Zhigulovskoye
Ostankinskiy Drinks Plant (Останкинский Завод Напитков)

Came in a dark brown half liter bottle with a busy but not unpleasant bluish label with water droplets in the background. List of ingredients conforms to the purity law. Bottled on 6/30/03, I opened it on 7/19/03.

Poured a dark gold with a very thin, very fizzy head that disappeared real fast. No lace, but there was a surprising collar most of the way down the glass. The nose was sweetish barley, while the mouth was light and tingly. The initial taste was bland sweetness, with more metal than malt. Hops came out strong in the finish, though, albeit more harsh than smooth. The aftertaste was surprisingly (given the harsh finish) pleasant bitterness. This brew turned out to be much better than expected - but I wasn't expecting much.