Russian Bear
Ostankino Brewery
- From:
- Ostankino Brewery
- Russia
- Style:
- English Pale Ale
- ABV:
- 5.3%
- Score:
- +7 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.31 | pDev: 13.29%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 2
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Nov 19, 2013
- Added:
- May 04, 2008
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania
3.35/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.35/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I'm not sure I'm reviewing the right beer here based on the previous review but let me give it a shot: It's brewed by the Ostankino Brewery in Moscow, Russia, but it's certainly not an English pale ale. It's neither English, nor an ale. It is pretty dark though, at about 9 SRM, so the color could fit an Engllish pale ale. The strength is also listed at 7.8% abv, not 5.3%, so I'm pretty sure I have a strong European lager in front of me. Also, I highly doubt you'll ever find this in a "22 oz. bomber", as I've never seen one used in Europe... the bottle I have is the standard tall lager bottle at 16.9 ounces. Brown glass, nice dark green and gold metallic label.
It pours a clear, very deep golden body that's crossed over into amber. The short head is bright white, mildly frothy, and short lived. Lacing is limited to very tiny specks and spots here and there.
The aroma displays sweetish malt with an odd, candyish and almost chemical edge. Some herbal and leafy hops are present as well, along with a clear note of alcohol.
In the mouth it's fairly full bodied with a creaminess that's actually nice, although I'd personally prefer some more crispness.
The flavor is as the nose suggests, and I find it to be quite similar to most of the strong Russian lagers that I've tasted. It's big on malt, bready, but with a sugary side to it, and not a very clear grain flavor... there's obviously a fair amount of adjunct in use. That's then backed by herbal, grassy, and sometimes spicy hops that almost become medicinal in an herbal kind of way. The bitterness is kept to a minimum, and there's just enough to keep it from becoming too sweet. It finishes drying, however, as there's a wash of alcohol that dries it, leaving behind a flicker of spiciness and some muddy herbal and grassy hops.
There's a kind of unrefined charm to these beers, and to be honest, I think that really they're a style unto themselves. They're kind of like the Russian equivalent of American malt liquor. I'm not sure who's really drinking them, at least in any quantity, but someone must like them! Unfortunately, quite a few I've sampled have had quality issues; this one, however, is fairly clean and only the malt balance is in question. If you drank it ice cold (which is probably commonly practice) I'm sure it would be more enjoyable.
Aug 05, 2008It pours a clear, very deep golden body that's crossed over into amber. The short head is bright white, mildly frothy, and short lived. Lacing is limited to very tiny specks and spots here and there.
The aroma displays sweetish malt with an odd, candyish and almost chemical edge. Some herbal and leafy hops are present as well, along with a clear note of alcohol.
In the mouth it's fairly full bodied with a creaminess that's actually nice, although I'd personally prefer some more crispness.
The flavor is as the nose suggests, and I find it to be quite similar to most of the strong Russian lagers that I've tasted. It's big on malt, bready, but with a sugary side to it, and not a very clear grain flavor... there's obviously a fair amount of adjunct in use. That's then backed by herbal, grassy, and sometimes spicy hops that almost become medicinal in an herbal kind of way. The bitterness is kept to a minimum, and there's just enough to keep it from becoming too sweet. It finishes drying, however, as there's a wash of alcohol that dries it, leaving behind a flicker of spiciness and some muddy herbal and grassy hops.
There's a kind of unrefined charm to these beers, and to be honest, I think that really they're a style unto themselves. They're kind of like the Russian equivalent of American malt liquor. I'm not sure who's really drinking them, at least in any quantity, but someone must like them! Unfortunately, quite a few I've sampled have had quality issues; this one, however, is fairly clean and only the malt balance is in question. If you drank it ice cold (which is probably commonly practice) I'm sure it would be more enjoyable.
Reviewed by dnichols from Washington
3.83/5 rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.83/5 rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I poured a 22 ounce bomber into a large mug.
A: Hazy, creamy lemony body with bone white head. Decent retention that receded to sight cover and a ring around collar. Layered lacing.
S: Sweet yeasty malt with floral hops, with a hint of honey.
T: Creamy rich malts, yeasty white bread. Flowery and herbal flavors with a light touch of citrus.
M: Medium body with sweet aftertaste and a moderate level of carbonation.
D: It was an easy smooth creamy and low ABV brew.
May 04, 2008A: Hazy, creamy lemony body with bone white head. Decent retention that receded to sight cover and a ring around collar. Layered lacing.
S: Sweet yeasty malt with floral hops, with a hint of honey.
T: Creamy rich malts, yeasty white bread. Flowery and herbal flavors with a light touch of citrus.
M: Medium body with sweet aftertaste and a moderate level of carbonation.
D: It was an easy smooth creamy and low ABV brew.
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