Viru - AS Tartu Õlletehas

Olek4374

Alberta (Canada)

2.36/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25

I've had some great beers from Eastern Europe over the years (Obolon and Zywiec being the best for me), so I thought I'd give this a go. It pours a pale yellow colour with barely any head to note. Smells like nothing - very faint malts maybe. Taste is really malty with just a faint bit of hoppy aftertaste. The feel is very uninspiring - it's like Coors Light with maybe a little more malt and hops. It tastes like it's got some adjuncts in it, which whether it does or not, is generally a bad thing. Overall it's a very cool bottle but a very boring beer.

When taking the price into account, I'd rather just have a Kokanee than this.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 01:46:33 | More by Olek4374

ChrisCage

Alberta (Canada)

2.85/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

A- I have to say that the bottle is one of the best shaped bottles I've ever come across so that will earn this brew some marks immediately. The liquid itself is a partially hazed yellow color...almost like cloudy urine. The head is kind of non existent unfortunately, with little present initially and even less after settling down. There seems to be a decent amount of carbonation and the lacing isn't much to notice either. The contents of this wonderful looking bottle are a real letdown...

S- Interesting to say the least....there is some sweet, fruity malt noticeable in behind the typical cheap lager aromas....grass, raw grain and corn adjunct....lots of corn adjunct. The fruit that I noticed was citrus like in nature, and at does add somewhat to the overall character. I don't really smell a strong hop profile, as I would have liked to expect for this 'Pilsener' style lager....oh well...

T- The flavors in general actually aren't bad at all....there is a distinct biscuit like flavor noted, that reminds me of fresh yeast, and has a buttery (diacetyl) flavor that seems a little out of place. There is quite a bit of sweet malt noted and unfortunately boiled corn water is also a flavor I taste on my palate. Slight apple fruit is noticeable in the middle and the finish doesn't have much of a bitter saaz hop flavor....rather more of a cloying sweetness that lingers.

M- I have to say that this is a smooth, creamy beer to drink....even with a cleansing type of bubbly goodness on the palate. The body of the beer is medium-thin, which surprised me somewhat for this style. Nothing overly bad within this category!

O- This is an easy drinking, reasonably smooth beer to drink, but it just doesn't deliver overall...it is still a cheap Euro lager, that while it does have a richer malt profile, it is still full of adjunct blah-ness. I don't think I'd go out of my way to buy this one again, but won't go so far as to say that is shouldn't be tried by anybody...just not the beer that the good people at Viru say it is, that's all!

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 03:59:53 | More by ChrisCage

opalchemist

United Arab Emirates

2.75/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured it into a tulip shaped white wine glass to assess the aromas.

Eye:

Light straw golden. Thin and bubbly head - disappearing quite fast.

Nose:

Light - floral hop, faint fresh brewery aromas [same smells you can sense, if a brewery near you is brewing fresh beer] - hay/grass - later on aromas are changing to almost offensive metallic.

Taste:

Very light, almost like water; light hay aromas, very light hops bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Watery - carbonation similar to Badoit water.

Afterthought:

Very short - even bitterness cannot prevail a couple of minutes.

Overall:

What should I say, the bottle looks totally awesome. But the beer inside is just not delivering.
A perfect lady beer, for a beer garden - for ladies, who don't really like beer. It is inoffensive throughout - but also just fail to impress on any level.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 15:38:10 | More by opalchemist

SLeffler27

New York

2.88/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear gold with a slight, quick head and lace.

From a pint glass, I discerned faint hops and sweet malt. Overall it was more grassy and faint.

The flavor of Viru is much akin to mineral water. There is a sweetish, faint apple flavor with a light, almost undistinguishable finish.

A medium body with lots of carbonation and no alcohol.

