Kyivske
Obolon Brewery

(review from October 2023) Good strong lager with nice mouthfeel and a big malty/grainyish/slightly stale flavor & a sweetish aftertaste. No date on can so? Smooth fooler of an 8.6%er with a delayed wallop.

Fairly enjoyable higher alcohol export brew from Ukraine. I would like it better if the alcohol was higher due to more Barley Malt in the mix instead of sugar, but if Bell's can raise the alcohol in Hopslam by adding honey to the mix, then I guess everything is ok?

On the other hand, I'm just happy that I can actually buy this beer today in St. Louis, MO USA, and that Obolon is still making this in Ukraine. Слава Україні! This just means "Glory to Ukraine!".

Clear, golden color. Medium-sized, white head. Malt, molasses, and some fruits in the aroma. Malty, sweet taste with notes of alcohol at the end. Surprisingly drinkable when cold.

 

 

 

Obolon Brewery "Obolon Kyivske"
16.9 fl. oz. can without production codes or freshness dating
$4.49 @ Total Wine & More, Claymont, DE

Notes via stream of consciousness: I'm sure I've had this beer before. I used to buy all of the weird beers from Eastern Europe at Roger Wilco in Pennsauken, NJ. Some were good and some were bad but they were all interesting, and inexpensive. This one is a clear deep gold beneath a finger's width of bright white foam. The aroma is malty, sweetish, and lightly floral, earthy, and herbal with a spritz of alcohol as well. On to the taste... it's definitely on the sweet side. The malt is richly grainy, and softly grassy. Some minor floral and herbal hops appear across the middle but then the floral character comes on stronger and lingers in the finish. It's not that bitter but the alcohol helps to dry it. What is it, 8.6%? Yes. There might be a little bit more alcohol there than there should be but at the same time this is just base malt, there are no specialty malts to help cloak it. I'm also thinking about some Belgian golden ales that are similar except for the yeast, and the alcohol was much more clear, and even hot, in those. In comparison to American malt liquors of around 8% this one at least has some hop character to it, and less yeasty fruitiness. In the mouth it's medium-full in body and gently crisp. The moderate carbonation level explains, at least in part, why the head dropped on me so quickly. It leaves it creamy and smooth but at the same time I feel a little more carbonation would be welcome, and it would lend it some balancing acidity. I also understand, however, that this is the way that Eastern Europeans like to drink their beer. Once the head dropped there wasn't a lot of lacing left, just a few spots here and there, and I attribute that at least in part to the alcohol. Concerning the alcohol, well, that's an Eastern European thing as well. In Russia it's not uncommon, and readily accepted, for men to drink until they cannot function. I think it's also a little bit about the financial side of getting the best bang for your buck. With those things in mind it's easy for me to think that this is all good BUT I have to look at it on a global scale without exceptions for regional preferences and it's just not that good. It's better than a lot of beers in the same vein, but it could still be better.
Review #9,009

I forgot about this Ukrainian lager was in my fridge. It's Kyivske from Obolon Brewery, and it's a European strong lager at 8.6%. The color is a transparent dark gold bordering on amber and features a white head. The malt sweetness is up front on the nose and flavor. There's an unpleasant chemical flavor that appears about a few seconds in that I'm having trouble placing. In some ways, that off flavor reminds me of the burn of a Bourbon County Stout. I'm glad I tried it, but I think I don't need it again.

The pour is straw colored with a moderate amount of carbonation. The taste is sweet grains, white bread, & mild hops. Moreover, the 8.6% abv drinks more like a 7% beer. Cheers! B-

Poured from a handsome green glass bottle into .5L Pilsner

Impressive lacing. Pretty standard nose and flavor profile, floral and sweet where it needs to be. Goes down easy for a 8.6

Pretty good offering and happy to support Ukraine!

L: beautiful gold with white head
S: alcohol, just, alcohol
T: cream, banana, and Hoppe's 9
F: 3.6 roentgen - not great, not terrible

It's a very mild, very bland beer. Goes well with food. Would be glad to drink with a long, conversational meal where the focus is on the conversation. But a bit bland on its own. Given the war in Ukraine, a good beer.

Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours clear deep golden amber color with a tiny of puffy white foam. The head fades super quick, leaving almost no lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma is strong of a corn and cardboard smell mixed with aromas of a light grain and a bit of paper. Other musty smells and a bit of a metallic smell are there as well.
Taste – The taste begins with a cracker malt flavor mixed with the paper and cardboard tastes that were hinted at in the nose. Other flavors of a light corn and grain are there as well, mixed in with a bit of bready and earthy dirt taste. As the taste advances the malt fades while the dirt and paper get stronger. A bit of booziness and a touch of yeast join in at the end, leaving one with a rather dry, but somewhat off taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is lighter in nature with a higher carbonation level, at least for the abv. OK for the style and the tastes as it makes it easier to drink.
Overall – Not really all that great, even for a malt. I’ll stick with hurricane high gravity or Schlitz high gravity over this.