Baltika 4 Originalnoe (Original)

Brewed by Baltika Brewery (Baltic Beverages Holding - Carlsberg)
Style: Dunkel
St. Petersburg, Russia

This is a very enjoyable beer. It has a pleasant maltiness, and very smooth finish. Very enjoyable relaxing beer, that still tastes great as it warms

I had no idea what to expect from my first Russian beer, but I think it’s pretty good, to be honest. It didn’t pour as dark as I expected, based on the label, but it was a nice amber color with reddish highlights and a nice foamy, lacy head. The aroma was awesome, very yeasty and fruity, like a rum-soaked fruitcake. The taste was initially what I expected but the only thing lacking to me was the finish. It started malty and bitter but really just finished bitter. Someone earlier said it was similar to pecans, but I would say more like pecan shells. Still, it’s quite drinkable and I wouldn’t mind trying others from this brewery!

I am rather fond of a couple of the Baltika beers. I am used to them mangling the English language a bit on the bottles but when I read "Harmonious bread smack" on this bottle I had to chuckle. Actually I have been chuckling about that for the last couple of days. Sampled from a 16.9 oz brown bottle this beer poured a dark brown color with a large tan head. The aroma is sweet bready and yeasty. The flavor is sweet malts with a yeasty bready undertone. The finish has a moderate sour tang. Harmonious bread smack indeed.

Ruby red with orange around the edge with a large creamy tan head. Aroma is a lightly fruited, lightly roasted malt. Has a creamy malt feel to the aroma. Full, creamy feel and a toasted dark malts are very distinct in the flavor. Clean toast malt are smooth and quite full. Nice small bit of fruit character, not much, but distinguishable amongst the malts. I really enjoy the flavor as it turns to a dry, slightly sour malt finish. Stays full throughout.

pours a dark apple color with a caramel hued white head. roasty rope and toffee aroma. thick body with a yeasty flavor. of cocoa and pecans. this is nice even if it is a bit oversweet. a bit of powder in the finish. i can happily drink a few more of these.

Bottle poured a nice dark amber with a smallish fizzy head. Aroma is malt and a bit of roasty toast. Flavor is malt,caramel, dark fruit with a light bitter malty finish.

Bottle: Impressive red-amber color with a frothy off-white head that left fair lacing. Weak aroma, but hay and spice were lightly detected. The flavor was sweet caramel and a hint of citrus. Very light tasting and easy going but I enjoyed this one.

Lively and bulky foam, optimal persistence and fullness. Good duration. Elegant color, dark brown with amber glares. Medium fizz. Hazy and veiled. Determined and much bitter scent; notes of caramel and coffee. Prickly and bitter taste, toasted malty and burnt wood rumors. Preponderant and aggressive bitter. Enough along and alcoholic finish.