Rozhdyenniye V SSSR - Yantarnoye
Irkutskpisheprom

Picked up in Vladivostok, this representative of the "Born in the USSR" series comes in a brown half-liter bottle sporting a yellow, white and red label featuring the symbol of the USSR above the name (which means "amber," but there ain't nothing amber-like about this beer). Ingredients conform to the purity law. Best before 5/10/05, I opened it on 4/5/05.

Pours a clear pale gold under a 1.5 finger white head that has some contour but fades to film fiarly quickly, leaving a few drops of lace. We've got a strong malt and hops nose, with both grain and spice mingling assertively, but pleasantly. The mouth is slightly sticky and well carbonated. The taste includes the now familiar watermelon-flavored malt so common in Russian provincial beers, but here it is smooth and enticing rather than overripe. Strong spicey hops provide a nice complement, lending life and interest to the brew, and a crisp bite to the finish. Dry bitterness lingers well into the aftertaste. Good stuff.