Verkin Pohmilny Kvas - Monastyrskiy Kvas

emerge077

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

"Verkin Pohmilny Kvas" printed in english above the nutritional facts, on an otherwise Cyrillic-covered label. Bottle from Endy's Deli. Saw it sitting under some other Kvass brands in plastic shrink wrap, bottles were sticky.

Into a large mug it pours a tawny cola color, a rapidly fizzing head fades to nothing in seconds. No visible carbonation, save for a few tiny bubbles surfacing slowly in the center.

Smells like tootsie rolls and chocolate tootsie pops. A hint of musty dishrag minerality is there too oddly enough.

Taste is sweet and astringent, tastes like tootsie roll soda. In bigger gulps it seems to have a slight tartness like traditional (non-commercial) Kvass, but there's citric acid added to this. Dry aftertaste with light residual sweetness. I'll stick to All Stars Bakery when my next Kvass craving strikes...

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 20:40:50 | More by emerge077

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

One of the more fulfilling aspects of the Original Kvass Kick is finding new examples of this seldom-appreciated style. This case-in-point pours a clear sunset auburn topped by a rather quickly-disappearing finger of dirty cream foam. The nose comprises rye bread, fennel, toffee, light cocoa, and light maple syrup. Yeah, it's pretty sweet, but generally a lot more pleasant and involved than most of the others I've encountered thus far. The taste follows pretty closely, along with that traditional light sour kick kvass is usually known for. The body is a light medium, with a fizzy carbonation and a nearly watery feel. Overall, I was pretty impressed by this kvass, especially when compared to the normal Verkin and its ilk.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 09:11:22 | More by TMoney2591