Klinskoye Samurai
Klinskiy Pivokombinat

 

SUN-Interbrew, Russian affiliate of InBev, advertizes Samurai as a product of Japanese tradition of long maturation. Alcohol content is 4.9%, gravity is 11 degrees Plato, but this beer leaves an impression of low-alcoholic beverage - high initial carbonation without forming a head, faint industrial smell, bland and uninspiring taste that's very hard to describe due to lack of individuality. Aftertaste is not out of this world, smth like cardboard. Not a clone of Kirin but much, nuch worse.

.5 L can, purchased in Moscow. Part of a line of apparent international clone beers. This is a clone of a Kirin or Sapporo, and in this case it hits the mark. Very dry, pale to being almost white, thin to no head, and very, very gassy. Still have to give it a few nods for doing what it set out to do.

Came in a brown half-liter bottle with a tall long neck. The label included some Japanese characters and the word "Samurai" in Japanese-stylized letters. The billboards advertising this new product feature a Japanese Samurai warrior and words about freshness. Still, I haven't yet figured out what the Japanese connection is to this very Russian beer from the Interbrew family. Oh well. Rice is an ingredient, but that's common in Russia. Bottled on 7/16/03, I opened mine on 8/25/03.

Poured clear yellow under a white head that stayed fairly firm for longer than I had expected. No lace, however. The nose was quite ricey, whilte the mouth was prickly and light. The taste was very grainy and a touch sweet - a lot like standard American macros. There was just a touch of hops in the finish. Nothing to get excited about in this one.