Syemyeynyy Syekryet Smorodina-Myata
Ochakovo

500mL can stamped 29/05/19 29/05/20 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 1.2% ABV (I think, the entire can is written in Russian using an alphabet I'm not familiar with). The beer pours barely hazy in a red raspberry color with pink tinted nearly white head. The head recedes to a thin ring and island. The aroma is strong currant and green mint leaf. The taste is barely tart, slightly sweet currant and mint laced rye bread. Really weird, but not bad. No bitterness, but not cloying like some of the others. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, good. It's kind of like a toasted rye bread and jam sandwich in a glass.

This beer came courtesy of my comrade, woodychandler. Poured from a 16.9 oz. can. Has a light violet color with a 1/4 inch head. Smell is strong of mint, some light berries. Taste is the same, mint up front, berries in the background, face puckering tartness. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall, it's nothing like any Kvass I have had before, but it's pretty good and worth a try.

I am back on the Kvass Kick thanks to Russian Table.com who recently listed a spate of them on offer. I got nothing but CANs for The CANQuest (tm) & this one just moved to the head of the line when it fell out of the reefer where I was staging it for tomorrow. 8=( It dented enough to the point that it was leaking so I am forced to drink it today.

From the CAN: [From the Cyrillic Russian]: "You hold in your hands a unique product - fragrant white kvass with currants and mint. This recipe was brought from an ethnographic community where it is made in their village and recreated by our technologists. Blackcurrant juice from country berries gives this a wonderful aroma and mint - a slight freshness and a unique taste. TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH!"

The Crack! went off without difficulty so I proceeded with a heavy-handed Glug to stem the leaking. They used the word "unique" in their description & I have to agree. It was still, as most Kvasses have been so head formation & retention was not an issue here. Instead, it was its color that struck me - a deeply-hazy/lightly-cloudy Purplish-Red (SRM = N/A)! A friend recently told me of Beet Kvass & I would love to try some if she CAN procure any. In the meantime, the nose was redolent with mint! It smelled like fresh mint, straight from the garden. Mmm. I have planted mint just for the fragrance so this really appealed. Mouthfeel was thin & watery, but I have yet to encounter a Kvass with any measurable body. The taste was likewise unique with a strong mintiness initially, followed by a tart berry flavor and the usual slight sourness of Kvass. I will be drinking the base Kvass tomorrow so it will be interesting to see what a difference the adjuncts have made. Finish was semi-dry with a tangy tartness from the black currants. I know that there are many who are not into Kvass & while I CAN sympathize, this one might be worth a try. YMMV.