Baltika 9 Krepkoe (Strong)

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

This is a great beer - one of the best combos of great flavor and ass-kickin’ power around; it’s one of my regular brews. Although it bears some resemblance to Steel Reserve (which is pretty good), Baltika #9 has a rounded, balanced smoothness that sets it apart. The guys panning it must be a) teetotalers; b)lobotomy victims; or c) white zinfandel drinkers.

I hope this is the same beer as my bottle said pale beer. If it is I cannot understand the rating. While I am unfamilier with malt liquer this to me did taste like a mild pale ale. I thought Malt liquer was supposed to be sweet? This had only a undertone of it. Kind of similer to bass with its mild sour and sweet flavor. While not something I would buy a case of. This was very good.

Looks like I will be one of the few that likes this one. But this style, what I call a Strong Continental Lager is my guilty pleasure. This was yummy in all the wrong ways!!

$2.49 for a 16 oz. bottle at Blu Max, recommended by a guy who works there. Wow, had low expectations after reading these comments but really tasted like a fuller, more potent version of Bell’s Winter Ale. Very soothing, creamy, malty and inviting. Different wrapper than what’s featured in the ratebeer photo, will definitely try again.

I totally agree with the "commercial descrition": sweetish, soft malt flavour, very pleasant and easy to drink. very light flavour for its 8 ABV. Golden colour with barely no foam. Light-medium body, pleasantly long finish. Indeed a worth-to-be-tried beer. Althought be careful: this is the first time I rate a beer here, so I’m not confident about the grades I gave..

This grew out of a partnership between Efes and Baltika. So this is similar to Efes Extra, a very good strong lager. Pours pale yellow like a good pils. Great foamy white head, fades slowly with some nice lace. Aromas of alcohol, apple, yeast. Tastes of apple, light hops, sweet fruit and malt. Good all-around lager (by the way, it’s bottom fermented). I’d have it for a daily drinker -- beats hell out of Bud and Miller.

Pours a pale but rich gold with a frothy and very lacy snow-white head. Smells of sweet pale malt, very faint grassy hops. Hops are a bit more pronounced in the taste but there’s a good amount of alcohol heat here too. Keeps the beer on the dry side although there is considerable sweetness from the malt. Mouth is semi-sweet with a dry herbal aftertaste. Warming alcohol in the belly. A good drinker. Decent malt liquor style beer.