Wow - 8.0% ABV and I think that is underestimated.
It was on the label but I did not notice until after I took my first sip of this Russian lager. After that first drink I grabbed for the bottle and looked to see what I missed. It can be assured the alcohol was not well masked. The Extra means extra strong. And I do mean - WOW. As much as I enjoyed Baltika 4 which I picked up at the same time, I just did not care for this example. The alcohol flavor was too much and it just did not compliment this already over flavored beer. This pale yellow colored beer starts off with what appears to be a well-carbonated drink and then goes flat. However, the aroma evaporating from my glass was that of light alcohol and grain. From the aroma I had no idea what was ahead of me. The flavor was all over the place and I could taste corn, dried malts and bread-yeast as well as a contrasting syrup like sweetness and bitterness in what is a relatively light-body lager. The beer finishes with an unpleasant Russian Vodka like alcohol burn. This just did not work for me as it tasted like medicine.
Extra Lager #9 may have been the late Borris Yeltsin's beer of choice but next time I will pass and stick with Baltika 4.
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