Leön by Birra Baladin #OTTBeerDiary Day 174

This post is a part of the 2015 New Beer Every Day Beer Diary Challenge, #ottbeerdiary.  Over the course of 2015, I will be trying a new beer every day. Please read the background in the link above, and enjoy reading about the most recently tasted beers below. If you’d like to join the challenge as well, let me know in the comments below, and be sure to check out Grown-up Travel Guide and his #grownupbeerdiary, where Andy Higgs came up with the diary format in use below. You can catch up on all of our posts as part of the challenge under the tag ottbeerdiary.

Day 174: June 23, 2015

Diary entry:

We are currently in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy for this year’s Blogville project. We’ll be staying in Bologna, Rimini, and Reggio Emilia over the next two weeks, sampling the local foods, beers, and wines of Emilia Romagna. Follow along with the hashtags #Blogville, #inEmiliaRomagna, and #ViaEmilia.

Today again we stayed in Bologna, exploring the local gastronomy, including a delightful lunch at Osteria Bottega.

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Tagliatelle with Culatello di Zibello DOP from Chef Spigaroli, the godfather of Culatello and Italy's top Salumi producer. Several years ago, I had the privilege to take a private tour of the cellar where Spigaroli ages his Culatello, and you'll see ones denoted with famous names like Chef Alain Ducasse and Prince Charles who have their prized ones reserved. There is only a small number produced each year, and you won't likely find this on any US menu. The aging takes place in moldy conditions and without artificial climate control. It stinks down there, but it's worth it – the USDA just doesn't agree however. This little bottega here in Bologna sells some of the highest quality meats and cheeses found in all of Emilia Romagna. From the 36 month aged Culatello here to 30 month aged Parmigiano Reggiano, I wanted to eat their entire menu! And speaking of Parmigiano Reggiano, the server says no to serving it on the Tagliatelle with Culatello. The Tagliatelle Ragu ok, not the Culatello. Good to know! #blogville

A post shared by Our Tasty Travels – Food Blog (@ourtastytravels) on Jun 23, 2015 at 9:26am PDT

That evening we had a great time with the group hanging out on the Via Belvedere, which turns into an open-air plaza where you can enjoy food and drinks from the surrounding business, while listening to live music.An incredible evening!

The Beer:

Name: Leön

Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Producer: Birra Baladin

Alcohol content: 9.0%

Bottle size: 0.75l

Purchased from: Bar Baladin in Bologna, Italy

Unfortunately, I was not able to find any new Italian beers at the cafes on Via Belvedere, so cracked this one open when I got back to the apartment afterwards. A little sweet for my taste. Expected maybe a little sour, but it didn’t come. So…not a sour beer. More like a Bock.

Commercial Description: Dark, with a good head, Leön mesmerizes with its explosion of scents and aromas which evoke a festive atmosphere, full of cuddles and lazy times. Originally created as a Christmas ale, its chocolate notes mixed with the aromas of dried fruit, licorice and toffee are unforgettable.