Bottled, ABV 4.8% (BB 08/2004)
Darkish lager color, good foamy white head, lace. Metallic and sweet aroma with hints of ... maybe rye. Bitter flavor with malty body. Slightly bitter, hoppy aftertaste. Beats most of Finnish competitors. This one has interesting ratings: some of them claim this sweet, others - me included - bitter, different recipes or not homogeneous quality production? Or maybe it just sweetens when it is warmer.

0.5 l bottle. I just discovered my favorite thing about Russia: you can buy beer and liquor at streetside kiosks, some of which are open 24 hours, the local stuff is rarely more than a dollar, and you can pretty much drink from the bottle while walking. Of course the problem is that you usually get what you pay for. This a St. Pete brand; it’s actually a bit darker than the usual pale lager, kind of whiskey color. Walking with the open bottle kicked up enough foam to run over the top. Taste is pretty malty and nicely balanced by bitterness... but this seems to have some bottling or production problems, because it had that gross wet salty peanut smell of contamination. Too bad, because this had some potential.

Bottled. Golden colour with firm creamy head. Papery nose. Very sweet, clean but somewhat yeasty. Sugary finish.