Kvass
Beaver Brewing Company

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From:
Beaver Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Kvass
ABV:
2%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.73 | pDev: 15.55%
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
27
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 21, 2016
Added:
Apr 02, 2011
Wants:
  33
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by IronCitySteve:
Photo of IronCitySteve
Reviewed by IronCitySteve from Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Pours a very light yellowish color, almost like a lemonade. Provides a nice white foam head that quickly dissipates.

S: Some mild hints of bread and yeast along with some raisins (they were put in the growler).

T: A lot stronger then the smell lets on in turns of flavor and taste. Starts off bready/yeasty almost citrusy, in the middle the bready flavors are blended with some light barley (I think) and finishes with some bready and dark fruit (raisins) flavor.

M: Very light and very crisp. Long linger taste left on the palate.

O: I did not know what to expect from the brew, but I must say, I enjoyed it a lot. It is very easy to drink. Would enjoy this on a hot humid day. After reading the style notes, I think this is pretty spot on!
Apr 02, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.51 by poppollutesminds from New Jersey

Feb 21, 2016
 
Rated: 3.25 by johnyb from Florida

Jun 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.71 by MisterKilderkin from California

May 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by williamjbauer from Colorado

Mar 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by 31Sam13 from New Hampshire

Mar 01, 2015
Photo of BeerAdvocate
Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland

3.81/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #66 (July 2012):

LOOK: Clear pale gold, bubbly, nice lacing

SMELL: Fresh lemons, lavender, mint, mineral, bread crust, cilantro, raisins, tart, spice

TASTE: Light bodied, very crisp, lemon zest, wet, bready, nutty, mint, floral, pith, golden raisins, bone-dry grainy finish

Old-school beer from a completely different world, essentially a staple beverage from Eastern Europe that is brewed with bread, fruit and other flavorings. A low-alcohol beer that is generally no more than 2-percent ABV. Beaver Brewing is perhaps one of the only US breweries that produces this style year-round. An amazing brew for what it is.
Nov 27, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by billbeers from Pennsylvania

Jun 08, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by JonSzakelyhidi from Pennsylvania

Jan 14, 2013
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The world of kvass is littered with a whole mess of utterly atrocious (mostly Russian produced) garbage out there. So, frankly, it wouldn't be too hard to show them up. Regardless, this is a really nice production. Bready tones are clearly evident. (surprise!) And there is somewhat of a sweet tone that comes across. Mmm. I just got a nice hit of grain on there. Seems like wheat, which reminds me that this looks like a wit or hefe at first sight. The overall verdict is that this is pretty nice. Seems a bit heavy on my stomach, but I am guessing that is because this is a fresh beer and there is all that bread involved. Hey...I wonder what kind of bread he used for this...
Aug 19, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by mgbickel from Pennsylvania

Dec 05, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by thebouch01 from Pennsylvania

Nov 14, 2011
Photo of trxxpaxxs
Reviewed by trxxpaxxs from New York

2.92/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Got this growler in the Tasting Partners BIF. Thanks.

A: Pours a thin, cloudy straw. There is almost no head, but there are a few sickly looking raisins floating in my glass.

S: Smells of yeasty bread, some sweet malt, and some serious sour.

T: Tastes sours and acidic. The finish is dry with some of the tartness lingering around. The raisins do cut the tartness with a bit of sweet, but I wouldn't recommend trying to eat one.

M: A light-bodied beer that is extremely thin. But what do you expect from a 1.7% abv behemoth? It finishes dry.

O: I'm glad to have tried this beer, but I wouldn't want it again. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever had, but it was far from good.
Sep 26, 2011
Photo of sliverX
Reviewed by sliverX from S. Georgia & S. Sandwich Isls.

3.12/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Growler picked up in the Tasting Partner BIF
Um well lets see its a very light yellow with a few bloated raisins jumping around, whispy white ring around the edge.
Smell is lightly of raisins and a bit of malty booze.
Taste is tart a bit weird all I can think of is this tastes sort of what I imagine fermented fresh cut hay field.. ok my girlfriend insisted we eat a raisin, multiply the taste ten fold and its a bit shocking. As its warmed its taken on a diluted apple juice thing.
Mouthfeel is light crisp drying
overall I had no idea what to expect here and still not sure I do. it grows on you a bit but still nothing to seek out.
Sep 25, 2011
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

3.16/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Thanks to a generous trader for this growler. Served in a tulip at our Christmas in July party last weekend. Currently the #1 Kvass.

Comes in a clear growler with loads of spherical raisins floating in it. Some are at the bottom. When opened, all the raisins rise to the top. Dr. Abmuh says this is because there was trapped CO2 within them and they rise when the pressure is released. Something like that. Cloudy yellow. Really cool presentation overall. Onto the beer.

