Baladin Nora
A buddy of mine was recently out in California and happened across this particular beer at a winery restaurant. Upon returning home to the East coast he told me about it and recommended that if I see it, I would be wise to pick it up. As chance would have it, my beer stop this past Friday revealed a couple of bottles that are now in my possession.
I wasn’t fully aware of what style of beer this is, but from what I could gather, it’s an Egyptian styled spiced ale. I would definitely recommend reading about Birrificio Le Baladin and it’s owner/head brewer Teo Musso. He appears to be quite a character — unique and driven in the Italian craft beer scene.
Appearance
Nora pours a hazy, golden amber in color with an orangish hue. The massive head slowly faded to a decent lacing.
Aroma
This beer smells wonderful. It’s light, but carries with it scents of spices, honey, ginger and a subtle sweetness. There are light citrus notes in there as well. The aroma on this thing fills the space around it very quickly.
Taste
The taste of Nora is just as complex as the nose. To say there’s a lot going on in here would be an understatement, yet the flavors all work very well together in unison. The honey, ginger, spices and citrus notes come together in a very well balanced, very drinkable beer (6.8% ABV). The beer is crisp on the tongue with a semi-dry finish.
Overall
I enjoyed Nora out on the front lawn with the wife while our daughter ran around kicking a soccer ball. For as complex as the ingredients of this beer are, it still came across refreshing and flavorful, never overwhelming our taste buds with too much. I had originally purchased two bottles. One for my friend and one for myself, but after finally drinking it, I’m not so sure I’m willing to share now.
Rating: 4/5