Diplomat Dark
Pivovar Podkováň

 

Found in a Moscow grocery store, this one comes in a Czech standard brown 1/2 liter bottle with a dark and light blue label featuring a crown in the center and the name (in English) below the initials DD. Ingredients conform to the purity law. Best before 8/10/06, I opened it on 1/7/06.

Pours a clear light burgundy under a 1.5 finger tan head that is fairly creamy and maintains decent retention, generating some nice lace strands. The nose is mild and sweet with caramel. The mouth is light and very prickly. The taste is a bit watery at first, without much malt or caramel. There's a pretty strong hop follow-up, espresso dry and bitter, but still a touch on the mild side. The brew grows sweeter and fruitier as it warms, with the caramel malt emerging nicely, adding sweet balance to the bitterness. Good experience..