Khlebny Kray
Baltika Breweries

Khlebny KrayKhlebny Kray
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From:
Baltika Breweries
 
Russia
Style:
Kvass
Ranked #16
ABV:
1.2%
Score:
73
Ranked #27,722
Avg:
2.92 | pDev: 18.15%
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
27
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 08, 2022
Added:
Jun 27, 2010
Wants:
  7
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Rated: 2.5 by cryptichead from Illinois

May 08, 2022
 
Rated: 2.96 by Dzu from Russian Federation

Mar 12, 2016
 
Rated: 3.35 by 123321123321 from Alabama

Sep 05, 2015
Photo of dcmchew
Reviewed by dcmchew from Romania

3.49/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Dark brown, some ruby tinges, small off-white head quick to a modest string.
Sweet malt, rye bread, or more like multi-grain, faint raisin and plum, some unhusked grain, some caramel. It seems to have a slight acidity, so it might not be overly sweet.
Sweet malt sugars up front, but not sticky, with a slight zestiness (really subtle) and a surprisingly fruity note, like peach, or underripe apricot. Bready, sure, but not heavy, with that mix of cereals really in there, reminding of muesli, with oat, rye and some wheat shining. Finishes clean, a bit dry even.
Aftertaste has a bit of that fruity sugars and just a hint of grain. Light to medium body, subtle carbonation. I somehow expected more spicy rye, but i really had no idea what a kvass really is. But it's a really nice drink, refreshing, tasty, and the lack of alcohol doesn't bother at all. I'll be looking out for more of these.
Jun 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by MisterKilderkin from California

May 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by wethorseblanket from California

Apr 03, 2015
 
Rated: 2.72 by hhollins11 from Arizona

Sep 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Gottesverachter from Russian Federation

May 26, 2014
Photo of Knapp85
Reviewed by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Had this one a bit ago, Poured out as the traditional brown color with a thin white head on top that fades rapidly. The smell of this is of dark fruits and molasses. The taste is primarily the same things as the nose with a touch of bread in there as well. The mouthfeel of this is much like a soda, generously carbonated and thin feeling. Overall it's a pretty standard Kvass, not one that I would have to seek out in the future.
Dec 26, 2012
 
Rated: 1.5 by t0rin0 from California

Dec 08, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by msubulldog25 from Oregon

Jul 09, 2012
Photo of Smakawhat
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland

3.48/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured from the can into a nonic pint glass. Much thanks to WoodyChandler.

Cola looking body, with big pinhead bubbles. Tan honey colored like head disintegrates fast, snapping sounding, looks totally like cola, doesn't even leave a collar.

Nose is a raisiny sweet, but a little dry ripping grain and some ripping cocoa powder. Real interesting. I like it.

Faint bread action, sweet pruney raisin, chocolate comes through, but also very carbonated.

This is quite tasty but it feels too much like soda pop to me. I really do like the nose on this and hint of dry bread.
Feb 24, 2012
Photo of rudzud
Reviewed by rudzud from Massachusetts

2.99/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Shared this bottle with JLindros after receiving it in a trade from WoodyChandler. Gotta love Lindros's review. Reviewed from notes.

A - Pour was a dark cola/molasses with a fizzy white soda-esc head that fades to leave nothing.

S - Yikes. Aroma is of sweet raisins and gerbil cage. Almost cloyingly sweet with that earthy hay rank nose.

T - Taste is of raisin bread and sweet malts. Lots of candi molasses. Super sweet.

M - Much lighter and not as syrupy as other kvass beers.

O - Overall, while I really don't know what to make of this style I left my personal taste out of this. This beer IS better than average as far as Kvass goes. I still don't like it, but it is a better one. I'd rather drink any american adjunct over this and I have no idea how people can drink a whole can of this.
Feb 08, 2012
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

2.19/5  rDev -25%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Thanks... or maybe I should say no-thanks to Rudzud for this one. I hadn't even heard of this, although faintly familiar with kvass style but not much.

The can thwops open. The beer pouring out is darker than I expected, like a dark molasses coca cola, scratch that, Sam's Choice cola brown syrupy looking almost black beer. The faint looking head... wait... did the head actually exist or not. I can't tell. I blinked and suddenly there was no head. I'm not quite sure if there ever was a fizzy faint head or my mind is playing tricks on me. It could also be hints of lacing left over from the previous beer that I didn't rinse out well enough.

Holy mother of all that is unholy! Nose smells like dog food with a little bit of straw. Seriously dog food, or a crazy gerbil cage ass aroma with dankness. That is actually how it smells. A little bit of straw and bready malt aromas give it more of a dog biscuit like smell, and maybe a hint of dark raisin like fruit. If I had a dog I could imagine feeding this beer to it, and having the dog curl away in horror. As I try to lean in for a sip the horrid stench fills my entire soul and I continue to balk at sipping it. I'm really afraid to sip it. Well, holding my nose and reluctantly (for science) I move in. I wanted to give the smell a negative rating, but BA forces me to give at least a 1.0.

