Pikavaya Dama
Kolos OAO/ Ledyanoy Stakanchik

I had this at the brewery's bar, and it almost made the nine hour flight from Moscow worthwhile. The "Queen of Spades" comes out a very dark and rich brown under a thin reddish tan head that settles quickly, but generates great lace down the mug. There's a good caramel nose here with a touch of roasted nuts. The mouth is quite prickly and pretty light. The taste is nice and roasty, with caramel and walnuts and a touch of spice. This is very smooth and quite tasty. I was a little disappointed at the lack of a hoppy bite in the finish, but the smooth, caramel sweet aftertaste makes this queen quite a seductress. Very good stuff.