Yarpivo Temnoe (Dark)

Formerly brewed at Baltika-Yaroslavl (Baltika - Baltic Beverages Holding)
Style: Dunkel
Yaroslavl, Russia

Another random Russian beer I picked up at Lukas Liquor in Kansas City. This is a medium to dark brown bodied beer with garnet high lights. The head is frothy with a very light khaki color. The aroma has some light toffee with some old apples. The taste is mild and light cherries with some Oreo cookie filling. There is also a little bit of weak coffee. This is actually a decent dunkel.

Bottle: Poured an amber red with just a thin head. A hint of brown sugar in the aroma. The flavor is starkly cooked malt, brown sugar, candied malt. More oktoberfesty than dunkel-like.

Dark brown color with a thin head. Nice aroma of malt and maple syrup. Pretty much the same story in the taste, but the maple turns dry. Not bad at all.

Brown/orange color with a smallish beige head. Light dry caramel aroma. Lower rate only as there is light aroma at all. Light nutty sweetness. This reminds me of past days and Blatz Culmbacher (as we often referred to as "America’s great true light, dark beers"). Lots of malt in the finish, but there again you have to look for it. Lower marks are only because of a lack of substance. Actually a pretty well made brew. A beginners dunkle.

Beer poured a deep brownish-orange with a large, creamy head. Musty aroma was sourly hopped and oatmeal. Sweet-tart flavor, like cranberry fruit juice with a latent cinnamon spiciness. Not bad... would pair well with a baloney sandwich and chips.

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In the 500 mL bottle from Gomer’s. Pours a light brown color with amber highlights. Decent head of a beige yellow ochre color. Fairy good malty aroma, but does have a bit of that adjunct cheap malt liquor aroma. Flavor is nice in that it has a big malty sweetness and an interesting nutty taste. Fairly good I’d say.

Pours a clear brown drink with reddish highlights and a creamy tan head. Subtle aromas of roasted malts and a sweet nuttiness are echoed in the flavor, along with a surprizing touch of chocolate. It’s a bit watery with a wanting finish, but it’s definitely a drinkable beer.

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According to their website, this brew has been made since 1997. Without freshness dating, I have no guarantees that it hasn’t been sitting around since then. Has the roasted malt thing going in the nose, but it’s unpolished. I don’t remember this brewery when I was in Russia. Must be a new brewer. Smells somewhat German. Dark amber, slightly hazy. Small, light tan head that is mostly diminishing to the point of virtually no head. This apparently is their highest rated brew. Took awhile for my palate to get used to it. Didn’t taste very good at first. Not a match for Baltika 6, but has to be one of the better beers made in Russia right now. I would take Stepan Razin Porter above it as well. Not bad, though.