Rooski brewskis

Today's first beer is something of a Russian invasion of Germany: a "Helles Schankbier" from Carlsberg-owned Baltika in St. Petersburg, called Жигулевское (Zhigulyovskoye). I assume it's named after the majestic mountains rather than the boxy Soviet motorcar.

It's darker than one might expect from a Helles: a golden amber rather than yellow. The aroma is very pleasant: a fresh light meadowy quality, all authentic noble hops but done gently. I found the texture quite watery, causing me to check the strength. Russians aren't likely to be happy with the 4% ABV here; turns out schankbier was a legally mandated beer style in Germany until 1993, an equivalent to the sessionable Czech výčepní, I guess. This one further unravels on tasting. The hops are still noble but they take on a plasticky tang, finishing on a weird detergent or disinfectant note. It's not powerful enough to be actively unpleasant, but apart from the faux amis aroma this is quite a bland affair. Presumably there are Russians resident in Ireland who desperately miss this taste of the motherland. I can't imagine any other reason Polonez on Mary Street would stock it.

That did pique my interest in Russian beers (other than Baltika) available in Ireland. I was next in Polonez Rathmines where I picked up another few. Three Hills from Moscow Brewing caught my attention with its cutesy handled 450ml bottle. It's a pale ale of 4.9% ABV, a Lucozade-amber colour in the glass. The head retention isn't up to much. It smells a little sweet and grainy, being quite lager-like in that; bock in particular. The flavour is definitely an ale, however. It's full-bodied and sweet, with a considerable dose of crystal malt. The hops add a mere tang rather than real bitterness, and a certain candy-chew sweetness which is not currently in vogue but reminds me of American pale ales from a decade ago. It worked then and it still works now. The picture gets its finishing touch from a dry tannic quality, bringing in a certain English-bitter element and turning what might be quite a sticky beer into something more refreshing and drinkable. I don't know that I'd go running back to this, but I enjoyed the experience and will be looking out for what else comes in the adorable flask.

OK fine, I'm a sucker for weird bottles. Look at this leggy beauty. Mind you, I wish Moscow Brewing didn't make them from green glass as I got a waft of skunking when I popped the cap on Хамовники Венское (Chamovniki Vienna), a Vienna lager. It looks like Vienna lager as I understand the style: a clear golden-russet colour. But while it looks rich, and feels nicely rounded in the mouth, it's very bland to taste. I was looking for that lovely bread-and-biscuits malt characteristic, and while there's a certain amount of that here it's very muted. My bottle was fairly fresh too -- less than five months, which shouldn't cause much of a change in a beer like this. A dry crispness echoes in the finish, and a hint of celery-like noble hops. I did my best to find the good parts, but this misses the mark right in the centre where it counts. I shouldn't have to search for flavour in a Vienna lager. Give it a miss.

The final Moscow Brewing offering is a bit of a mystery. There's no non-Russian text at all on the label of Эль Мохнатый Шмель (Mochnaty Shmel ale) but I guessed it might be a honey beer. It's not though. Turns out the name means "Shaggy Bumblebee" and it's broadly an American-style pale ale, hopped with Citra and Cascade and 5% ABV. Still at least we're back in half-litre bottles made of brown glass.

Expectations of American hop features were dashed quite rapidly. There's no zing here, and virtually no bitterness. It tastes very similar to the Three Hills above, actually: the same sort of candy malt balanced by dry tannin. It's maybe a little more floral in the finish, enhancing the overall English effect. While fine, easy drinking and undemanding, I felt I had already had this beer today and didn't need another.

The most enjoyable part of all this was buying them in the first place: Polonez really helps scratch my itch for shopping in foreign supermarkets. Expect more random picks from points east soon.