Sokol Izolda
Amstar

The newest beer on the Russian market, it came out with a big advertising campaign emphasizing "No Bitterness!!!" Color this hophead unimpressed. Comes in a light green half liter bottle with a short neck and a silver, yellow and red label featuring what looks like the head of a comet streaking behind the name. Ingredients claim to conform to the purity law. Brewed on 05/05/05 and supposedly good for a year, I opened it on 9/12/05.

Pours a clear pale straw color under a thin one finger white head that musters just a bit of body before fading quickly, leaving no trace of lace. The nose is strong of adjunct, slightly stale grain. The mouth is light but overly carbonated. The taste is also very light, watery in fact. There is a touch of malt, perhaps, and the slightest shadow of some hops in the finish, but not much else. I suppose they succeeded in eliminating all of the bitterness, but why bother?