Baltika #4 Original (Dark) - Baltika Breweries

sommersb

Tennessee

4.1/5  rDev +20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from 16.9 oz. oddly-shaped bottle with brew date of 12-17-09 and best before date of 12-17-10 into a weizen glass.

Color was a dark amber to brown, with a 2-3 finger head of light tan. Looked like an inviting beer.

Aroma was of caramel and malt, but was not very strong, which seems right for this style.

The #4 tasted a bit sweet to me, with caramel and malt flavors as detected in the smell. Low bitterness. Mouthfeel was smooth with light carbonation; I felt it left a pleasant aftertaste.

Overall I really enjoyed this beer (and the large bottle!) and was left wanting more.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 04:37:58 | More by sommersb

darkmartin

Virginia

3.18/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours to a dark molasses with a nice sized, off-white head. Some lacing.

Smell: Smells of roasted malts and coffee. Some sweet caramel as well.

Taste: Much of the same as the nose, except for a nice and bitter hoppy finish.

Mouthfeel: Way too watery!

Drinkability: Taste is not bad, however it's not anything special either. That combined with the watery finish makes it something that I don't think I'll buy again.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2010 06:58:34 | More by darkmartin

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 16.9 oz. bottle. Has a dark amber color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of malts and hops. Taste is of malts, caramel, hops, slightly sweet, good flavor. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and has good drinkability. Overall this is a fine quality brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 18:04:26 | More by tone77

dstc

Florida

3.75/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear orange-brown color with a nice tan head. Head falls to about nothing. Some lace.

Aroma is sweet, candied malts full of fruits and being backed by a full bodied alcohol smell.

Taste is of a big, boozy, sweet mess. Not bad really but just somehow missing.

Smooth in the mouth with plenty of carbonation.

Average brew. Much sweeter than I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2010 13:44:50 | More by dstc

Mora2000

Texas

3.68/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours an amber-brown color with a tan head. The aroma is actually pretty nice. I get notes of grapes, toffee, biscuits and iced tea. The flavor is similar, but a little more exciting. In addition to the dominant toffee malt characteristics, I get earthy and grassy hops, caramel, honey and graham crackers. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2010 04:28:54 | More by Mora2000

flagmantho

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 500mL bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: poured with a huge 4+ finger head for which I'm waiting to settle. Body is a clear, rich amber orange; head is pillowy and ivory in color with a slight orange cast. It looks pretty interesting and, actually, pretty tasty, but it doesn't really look like a dark lager.

Smell: big, sweet malt aroma. Caramelly with hints of a dark fruitiness. Quite enjoyable; better than I was anticipating.

Taste: more of what you get in the aroma. Rich caramel malt with some subtle, sweet dark fruit flavors. There is a little bitterness toward the end but the hops aren't the center of attention here. I might also note that there's a bit of a bite at the top of the sip; something lightly acidic. Quite tasty.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a very good level of carbonation. Pretty darn creamy ... I like it a lot.

Drinkability: this beer is better than I was anticipating. I rather like the flavor, feel and smell of this beer; it might have to go into rotation around here.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2010 03:36:24 | More by flagmantho

speter

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a translucent brown with a two-finger head that leaves a goodly amount of lacing.

S: Roasty malts with a hint of rye. Caramel along with the typical Russian maltose scent.

T: One of the most complex Russian beers I've had. The combination of light and caramel barley malts with the rye lead to some interesting interplay across the palate. The hops serve only to keep the brew from being too sweet, but the finish is nicely dry.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

D: Baltika 4 and 6 are two beers I would consider sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2010 18:58:48 | More by speter

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

The beer is a dark caramel color with an unseemly nude top to it. I don't find the dark color with no contrast on top appealing, but lets solider on.

The aroma is deeply sweet with caramel, wet malt, and fermenting dark fruit. The flavor delivers more of the same. However there is spiciness from the hops that lingers on the palate. A buttery slick film also stays on the palate.

I have a hard time imagining be able to drink this all night (as it is I only have one bottle and can test this hypothesis). The sweetness is a bit much, but the spice does provide some balance. A dark lager? I am not sure.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2010 23:22:39 | More by BeardedBoffin

udubdawg

Kansas

2.85/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

pours a copper/orange, somewhat hazy. low light tan head tinged with a bit of yellow fades quickly to an uneven ring.
Aroma is sweet with caramel, mildly spicy though it seems more like alcohol than any hop. As it warms a decent strength vague fruitiness shows here too.

Disappointing flavor. Mildly toasty; interesting that I didn't get it at all in the nose. Plenty of caramel which wasn't so invisible before. Herbal hops make an effort but don't manage to balance the malt. Bitterness lingers slightly but generally the beer is pretty clean and my leaves little memory of itself on my palate. The fruit that showed in the aroma doesn't appear here.

it's a decent enough beer though it has way more caramel in both the aroma and flavor than I expect from the style.

