Rozhdyenniye V SSSR - Rizhskoye
Irkutskpisheprom

Another in the "Born in the USSR" series, this one comes in a standard brown half-liter bottle with a red, white and blue label featuring the seal of the USSR above the name, which means "from Riga" (or "Riga-esque"). Ingredients conform to the purity law, and include water from Lake Baikal. Best within nine months of 9/21/04, I opened it on 4/4/05.

Pours a clear gold under a half finger off-white head that fades very quickly, leaving no traces. The nose is surprisingly good - decent malt and spicey hops mixture that gets the senses tingling. The mouth is medium-bodied and very prickly. The taste opens with slightly sweet grainy malt with a hint of overripe fruitiness, but a strong hoppy bite is present from the start. The hops have a slight metallic twinge, but are generally smooth. The hops and fruity sweetness maintain a good balance through the finish and into the aftertaste. Interestingly complex, although the overripe fruit is a bit of a distraction.