Easy to drinik and thirst quenching, though uninteresting. There is nothing offensive here and it did add to an enjoyable afternoon with friends.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 21:10:22 | More by SLeffler27

Cozzatoad

Italy

3.1/5  rDev +14%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

300ml bottle

A- Really pale yellow, even for a pale lager. One finger head completely disappears in a couple of second

S- Pretty classic grainy smell with a nice amount of grassiness on the back of things. Maybe a slight citric note. Decent

T- Slightly crisp grainy malts, with some corn notes also showing up (slightly reminds of an american adjunct). Some light fruity hints (mostly lemon) show up on the tongue. Refreshing, herbal aftertaste. Again, decent

M- Light watery body, not as heavily carbonated as most pale lagers, just the right amount of pleasant crispness on the palate, a bit on the juicy side on the tongue

O- Not an impressive beer, but i'm finally tasting an industrial pale lager that feels natural. Highly drinkable and refreshing, it brings exactly what you would expect from the style

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 09:59:01 | More by Cozzatoad

stoutman

Michigan

3/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tried this one in Naples, Italy.. Pours a clear yellow with a small white head. Aroma is malty, cardboard with some grain. Taste is also sweet malty with some grain leading to an ultra lightly bitter but dry finish from the saaz? hops. Pretty ordinary and inoffensive but a GREAT OCTAHEDRAL BOTTLE!!

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 21:39:02 | More by stoutman

rudzud

Massachusetts

2.38/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Purchased one of these cool looking bottles at Julio's. Poured into a Duvel tulip.

A - Poured a crystal clear straw hue with a fizzy one half a figner head that fades to leave a thin halo and light cloud in the middle.

S - Smell is heavily of corn and sweet malts.

T - Taste is very similar to the nose. Drinks more like an american adjunct. Lots of corn and malts. Not much else.

M - Mouthfeel is rather thin and watery. Nothing to it really.

O - Overall, this is quite the subpar beer. I would rather drink an american macro than another one of these.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 05:14:49 | More by rudzud

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The coolest brown bottle in Beerdom. Best before date is supposed to be on the cap, but none there.
Listed as an American Adjunct Lager on BA, but is really more of a German Pilsner with Saaz hops and Baltic malts.
It pours a very pale golden color with a 2" snow-white head and some sticky and trailing lace.
The aroma is mostly grassy malt and a lightly citrus and resinous hop. A mild smell of wild flowers is in the distance.
A taste of white crackers carries a very light dose of lime-like hops. A hint of herbs and an odd salinity in the aftertaste throws things off a bit.
This isn't a bad beer...Very very gulpable lager.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 00:39:17 | More by BeerResearcher

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

2.15/5  rDev -21%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

300ml funky 10 sided triangular bottle poured into pint glass 1/1/12

A clear straw yellow with loads of tiny bubbles popping up from everywhere but only a short lived thin film of foam after an angry pour no lace

S sweet grains with some sour lemon, skunk and faint grassy hops

T a weird purple grape flavor to go with what I taste, not all that great

M fairly thin but with enough carbonation, bit of a skunky aftertaste

O pretty basic stuff with some off flavors I could live without

cool bottle but that's about it, I doubt I'd bother with this one again

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 03:38:29 | More by wordemupg

evlu1441

Alberta (Canada)

3.03/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

In its lovely angular bottle, Viru is the only Estonian beer I have ever seen in Canada, and the only Estonian beer I've ever heard of. It's a tiny country, so you can't blame them for not having a whole lot of beers.

The beer has a medium straw colour with a decent amount of carbonation and a thin but nice-and-foamy head sitting on top.

The aroma is light and grainy, but also has a faint vanilla smell too. Interesting, if not especially great.

The taste is surprisingly multifaceted! It's very smooth and sweet towards the end, where ther vanilla notes come through nicely. There isn't much of a hop profile, but it is a very smooth and drinkable lager.

Overall, this is a better-than-average offering, and pretty good if it actually is an Adjunct lager.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 22:49:09 | More by evlu1441

avalon07

South Carolina

2.93/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a pale yellow color and a clear consistency. There was almost no head to speak. No real lacing either.