Carb is a little too soft for such a sweet beverage. Body is medium, drinkability nothing to write home about, but won't have much trouble finishing this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2010 01:34:22 | More by udubdawg

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Euro dark lager eh? Reviewed from notes.

A- Brown with a small head that rapidly falls to nothing. Very minimal cloud covers the top and leaves no lace or suds. Starts to look like juice.

S- Not much to say here at all. Low strength, just some caramel malt and a hint of dark fruit.

T- Caramel malt and some dark fruit notes up front. A bit on the sweet end, even for me. A bit of Brown Ale like nutty flavors come through, not bad.

MF- High carbonation stings the palate over a slightly creamy light bodied ale. Refreshing and crisp. Finishes with a coat of caramel.

DB- Cheap stuff, wanted to try some of their offerings. The flavor has its good points but is a bit sweet, certainly a refreshing dark lager. Not bad for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2010 23:38:32 | More by cbutova

Parrotbeak

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark amber with a burgundy hue, and a thin, creamy, off-white head that fades a little but remains almost full. Good lacing.
Smell is lightly sweet, creamy malts, with some notes of toffee and caramel, as well as some faint notes of milk chocolate, cocoa, and espresso. A little bit of subtle hops can be detected underneith it all. Malty to the finish, with a little bit of a creamy, toasty aspect.
Taste is sweet and spicey malts, with some faint notes of toffee, brown sugar, caramel, and a tiny hint of maple syrup and molasses.
Mouthfeel is smooth and just a little flat; level of carbonation is fairly low. Slightly sticky on the finish. Light-to-medium body. Could use just a litte more carbonation.
Drinkability is very good. Great beer all around.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2010 04:03:41 | More by Parrotbeak

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

2.13/5  rDev -37.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

500mL bottle for $2.49 at Hoosick Beverages in Troy NY. Best before 27.02.10 (guess I held on to this one a bit long). Served cold in a chilled pint glass.

Medium brown brew reveals red highlights against a light. 1" of light tan head settles quickly to virtually nothing. Nose is overpowering with sweet burnt caramel. Taste is exactly the same and that's about it. Very simple and boring, pretty terrible. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, rather smooth, light carbonation. Finishes with the same burnt caramel with a bit of licorice.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2010 23:12:40 | More by BeerNinja007

tjd112

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I have poured this into a Pokal. It is a brown beer with slightly off white head with medium retention and little lacing. Smells very toasty, a bit of caramel malts, a bit of brown sugar. There is a good amount of dark fruits in the taste. The mouthfeel is light to medium, and its a very drinkable beer.

I would have imagined Russian beers to not be of good quality, but this changed my perception

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2010 17:44:29 | More by tjd112

kflorence

California

3.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark, amber in color with a two-finger thick head that dissipates and leaves some lacing around the glass.

S: Smells of grains, bread, caramelized malts and brown sugar. Overall, I sense more grain and bread presence than dark fruits, which I am used to in dark lagers.

T: Much like the smell, the flavor is heavily bready (rye?) and malty. This is not quite what I expected. That's not to say that it's bad, it's just not what I'm used to. Anyways, malts and grains hit first, followed by caramel and brown sugar and some fruitiness... apricots and raisins maybe? Lingering flavor is kind of nutty.

M: The mouthfeel is rather nice; good amount of carbonation, some body but not overly heavy. Well balanced, but probably a bit on the malt side of things (which I enjoy).

D: A simple beer, but not at all unpleasant. It's simplicity probably lends itself to being more drinkable. A bit on the sweet side, perhaps, but still very drinkable.

Overall, this is definitely an enjoyable beer, especially for the price. I have yet to be disappointed with Baltika brews, and this one is no exeception.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2010 03:08:18 | More by kflorence

Mosstrooper

California

3.1/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 16.9oz bottle into 23oz NY Mets pilsner glass.

Appearance: Dark coppert color with a large, slightly tan head that dissipates slowly and leaves spots of lace.

Smell: Sweet caramel malt aromas are very porevalent, but not much else.

Taste: Sweet caramel flavors with an even sweeter finish that has some fruity notes.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, heavier body with light carbonation and a sticky finish.

Drinkability: This beer certainly isn't bad, but it lacks depth that keeps it from being a quality beer. It's cheap, though, and definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2010 20:33:53 | More by Mosstrooper

olegv40

Ohio

2.73/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a very pleasant dark reddish brown. A soapy yellow head formed and quickly dissipated. Mildly malty aroma, but not very strong.

Tasted watered down. No hints of caramel that is usually present. I expect more substance from my dark lagers. Fairly unremarkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2010 22:19:59 | More by olegv40

B967ierhunter177

Pennsylvania

1.93/5  rDev -43.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Poured from a bottle into lager glass and served at approximately 48 degrees.

