Baltika 9 Krepkoe (Strong)

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

Clear yellow pour with a white head that vanishes real quick. Nose of some corn, and floral scents. Flavor is slightly sweet honey with no detectable hops. Its very brazen about its alcohol content making next to no attempt to disguise its fuel notes. Might be good for a cold winter night in Russia, but it was a poor choice for a warm summer day at lunch.

gold with a thin white head and medium body. the big problem with this beer is that theres is very little bitterness, so there is nothing to counterbalance the sweetness (and theres a lot of it!) so what is left is a honey sweetness with some floral notes.

The beer had a slightly dark yellow color, and a lot of flavor. It gets a thumbs up from me.

16.9 oz. Bottle from "Crackhead Liquors" in Terre Haute, In - I was redirected to this page from the other one "Baltika Extra 9 Lager," which is the actual name of this beer (picture is quite different as well). On the side of the neck: "Baltika Extra is a Pale Beer brewed from the best ingredients according to an avanced technology. Unique combination of perfect brewing and easy drinking. This beer is brewed specially for you." Sounds pretty good right? Anyway, I thought this looked and sounded interesting, especially being Russian, and was priced decently so I grabbed it. First it pours and looks like any American macro piss beer, lame. I smell it, very strange - very hoppy and a little sweet - but also smells a little like old beer spilled at the ball park. Tastes crazy - like a Pale Ale was poured into a slightly sweet lager tasting very much of alcohol. Not easy to drink at all!! This beer is not lacking in flavor - its actually got too much (or too many different ones). Might be alright if the flavor got cleaned up (a lot). Stay away from this unless you like drinking something that doesn’t taste good.

Usually beers have ratings this low because they’re virtually tasteless. That’s not the case with this beer. There is plenty of complexity here: hay, banana, pear, nice bitterness. The aroma is actually pretty decent, with good classic lager notes. The problem is this beer is heavy as hell--both in sweetness and alcohol--and totally unbalanced. Lagers should be refreshing. If I want 8% alcohol I will drink a complex Belgian ale. This beer doesn’t work for me.

Light medium gold yellow pour with little white head. Smell is an odd mix of Alcohol, yeastiness, and a chemically smell, so in other words, not great. Taste was similar with a bit of bitterness, sort of malty sweetness I guess, and a bit alcoholic. Not very good, and wouldn’t get again.

courtesy of Laurent Mousson - clear and pale golden-yellow colour with a chaotic white foam; aroma of grilled almonds and solvant, some hints of pear too; thick and very sweet, full-bodied, long malty sweetish finish with fruity and alcoholic notes - awful

Was debating today, new beer or Stone RIS, new beer, or Stone RIS . . . went with the new beer, bad choice. Aroma is nasty with hints of sweetness and yeast. Pours clear and pale, little head. Flavor is dominated by a sweet fruitiness and an alcoholic finish. I mean, it has some aroma and flavor to it, it is just nasty. Ugh, gonna be tough to finish.