Degintas
UAB Švyturys - Utenos alus

Hand-carried from Vilnius to Moscow (thanks, Wayne!), the brown half liter bottle has a short and stubby neck and a dark multi-colored label that features what looks like a beer head on fire, producing lots of wondeful smoke. All of the label information is in Lithuanian, so no clue about ingredients. Best before 2/27/06, I received and opened it on 3/1/06. No harm done.

Pours a clear dark brown under a two finger tan head with good body and nice retention, showing a bit of stickiness but ultimately leaving only spots (not strings) of lace, albeit lots of them. The nose has a distinct hickory smoke tone to it, accompanied by a touch of licorice. The mouth is (too) well carbonated, fairly heavy and sticky on the tongue. The taste is smooth smokiness, not overwhelming or ashy, with hints of chocolate to go with the wood. Subdued hops inject a slight dry bite in the finish, then yield to the chocolate in the aftertaste. Very pleasant, with an unusual combination of flavors.