The nose brings forward a bit of light straw malt and bread plus a mild raisin character. Almost a bit wheaty. The flavor takes more of the wheat character and everything is distinctively bready. There's some mild sweetness. The mouthfeel takes the flavor over, as it's oddly dry and bitter. Very strange, as it's not a hop-like bitterness. Not bad, though not something I would return to.
Jul 19, 2011
Photo of Huhzubendah
Reviewed by Huhzubendah from District of Columbia

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Growler shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike!

Currently the #1 kvass.

The beer appears extremely hazy and yellow hued, like a hefeweizen without the towering, white cap. Some decent lacing is left behind. The growler contains several dozen buoyant raisins, many of which defected into my snifter.

The aroma is funky and smells similar to a berlinerweiss.

The flavor brings some light funk, weizen like flavors, and some fusel alcohol. If it weren't for the unusual and slightly off putting alcohol scent and flavor, this beer would be top notch. Additionally, I would prefer this beer without raisins.

There is an odd bitterness, most notably in the finish. The body is very thin, of course, with this being a 1.8% session beer. Highly drinkable.

Overall, I really enjoyed this beer. This is my third kvass, and my favorite so far. This kvass was remarkably different than the previous two. It seems that this style has a broad interpretation. A fun and interesting experience. I would definitely have this again.
Jul 18, 2011
Photo of drabmuh
Reviewed by drabmuh from Maryland

3.36/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
At the time of this review, this is the #1 Kvas on beeradvocate. A growler shared by Thorpe429 last night, beer served in a snifter. I have had 5 Kvas, this was not the best and was not the worst, out of the 5 I've had, I'd place this one in the #3 spot.

First, growler is clear (why) the beer is yellow and hazy with raisins (I hope) floating in it. Forms a great looking head of small white bubbles, no lacing, but nice carbonation. OK it looks pretty good.

Aroma is odd, I described it last night as a "weak smelling hefeweizen" -- it has this bouquet of esters that reminds me cloves and bananas, mild overall, grainy.

Beer is thin and bright on the palate, easy drinking overall. The lead off is mildly sweet, the midpalate is yeasty and the finish is dry and oddly bitter. There seems to be a disconnect in the Kvas "style". Some go toward the sweet, some go toward the dry. This one falls more on the dry side but that odd bitterness that I interpret at fusel is just a little too off-putting for me to recommend it as a "good" example. I don't think I'd have it again but I think I'm going to take a break from the Kvas style for a while.
Jul 17, 2011
Photo of nitehawk
Reviewed by nitehawk from Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
My first taste of a Kvass, I might have passed it over as being an oddity except for an excellent description/story about the beer from the brewer Dan at a tasting at Bocktown; in Robinson, PA.

One must not come into this expecting a normal pale session beer. According to information I looked up about it, this is a truly authentic rendition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kvass

I must say this is my new favorite summer session refreshing beer. The light hint of lemon mixed with the sugar from the raisins and the yeastyness of the bread mix together to make a very refreshing treat on a hot summer day. The slightly higher than normal carbonation helps with the refreshing aspect.

My guess is this is a drink that is either loved or hated, with few in between.

And of course, always ask for the raisins in the growler. :)
Jul 02, 2011
Photo of mmopt
Reviewed by mmopt from Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I was fortunate to have this age old beer through a friend's growler. Prior to both tasting and this review I did a quick read on this style and was pleased with its authenticity. I should note this is my first Kvass but it leaves a lot to live up to for the rest. Now on to it….

This pours a very pale yellow, almost like real lemonade in color. There is very little hop aroma, owning up to its ability to be served to younger children in its origins. The smell matched up to the paleness but offered slight hints of its bread core. It has a citrus finish and a drinkability ranking up with cold lemonade on a summer day. To that point, I may have to try that. Glad I was able to add this to my palate.
Jun 07, 2011
Photo of Hojaminbag
Reviewed by Hojaminbag from Colorado

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I think I should mention that so far Beaver Brewing Growlers haven't held up for even small amounts of time for me, so I would suggest not trading these beers yet (see my IPorterA review). That is really just my opinion though.

Beaver Brewing's Kvass is a surprisingly light color, with a cloudy yellow body. A small, soapy, white head appears and leaves a little bit of lacing behind. Other Kvass that I have seen tend to be darker, in color, with brownish bodies. Not sure if that means anything, but I like how this one looks regardless.

There is a lot of wheat in the aroma and a nice citrus aroma. Light spice smells and some raisin. There might be just a touch of sourness also.

I think this one is my favorite out of the group of Beaver beers that I got to try. A ton of bready wheat makes up the backbone, and it is quite pleasant. The lemony, citrus flavors are very nice and somewhat refreshing. Some raisin and some herbal flavors come through also. A part of me is still convinced there is just a hint of funky sourness in there somewhere, but a part of me thinks it is either in my head or just some twang from the wheat. Whatever it is, it's pretty pleasant.

Light body.

This beer is a winner. Refreshing and low alcohol, this would be a great one to drink all day while doing things out in the sun. Grab this beer if you get a chance.
Jun 07, 2011
Kvass from Beaver Brewing Company
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 27 ratings