Baltika 7 Eksportnoe (Export)
Baltika 6 Porter
Brewed by Baltika Brewery (Baltic Beverages Holding – Carlsberg)
Style: Pale Lager
St. Petersburg, Russia
Baltika Breweries was established in 1990 in St Petersburg. Its Brewery in the city is considered not only the the largest brewery in Russia but also of Europe. Apparently the area occupied by the brewery is equal to the Vatican.
In April 2008, Baltika became part of the international Carlsberg Group and has expanded rapidly. Baltika Breweries were the first Russian brewer to export beer outside of Russia and Baltika Beers are now sold in more than 75 countries worldwide, making it the largest brewing company in Eastern Europe
Locals refer to Baltika beers by their “number” rather than name. Baltika no. 7 was launched to commemorate the Goodwill Games in Saint Petersburg in 1994. Light, aromatic beer with a most refined flavor, the beers ingredients are water, light barley malt and the best varieties of hops. Produced since 1994, the alcohol content of no.7 is slightly higher than in traditional lager beers.
The “Seven” variety has won more than 20 awards in professional and consumer contests, both national and international.
Review: Bottle of Baltika 7 Eksportnoe (Export) 5.4%ABV
Baltika 7 Eksportnoe, a handful to pronounce, is an interesting pale lager with its own unique taste coming all way from St. Petersburg, Moscow.
On pour there is a nice pale golden appearance with a good frothy head which dies eventually to show some lacing.
The aroma is of sweet malt and grain producing a lovely rustic kind of smell that is both strong and appealing on the nose.
The taste is of some sweet malts, was slightly hoppy, with some light barley malt. Overall I found that Baltika 7 Eksportnoe was quite easy to drink and it did the business after a long day of work. Having said that though, there was a small aftertaste that was quite strong but that brought a nice balance to the beer and I recommend this as a good session beer.
Review: Bottle of Baltika 6 Porter 7%ABV
Baltika Porter, a decent 7% Baltic porter from Russia with a good drinkability rating, is a traditional dark beer based on old recipes and was designed and launched in production in 1994. It’s a very smooth and pleasant porter considering the ABV.
As you would expect for a porter on pour you get a pitch black appearance with a very good creamy head that settles to a tanish colour, but doesn’t linger too long.
Aroma is sweet and strong smelling, of strong notes of dark chocolate malts and roasted malts. An inviting aroma.
The taste is quite surprising as I would have not associated Russia with decent porter, but this was not the worst stout I ever had. I actually enjoyed drinking it. The taste is of dark chocolate, coffee and roasted malt, not overwhelming and not a strong bitter tasting stout. In fact it had a little sweet taste upfront, with only light bitterness afterwards, well balanced. It was very smooth and very enjoyable to drink. Will be looking out for this one again in the future. Recommended, but be careful it is strong despite how smooth it goes down!
The beer pours a lovely clear gold body, with a decent frothy head that lasts. There was little lacing.
