Permskoye Gubernskoye
Permskaya Pivovarinnaya Kompaniya

The flagship of the Perm brewery, this comes in a standard half liter brown bottle with a red and white label featuring the brewery's coat of arms and images of the various metals the beer has won. The name means, roughly: Choice of the Governor of Perm. Since the region doesn't change governor's very often, the name is probably safe for a while. Ingredients conform to the purity law. Best before 7/7/04, I opened it on 2/23/04.

Pours a good standard but bubbly gold under a one finger head that fades quickly and leaves no lace. The nose is quite nice, with lots of malt and a hint of hops. The mouth is very prickly and medium-bodied, with a bit of stickiness. There's a good fresh malt opening, followed by lots of hops. The bitterness is a bit on the harsh side, but quite bracing, rather like a swim in the River Kam (which flows through Perm) at twenty below. The aftertaste is very balanced, both malty sweet and hoppy bitter. Definitely a nice refreshing drink. Way to go, guvna!