Yarpivo Irish Red
Baltika Breweries

Although brewed less than an hour from Moscow, I've never found it here. I picked up this can 4000 miles away in Vladivostok. Tall half-liter can with red, white and blue design featuring the name prominently in English, smaller underneath in Cyrillic. The back claims this is the "real taste of Irish beer." I rather doubt this is an ale, however. Ingredients conform to the purity law. Best before 6/25/05, I opened it on 4/5/05.

Pours a clear reddish hue under a very thin and short-lived off-white head that leaves just a few whisps of film on top of the liquid, but nothing on the glass. The nose is pleasant enough, with mild sweet caramel malt and a touch of spice. The mouth is light and fairly prickly. The taste is a bit thin, with some caramel sweetness, a mild hoppy bite and a touch of red licorice. Nothing unpleasant here, it is a serviceable effort worth trying again - if I can ever find it in the capital!