Rinkuškiai Žaibo

Brewed by Rinkuškiai
Style: European Strong Lager
Biržu raj., Lithuania

Name: Ypac Stiprus Zaibo
Date: 09/02/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

clear golden yellow, scant white head, sweet candy malt aroma, sweet malt flavor, very little hops or bitterness

Aroma: 4/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 3/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 6/20
Rating: 1.9/5.0
Drinkability: 4/10
Score: 4

(50cl bottle) Lightly hazed golden body with quickly dissipating medium white head. Aroma is moderately sweet, bread, some caramel, light herb/mint. Taste is moderately sweet, bread/caramel, some herb/mint, light corn. Medium body, some stickiness, alcohol not too strong.

(Bottle) Pours a clear golden body with a small off-white head. Aroma of Juicy Fruit gum, caramel, light floral, and freshly ground grain (exactly the same as the Aiko). Flavor of caramel malt, sour dough, and sweet corn.

Pours gold with a white head. Smells of apples, honey, some crisp malt. Tastes moderately dry with some fruity esters thrown in. Better than their other offerings I’ve had.

Mercy!, but this is a fun beer, pegged by the brewery as "the best-known strongest stout beer in Lithuania! "
Pale copper in body with a film in lieu of a head, it’s got a sweet, worty aroma with a whisp of the sturdy 9.5% ABV opening up the pores of one’s cheeks, snout, lips, and all other facial features in general as you snort the brew. Creamy, warming mouthfeel. Tastes of warm buttered bread, caramel, dirt, maple syrup, and, yes, alcohol fill the mouth with each savored swig. Finishes on a warm, sticky note.
I’m glad I’ve enjoyed this at home rather than in public, because it brings to mind an old tune by the New Riders of the Purple Sage, to whit -

She’s looking better every beer.
Her hair is soft and golden now,
Her eyes are bright and clear.
I don’t know why I didn’t notice her
When I first came in here,
But she’s looking better every beer.

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Dark golden color with a modest off-white head. Sweet pale malt aromas mix with a dessert white wire. Just a hint of floral hops. A malt liquor by any other name... Malt sweetness with hints of airplane glue buzz through the mind. Fairly thick, but not quite cloying. There is a return to some decent hopping in the finish and linger that save this from the bottom dwelling malt liquors. The malt does come out as this one warms verses the alcohol in sooo many other euro strongs and MLs. I kick this one up a notch just for being tolerable to the end.

Bottle from Belmont Party. Poured a clear golden color with an average frothy white head that diminished slowly with fair lacing. Moderate grassy hop and alcohol aroma. Medium body. Medium bittersweet flavor with a medium sweet finish of short duration. Drinkable high alcohol brew.

Head is initially small, frothy, white, mostly diminishing. Body is clear dark yellow. Aroma is moderately malty (toasted grain, bread), lightly hoppy (flowers). Flavor is heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter, slightly husky. Medium to full body, watery texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic. First thought this was the same as either 99 or Baro Stiprus, but the website lists 99 and Zaibo separately (no mention of anything called Baro Stiprus, but Per describes that as copper colored, and this is far from that). A big sweet brew that doesn’t have a lot by way of character but does reasonably well for its size and country of origin. Smells like they might be using Hallertauer, just a pity it’s such a small amount.