S: A decidedly muted aroma of hops, malt and a grassy quality.

T: Tasted of hops, a little lemon, malt, and the grassiness. Not a whole lot going on with this one. Very thin and watery, without much character.

M: This is a beer in need of some carbonation, though it does have a decently crisp and dry finish. Light-bodied.

O: This is just another bland Euro lager that just happens to come in a cool-looking bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 13:25:58 | More by avalon07

keethrax

Minnesota

2.75/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

MGD imported in a fancy (and small) bottle.

Got this as a Christmas gift, no doubt due to the admittedly neat bottle.

Like your big brewery american beers there's not much *wrong* with this, but really not much right with it either. Which would be OK at the prices charged by the big and (relatively) local guys.

Appearance: Straw yellow, quickly dissipating head.

Smell: Almost nonexistant (which beats the frequent reports of skunked bottles)

Taste: MGD but a little sweeter.

Mouthfeel: Light and pleasantly fizzy.

EDIT: This one actually improved when served at what I would consider too warm for the style. As such, I've edited my ratings a bit.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 21:32:53 | More by keethrax

kevosbob

Colorado

1.45/5  rDev -46.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Viru, also know as “A. Le Coq Premium Extra,” is an adjunct style lager brewed in Estonia. Viru is brewed by the Baltic Beer Company at the A. Le Coq brewery in Tartu. Introduced in the United States in December 2009, Viru is imported by C2 Imports, based in Denver, Colorado. Viru is probably most famously know for the distinctive octagonal pyramid shaped bottles intended to resemble the medieval-era turrets found in Estonia. At a 5% alcohol by volume this light beer is brewed with malted barley from Lithuania, water drawn from artesian wells at the brewery, and Saaz hops.

The color of this beer is a pleasant golden yellow that is slightly hazy. Personally, I enjoy this compared to the super filtered American style adjunct lagers. The head is foamy and white and lasts longer than expected for this style of beer. The nose of this beer is very slight but notes of cereal and musky hops can be picked up. Unfortunately, a copper or mineral aroma can be picked up to which may be intentional by using water from artesian wells

When drinking this beer it was maltier than expected with a mellow sweetness. It tastes like it smells with bread or cereal flavors and grassy, musky, spicy hops to add to the bitterness. The high carbonation makes the beer crisp on the tongue, but the beer has very few flavors to start with so the crispness doesn’t last long. The hops are mostly aroma based and there is no alcohol warmth, and even though it’s not a bad beer, it does seem to lack in quality and craftsmanship.

This is actually a pretty good summertime beer to accompany any hot day, but because of the price it really isn’t worth buying over other adjunct lagers. It would be great if it was sold in 30-rack quantities, but for $4+ for a 10 ounce bottle, this beer is not worth the price. The unique bottle is really the only thing that sells this beer and it’s too bad the beer doesn’t match the distinctive packaging. I would only suggest this beer for a die-hard fan of bohemian pilsners, and even then I hesitate.

My Beer Rating: 1.5

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 22:01:55 | More by kevosbob

rsdaugherty

Colorado

2.42/5  rDev -11%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A – Very thin white foam fades to near nothing quickly; brew is a clear well carbonated pale straw yellow 2.0
S – Very mild – sweet grains, dough, grass 2.5
T – A mild sweet malt grainy lager beer with a fizzy odd finish, very pedestrian 2.5
M – Utterly lacking mouth feel, very watery & thin, it is wet and has carbonation 2.0
O – Estonia checkmark is the sole reason to visit this beer, very light and drinkable but unenjoyable for me and I will not be buying or drinking this again when my 4 pack is gone. 2.5

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 03:50:12 | More by rsdaugherty

JLeege

Illinois

1.2/5  rDev -55.9%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Bought because the bottle looks so stupid and awesome at the same time.

Appearance- Pours a clear straw, with a finger of bubbly white head, quickly dissipated.