A: poured a nice reddish brown color with half inch head, rapidly disappeared and left no lace

S: not sure what to think, some bready aroma and sme other notes, can't exactly tell what

T: hops, pine, plum, and a strong bitter aftertaste

M: good medium mouthfeel, along with appearance it's this beer's strong point

D: felt like it had a higher alcohol percentage than what it does, lingering finish

Not a beer to be recommended, but some may like it.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2010 04:11:38 | More by B967ierhunter177

brownbeer

Missouri

3.3/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sort of a darkish red color with a creamy tan head.

Pretty grainy up front in the nose. Some redeeming toffee notes in the background.

Quick moving malts are about the extent of the flavor for me. It's a little too sweet and a little too thin to really get into. The finish has sort of a cola nut note.

I like several of the Baltika brews, this one is ok. Won't be revisiting with examples like Hofbrau or Spaten Dunkel on hand.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 02:43:49 | More by brownbeer

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

2.53/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Another Russian beer obtained on a trip to Antwerp. Best before 7th July 2010, drank 19th May 2010. The brown 500ml bottle was poured into a Westmalle Chalice and a La Chouffe tulip.

Clear red/brown colour, white head, thinning quicker than most and leaving a collar only.

Sweet molasses, toffee and caramel came to mind when smelling this beer, a litle too sweet for me.

The flavours were very close to the smells, molasses, toffee and caramel, again too sweet in my eyes.

I thought the body a bit weak and a little like a sugar water because of the sweetness encounted from the first impression the beer gave.

Didn't really enjoy the experience, should of spend my Euro's on a Belgian beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2010 21:05:30 | More by BlackHaddock

drabmuh

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a snifter. Beer is brown and forms a thin broken off white head of small bubbles. Carbonation is low. Beer is clear.

Aroma is mild, almost of a sweet pilsner malt variety, mild roast as well.

Beer is smooth and nice. Finishes cleanly with no aftertaste. There is a mild sweetness up front and not a whole lot in the back. This is a very drinkable beer overall mouthfeel is good but the flavor is a little mild. Second taste, I'm bumping the flavor up. Its reasonably sweet and has a hint of roast at the end but its not distracting. I like this beer. I tihnk Baltika is criminally underrated on this website. Shame on you.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2010 23:42:45 | More by drabmuh

mooseisloose

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

16.9 oz bottle picked up locally, well chilled, let's give a whirl. Bottle smell is some molasses some sweet malt almost smells like a dubbel, not much hopping. Pours to an opaque medium brown with a thin quickly disappearing head. Taste is heavy, thick and sweet. A dark lager? This is more like a tripel. Lots of molasses and brown sugar. Great thick mouthfeel and body but woah, sweet. Too sweet for me. This would probably go good with some really spicy food but alone its tough to swill.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2010 20:28:53 | More by mooseisloose

tigg924

Massachusetts

1.73/5  rDev -49%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Appearance: 1/2 inch head, amber in color, hazy

Smell: minerals, toffee, and grain

Taste: sweet toasted malt, grain, toffee, and tea

Mouthfeel: very sweet, light bodied, and moderate carbonation

Drinkability: I find this beer to be cloyingly sweet and too malty. One is enough as the combination just does not work for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2010 12:43:23 | More by tigg924

yesyouam

New York

3.25/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Baltika 4 is a very clear, sparkling, brown beer with a thin, bubbly, blotchy, off white head that leaves nice lacing. It has a very sweet aroma... like wort boiling. It also kind of reminds me of brown sugar and sorghum. It's medium bodied and smooth with a dry finish. It's pretty sweet and nutty. It's a very simple malt flavor with a slight hint of grassy bitterness. It's a sweet and simple affair.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2010 09:20:31 | More by yesyouam

KarlHungus

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer pours a clear watery dark amber color. The head is one inch in height, and recedes quickly into minimal lacing. The aroma is of caramel, and hints of chocolate. It is a pleasant aroma. The taste is much like the aroma. It lacks any sort of complexity, but is mildly interesting. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation that is a little too low. Overall, this is a decent beer that I could drink again.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2010 19:12:23 | More by KarlHungus

dpodratsky3

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle poured into pint glass

A: Big foamy head at pour, off white in color, maybe light tan, beer is a unique orange and ruby brown

S: Aroma is mild, consisting of grains and some light sweetness, mild hop is there as well, just adds a little hop sting

T: More flavorful than smell, some light sweet malt starts it off, then that dose of hops from the smell comes through, caramel seems to come through a bit too

M: Dry mouthfeel, body is just shy of medium

D: Drinkability is good, it is an easy lager

Notes: This is a very approachable European lager, however it has enough hop presence to distinguish itself. It has all that nice easy body and slight caramel malt, however, it actually has a hop presence which most don't.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2010 06:18:10 | More by dpodratsky3