Komanda Svetloye
Baikalskaya Pivovarenniya Kompaniya

Hand-carried from Vladivostok to Moscow (thanks, Matt), this tall brown bottle has a short neck and a metallic silver, blue and red label featuring a shooting star under the name, which means "team." The slogan above reads "the beer of great victories." Ingredients include both rice and sugar - oh boy! Best before 12/28/05, I opened it on 11/19/05.

Pours a clear deep gold under a 1/2 finger white head that fades very quickly to film and collar. No lace. The nose is sweetish malt, with grape essence. The mouth is well carbonated, but surprisingly heavy, leaving a sticky coating in the mouth. The taste is all bread and grape, bordering on bad watermelon, but not quite there. The first few swigs yield no hops presence at all, but as it warms, the hops begin to emerge, both subdued and mild, and not metallic. Still, the overriding impression here is sweet and grain. It's drinkable, but lacks soul.