Kwas Chlebowy
Minibrowar Restauracja Spiz

Reviewed from notes taken in Summer 2014. On-draught @ the brewpub into a .3L pils glass. This was my first Kvass at the time. Paired with brown bread with lard smeared on it.

HEAD: None. No lacing.

BODY: Dark bready caramel-brown. Murky. Brighter at the bottom of the glass. I see no yeast or sediment within. Nontransparent. Appears uncarbonated.

Looks like liquid bread, sure.

AROMA: Bread dough/sourdough, light sourness, juniper berry, unidentifiable herbs, and a root-like faint bitterness.

An inoffensive aroma of mild strength. I could see where some might be put off by it.

Bread dough dominates. I detect no alcohol, overt hops, or even malts per se.

TASTE: Sweet in a rather raw almost wort-like sort of way. Light brown bread comes to mind. Lightly sour resembling sourdough. Lightly herbal and root-redolent. It's a bit cola-esque in terms of residual sugars and sugary flavours. Quite plain and straightforward; there's zero depth of flavour.

Not yeasty, hoppy, or malty at all. Gets more sour towards the finish, though duration of flavour is brief. Flavour intensity is low; it's pretty mellow stuff. I'm not sure I care for it, but it does grow on me somewhat as I drink more of it.

Not simple per se - just plain. Not boring or bland, but certainly shallow.

TEXTURE: Flat, smooth, wet, and fairly refreshing, actually. Alkaline. Not smacky like many sour beers. It's not watery, but it is surprisingly light in body for a "beer" of this colour.

Not oily, astringent, gushed, hot, or boozy.

This texture fits the plain build; it's very straightforward.

OVERALL: Consistent with my expectations of the style, except it's less bready and full-bodied than expected. It does taste somewhat like bread, but it isn't heavy at all. The slight sourness is interesting. I'll need time to finish the glass, but I imagine it'd be more drinkable to the initiated. Those with a more conventional taste in beer or fermented beverages might well be put off.

C / AVERAGE