Taste is very sweet, and not as bad as I expected (considering the nose like a goblin). Big time raisin and date smothered in molasses, man is it sweet. Considering it's only 1.2% its like they threw the yeast in to let it carbonate (partially) then the yeast just committed suicide once it had to smell the beer. It's bready, like a slight dark rye bread filled with raisins and molasses of course. Sweetness really takes over with the bread and fruits and I can't really taste anything else. It's almost like Shasta syrup or maybe Dr. Pepper, but just the syrup. Little sticky, light earthy straw like flavor too with hints of dog biscuit and hamster shavings. Can't believe I made it to the finish, finishes pretty sweet still more corn syrup like a light corn stalk chewy chalky almost flavor and sweetness with a gerbil food like flavor, as well as some lingering dark fruits raisin, fig, date, etc.

Mouth is sticky sweet syrupy like a cola syrup gone bad, and no carbonation which doesn't help it's cause as the sticky putrid syrupy coagulate just sits on the tongue, festering like last weeks tooth in cola science experiment gone bad.

Overall... just... I don't even have words to describe it. I wouldn't even call this beer, and I'm not sure how they can get away with it. It's like very partially fermented mash of rye bread, raisins, corn stalk, molasses, gerbil ass, dog biscuit, and the lost souls of Genghis khan and his horse, all blended until fermentation was about to start when the yeast just died of asphyxiation. Although, I would recommend giving it a try, it's at least a step up from Sam Adams Triple Bock.
Dec 09, 2011
Photo of TheManiacalOne
Reviewed by TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island

2.82/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Acquired via trade from woodychandler so a big “Thank You” goes out to him. Poured from a 500ml can into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep reddish brown color, with no head at all and no lace.

S: The aroma contains raisins, honey, wheat, spices and caramelized malts.

T: The taste starts out very sweet with flavors of raisins, caramel, honey and some spices. Then there’s some breadiness from wheat and a hearty but not too heavy malt character. The after-taste is very sweet.

M: Syrupy but a little smooth, medium body, medium-to-high carbonation despite the lack of any head, finish is sticky.

D: A little flavorful, goes down ok, not too filling, extremely mild kick, decent representation of style, it has what you look for in the style but there are other choices in the style that are a bit better.
Oct 24, 2011
Photo of JayQue
Reviewed by JayQue from Virginia

3/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
My second Kvass. Thanks again to Woody Chandler for hooking me up. I liked this one better than the Ochakovskiy I tried before. Comes in a colorful 16.9 oz can with an ad-on nutritional sticker from the importer in Brooklyn NY.

Poured it into a pint glass. Dark brown, ruby highlights throughout when held to the light. Light tan fizzy head that disappears as fast as the head on a hard poured soda. No lacing

Smell is mild, sweet bready malt. Taste is sweet malt as well with some raisins and prunes added in. Unlike the other Kvass, there is no soda pop/Dr.Pepper flavor. That flavor was a bit annoying. This is a mild, malty drink.

Mouthfeel is less watery than the Ochakovskiy. Absolutely no carbonation after the fizzy head dies down.

A pretty average experience for a beer, but unusual and not a bad thirst quencher.
Jul 10, 2011
Photo of Urbancaver
Reviewed by Urbancaver from Ohio

2.64/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Pours A nice ruby brown. Almost no head to speak of. Pretty though. Definitely not a bad looking beer. Smells.... Interesting.awful at first but improves as it warms up. Taste sweet and wonderful. Lots of rye and raisin. Vry thin though. The mouthfeel kind of ruins the beer. Overall... Odd... But not very good
May 27, 2011
Photo of BeerAndBourbon
Reviewed by BeerAndBourbon from Ohio

2.32/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
Thanks to WoodyChandler for this ticking treat.

A. Pours very dark with a touch of ruby and no carbonation.

S. Musty. Terrible. My wife described this as laundry that she left in the washer too long.

T. Like a cherry flavored cola.

M. Very thin body.

D. This is pretty terrible. The flavor is much better than I expected from the aroma.
May 27, 2011
Photo of tone77
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania

2.59/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
Many thanks to woodychandler for introducing me to the world of Kvass. Poured from a 16.9 oz. can. Has a dark cola like color with no head at all, some carbonation. Smell is of molasses, very sweet. Taste is way to sweet for my liking, lots of molasses, some fruit notes, kind of like the Malta drink sold at the Dominican/Puerto Rican restaurant around the corner from my job, only much sweeter. Feels syrupy in the mouth and I was not impressed overall.
Mar 30, 2011
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Baltika's Khlebny Krai (Granary Land)

Khlebny Krai pours a very dark mahogany brown with clear, deep russet brown accents with a ruby cast. The short lived head rises up nicely, displaying a dark tan color. Once the head has receeded little lacing is left behind.

The aroma is subdued for the style, and it expresses soft molasses, bread, and some mild dark-skinned fruits.

The flavor follows suit, and it's surprisingly smooth in character. The maltiness and fruitiness combine, and what you get is like light molasses with raisin and cherry. It's very subtly tart, and not very sticky in the end. It's quite polished, and rather well balanced.

Overall it's a decent enough kvas that's really well made, but I yearn for a little more of the traditional character - flaws and all.
Mar 29, 2011
Khlebny Kray from Baltika Breweries
Beer rating: 73 out of 100 with 27 ratings