Smell- Oh hell. Slight earthy hops, and a bunch of skunk. One of the few truly skunked beers I have smelled.

Taste- Slight hops, very grainy, and skunk. Spoiled rotten eggs and sulfur.

Mouthfeel- Light body and carbonation.

Overall- What a disaster! About 4 ounces was more than enough.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 05:45:43 | More by JLeege

lacqueredmouse

Australia

1.6/5  rDev -41.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Cool bottle. I'm not ashamed to say that I bought this beer for the bottle alone, although the fact that I've never had an Estonian beer factored into the decision as well.

Pours a deep golden colour with huge bubbly carbonation. The large bubbles even stick to the outside of the glass rather than rising to the surface, giving you a good look at just how large and unseemly they are. Head froths then disappears almost immediately. Looks very worrisome.

Nose is slightly metallic and otherwise slightly skunky. If it weren't a brown bottle I'd attribute it to green bottle light strike. Otherwise very little; at its core, it's a very bland aroma.

Taste is also very, very bland. Light metallic hiss on the tongue, minimal malt, but a biting almost chemical bitterness on the back that seems thin and weak, but without any body. It's too noticeable. Really not good.

Yep, pretty appalling brew, this one. Very artificial tasting, thin, weak and unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 13:41:13 | More by lacqueredmouse

HopHead84

California

2.33/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

6/26/2011

Bottle shared by Greg (stoad) at Sour Fest, thanks! I think I've been subconsciously longing to try an Estonian adjunct lager.

A: An unremarkable but not unsurprising transparent yellow gold with a fleeting white head.

S: Bread and cereal grain with some doughy notes. These pleasant elements are obliterated by a pervasive skunkiness accompanied by corn and a little vegetal character.

T: Lightly sweet with notes of corn, vegetal (faint), bread, skunkiness, and a little spiciness. Finish is clean and unremarkable.

M: Light in body with upper moderate carbonation. Mouthfeel is thin and watery.

Overall: Not a good first impression from Estonia. I was expecting more from this country.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 04:44:19 | More by HopHead84

womencantsail

California

2.1/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Thanks for sharing this obscure beer, Greg.

A: The pour is a clear golden yellow color with a short lived white head.

S: Smells of chile peppers more than anything. A very green, spicy aroma which is quite strange. Skunk, yeast, and water make up a decent amount of the aroma, too.

T: Sweet and sugary with a definite corn and vegetable flavor. The odd spiciness and chile pepper character is also present. Other than the bad and strange, this is pretty watery.

M: Light in body with a medium carbonation.

O: This was one of the strangest beers I've ever had. And not a very good one.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 02:35:38 | More by womencantsail

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +43.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Lookin good, clear gold with a fast blend of carbonation leading to a one finger of white fluff....

Bready and mild yeast, and a spent grains in the nose

Wet wheat, and some sourdough pillar on top of a sweet peachy malt. This is actually a great flavored beer, perhaps because my expectations were so low and the prior reviews were bad as well.

Light and medium bodied, very clean with the ability to linger on the tongue for a few moments

Overall let it warm up and it blooms, I loved it!

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 01:18:07 | More by JoeAmerican77

bluejacket74

Ohio

2.7/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

10 ounce bottle, date on bottle cap of 07.10.10. The bottle was stored in the cooler at the Party Source, but I'm pretty sure it's nowhere close to being fresh at this point. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours a hazy gold color with a half inch white head. The head went away quickly, and there isn't much lacing, either. Aroma is sweet and bready malt. The taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also a weird bitter taste that I don't care for. Mouthfeel/body is light, and it's a bit slick. It's also smooth and goes down easy. For the style it's not a bad brew. Worth a try if you can get a single bottle of it like I did. I might have to try a fresher bottle of this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 00:07:11 | More by bluejacket74

BestOfBatonRouge

Louisiana

2.73/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Like many I picked this up due to it's bottle. In Louisiana it completely stands out and I just had to have it. It poured light gold very highly carbonated and had a strong hissing with lots of bubbles. The head dissipated fairly quickly. The first sip is by far the best for this beer. At first on the front it's very malty and tasty. After that it flattens out considerably and becomes very average. I wouldn't buy it again at the price but the bottle still is cool.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 14:02:22 | More by BestOfBatonRouge

damndirtyape

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev +40.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Single 10oz bottle (no date) poured into a shaker pint glass.

