Sarmat Mitzne
Sarmat

Golden color, thin head. Sweet and alcohol aroma. Why Ukrainian brewers can't make a strong beer without alcohol smell and taste???? Hardly drinkable.

I found a bottle of this, in all places, at a rain forest lodge in Ecuador. Judging from the condition of the bottle, it had been aging for a while. My first experience with this style was not pleasant, especially after trying this breweries good porter in the same establishment. Overcarbonated (but strangely, with little to no head) and dominated by the flavor of alcohol are the two most dominant characteristics of this beer. Drinkability of this was also poor for me due to the carbonation and high alcohol content. One of these was enough.

Strong lager can be delicious and even delightful, but not this one, unfortunately.

First of all, it's over-carbonated, bubbly just like soda pop. Head is bubbly, too, and dies in a minute. No lace.

Smell is malty with a strong hint of white spirit.

Alcohol is unmasked in the taste. You begin to feel it immediately, it dominates over malts and sugars. If not for this, taste is quite interesting, with its soft fruitiness and candyish notes. Mouthfeel hard (probably from the water). Aftertaste liquorish, long, not quite clean.

Won't recommed it.

Found in a central Moscow kiosk, I've been looking for beers from this brewery for about three years. Sleek brown half liter bottle with a gold and red label featuring a couple eagles flanking the brewery's symbol (a barley stock in front of a full mug under the year 1962). Ingredients include rice and sugar. Best before 5/3/06, I opened it on 3/11/06.

Pours a clear, pale, bubbly straw gold under a one finger white head that has some contour and fades somewhat less than visibly, leaving no lace but a fairly decent collar. The nose is very subdued, to the point of non-existence. Perhaps a bit of sweet fruitiness emerges.later, but nothing every comes through loud and clear. The mouth is very prickly and fairly syrupy. The taste is surprisingly mild for the style, with a touch of grape reminiscent of wine. As it warms, metallic hops emerge, giving the experience a harsher tone. The bitterness finally overwhelms the sweet, leaving an acrid tone more likely to generate gagging than a desire for more. The first impression was quite good, but ultimately this is little better than other Soviet style strong beers. No thanks.