I missed the opening of the brewpub when I visited the NYC location, so I can't wait until the madness dies down and I can visit the Chicago location. In the meantime, I can pick up a bottle here or there from the Eataly market.

General Thoughts
Look and Smell: This gold beer had a white bubbly head that settled to a ring.

Taste: It was lemon tart and herbal. I hate to say it...but it tasted like Ricola. I mean that in the best possible way. The lemon and honey sweetness, blended cleanly with the herbal flavors. Made me want to scream from the Italian Alps!

From the Le Baladin site:
5 grains: barley, spelt, wheat, rye and buckwheat. 9 spices, of which 5 peppers, in a renewed mix. Fizzy and refreshing, with a light, slightly cloudy color. Its aromas are reminiscent of the countryside and sun-soaked citrus orchards, and perfectly combine with the notes of orange blossoms, pear and bergamot, present in the recipe.

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