Appearance: Pale straw color with a faint haze to it and a thin white head. Good lacing noted, even after swirling to get some of the smell.

Smell: A lot like a sweet roll - very bready, but with some sweeter malts thrown in there. There is something like a floral or herbal smell waaaay in the back - but it is hard to tease out.

Taste: Very mild beer. Sweet bready malts up front, then a hint of apple and a very mild honey and grainy finish. Hops are absent. While on the sweet side of things - not at all bad.

Mouthfeel: Some carbonation on the tongue and then a smooth and slick mouthfeel.

Overall / Drinkability: First of all, I don't think this is an adjunct lager. It has aspects of one, but it's very different and the website for the brewer doesn't claim to have adjuncts present. So maybe this is a Euro pale lager? Anyway, it's pretty good overall. Very drinkable - I could easily have another one or two of these, especially with the smaller bottle size. I originally picked it up just for the weird bottle but now that I've had it - I'm very glad I did have it and I'll have to get it again. A bit pricy since it's coming all the way from Estonia, but not a bad beer at all. I was expecting worse due to the reviews, but no, it's not that bad at all and is a very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 22:22:20 | More by damndirtyape

keeganfrank

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +54.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Frosty golden liquid with a finger of head that goes right away. Smells very bready, also some banana, corn and very faint citrus. Tastes like crisp vegetables with sweet fruit. For an adjunct lager this stuff is really, really good. I'd drink it all the time if I lived in Estonia.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 18:45:38 | More by keeganfrank

mdunman

Texas

3.63/5  rDev +33.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Transparent gold with a decent white head

S: Light maltiness with some lemony hops

T: Sweet maltiness up front with a twist of lemon, followed by some weighty hops.

M: Light body with decent carbonation and a semi-smooth finish

I originally bought this because it had an awesome bottle and it was fairly cheap. But after cracking it open I found it to be a surprisingly pleasant experience. I wouldn't rush back for more, but I would definitely come back at some point. Good summer day beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 03:44:03 | More by mdunman

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev +28.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Presented in an oddly charming six-sided obelique looking bottle- slender and elegant, Viru takes on bohemian proportions and weight for a fuller flavor than what's expected from adjunct ridden beers.

Medium gold in color and with a medium haze, the beer carries a visual weight that is more formitble than expected. A foamy white head forms and sits on the beer with solid persistence. Low lacing leads to the lack of character for adjuncts.

Medium apple and pear esters are a nice complement to the hop aroma that borrow notes of lemongrass and floral compounds. All backed by a malty/grainy blend for a well balanced nose. Bready/doughy and yeasty spice tell me that this is better beer than I expected.

Flavors also represent a sturdy malt backbone with raw barley sweetness and starchiness and a non-descript sweetness from cereal grains. Mild ester flavors of apples, pears, along with a light lemon acidity seem to surpress the sulfur taste and allow for a seamless bridge to herbal and grassy bitterness in finish. All in all, a nice but not over stated taste.

Again, a more robust or starchy body gives added creaminess and weight to the beer that never waivers- fuller and more robust than ususal, the beer seems very Maibock-like. But the sweetness lingers in the finish to rival the crisp and bitter dryness that the minty alcohol and hops provide.

Fans of bohemian pilsners and German Maibocks may want to give this beer a shot- robust for a lager and surprisingly flavorful and textured for any beer that includes adjunct grains.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 17:12:34 | More by BEERchitect