Zolotaya Bochka Krepkoye (Strong) Lager
Kaluzhskaya Pivovarennaya Kompaniya

 

Stylish gold and amber foil-accented labels on a logo-embossed 500 ml bottle. “Aged Russian Lager” reads the label, and the 6.5% abv leads me to think this might be in the Helles Bock or Maibock range. I poured this from the fridge into a half Liter hefeweissen glass and let it warm up for a minute or two. Pours a clear golden amber in color with a frothy tan head of good duration and with a nice touch of lacing. Tangy malt in the nose, slightly fruity, and with a hint of alcohol in the background. Tangy, fruity, and a mite-bit tinny from the start, with a medium body and an interesting lingering bitterness tempered with a hint of cloying sweetness. Notes of plum on the palate and rum in the aromatics. Gets tastier (and seems much boozier) as it warms up from fridge temperature . . . I’d call it a Bock if I were slinging around stylistic terms as per weight, and this reminds me a lot of my first imppression of Moretti LaRossa (i.e. "who knew these folks could make a heck of a bock/doppelbock!?!") One thing is certain: this is one of the tastiest and most distinctive Russian lagers I’ve had in years. A great buy at $1.49 (Friar Tuck, Peoria, IL) and I will gladly try Golden Barrel again!

Comes in a 16.9oz brown bottle with impressive gold leaf neck wrapper and unmistakeable Russian letters on the label. What can it mean? Then the back of the bottle contains a cheap white paste on label with the English description and obligitory Government warning. This is a dark Strong Lager. It pours a dark tannish color with a big fluffy beige head and some bunchy lace. The aroma is mostly of malt, light fruit and alcohol fuminess. The sweet caramel malt is fairly oily and slick. There's some mild citrus bitterness and bit of spiciness mixed in. The alcohol kick remains constant through the glass. The flavors become fairly bland and the body slightly cloying about 3/4 of the way through.