Baltika #5 Gold - Baltika Breweries

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

2/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bottle from an LCBO gift pack. Pours a pale yellow colour with small white head. Almost no smell to this, though no off smells either, so that's one up on the Baltika 7. Prety grainy flavour, no trace of hops or bitterness. I suppose this could work as a refreshing beer on a summer day, but why not just buy a better lager?

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2011 19:55:42 | More by kwjd

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.2/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

LCBO same gift pack as the #7. A typical Euro pale. A little cheesy arom. A light yellow colour with a big soapy head. A bit thin mouthfeel. Malt sugary taste, drinkable but a whole beer is not pleasurable. Still better than your macro brew, but not by much.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 18:52:55 | More by northyorksammy

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

2.6/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

The bubbles and head both appear blatantly artificial; each bubble - and there are many - look like drifting mini magnifying glasses and once on the surface appear like a giant sack of marbles. There is not an ounce of creaminess to it whatsoever and the wide pockets of air between bubbles create something of a 'bucked tooth' characteristic. It's rare that I see a beer this brilliantly golden and actually find myself turned off by it.

I've never once found an instance where clear glass has made a beer better (sell better, well that's another thing all together). Baltika 5 is no exception - the clear glass, regardless of its lovely shape and etchings, has actually made this worse! It smells like someone vomited canned cream corn. Realistically, I can't be sure how much of that is the fault of clear glass and how much of that is the fault of the brewery.

The taste, however, should provide a clue. Let us inspect the ingredients list: water, light(!) barley malt, caramel malt, maltose syrups, hop extracts. Therefore, before even trying the beer, I know to expect something light that is made from syrups and extracts. Great. Because when you're hankering for a beer isn't that exactly what you want?

Actually, in fairness, the blatant artificiality aside yet again, the beer doesn't fare all that poorly. It's flavour is a little light on the barley (as advertised) and very heavy on the sweet syrup (as advertised), yet I can't say I find it as offensive as some other mass-produced lagers on the market. And it actually has a decent weight to it as well - I may not be enjoying what I'm drinking but at least I feel some satiation drinking it!

Almost literally, Baltika 5 is a gold brick: it's an impostor of a lager that doesn't disguise even an ounce of its adjuncts and imitation ingredients. It's only about as natural as a Twinkie and twice as corrupted as the Russian government. Curiously, like most anything you find at a fast food outlet, it's edible, even strangely agreeable, but knowing what's in it is a put off and, besides, it doesn't come close to comparing to the real thing.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2010 19:01:29 | More by biegaman

Mora2000

Texas

3.68/5  rDev +32.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a golden yellow color with a white head. The aroma is pilsener malt with some grassy hops. The flavor is that of a basic lager. I get some pilsener malt, some wheat, lemons and grassy hops. This tastes like a very lightly hopped pilsener. Creamy mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2010 04:01:40 | More by Mora2000

olegv40

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pale straw colored and absolutely no head after a minute. Smells, well like beer, nothing special at all, but not off putting either.

Tastes of slight hops and is pleasantly malty. As per the style there is not much nuance but it tastes fresh and is remarkably easy to drink. A nice change of pace and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 21:37:34 | More by olegv40

Mosstrooper

California

2.3/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

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

Appearance: Pale straw color with a fairly large white head that looks somewhat thin and dissipates quickly, leaving spots of lace. Lots of bubbles rising and sticking to the side.

Smell: Smells of grains and malts, with a hint of sugariness.

Taste: Begins with sweet maltiness, finishing with a grassy sweetness highlighted by sugar flavors.

Mouthfeel: Thin bodied with balanced carbonation and a clean, refreshing finish.

Drinkability: Nothing about this beer is great, but it's not really terrible either. However, with a price tag under $2, it may be worth a try- even if only once.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 18:34:02 | More by Mosstrooper

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

2.42/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

22oz clear glass bottle, $2.49 from Hoosick Beverages in Troy, NY. Served at refrigerator temp in a chilled pint glass.

Clear yellow brew, 1" white head settles to a thin layer of large sudsy bubbles. Corn syrup sweetness, mild citrus and floral hops. Taste is corn syrup sweetness becoming candy-like in the finish. Some skunk and mixed artificial-tasting fruity and floral elements. Sweetness gives it a little slickness, but overall the mouthfeel is pretty thin. This isn't an overly sweet beer, but the sweetness stands out because there's not much else going on. Practically zero hops, which was expected due to the clear glass bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2010 23:09:32 | More by BeerNinja007

mtnbikerpa

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 16.9 ounce bottle with freshness date on the back of the gift box. Poured into Baltika half liter glass. About 2 inches of head that quickly disappeared. Golden color that looks appealing. Nothing to exciting as far as smell or taste. Basic clean lager flavor. Some hints of corn and rice. Mouthfeel is smooth and would be highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2010 23:11:49 | More by mtnbikerpa

yesyouam

New York

2.05/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Baltika 5 is a very clear, very sparkling, pale golden lager with a small, white head that dissipates quickly and leaves decent lacing on the glass. It has a slightly sweet, corny, funky aroma. It's light bodied, pretty smooth and the finish is pretty clean and dry. It's a little watery and a little gritty. It's a little sweet and pretty funky. It tastes like malt extract, water and creamed corn, but the flavor is light. Keep it cold and drink it quickly.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2010 15:16:19 | More by yesyouam

hwwty4

Missouri

3.35/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On my quest to try all of the Baltika line. Poured #5 into my Tripel Karmeliet tulip glass. This beer pours a crystal clear straw with a bright white cap that leaves, surprisingly, no lacing down the sides of the glass. The nose is pretty typical of a Euro Pale. Big notes of canned corn, .powered sugar, and grains. The flavor is really sweet but not in a obnoxious way. It reminds me of powdered sugar and sweet corn. Slight graininess with just a hint of musty hops. Crazy as it is, there is absolutely no hint of skunk. This bottle has probably been sitting on the shelve for a while in a clear bottle but no funk. Man, you put a Heineken on the shelf in front of a tinted window for 5 minutes and you start getting a little funk. I wonder if they use some sort of hop oil that doesn't skunk, like Miller does. Over all, this is a highly drinkable lager. I would much rather have one of these then any BMC.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2010 01:35:33 | More by hwwty4

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

2.08/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Looks passing good. Clear golden yellow, very active carbonation, medium head that settles to a ring and gives up a wee bit of spotty lace early on.

Pretty much a let down from there. Skunky mushroom nose. Corny and veggies and mushroomsl. Cottony mouthfeel. Heavy handed and not real good.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2010 02:43:33 | More by TerryW

dacrza1

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Situation: New Year's Day watching PSU vs. LSU...
Glassware: Baltika glass...
Appearance: White head that laces and rims well; "golden" body is golden indeed with constant effervescence, much like the 7...
Aroma: crisp haylike malts, as expected--but the malty, almost malt liquor scents provide expectations of a heavier body...
Palate: medium-bodied, with minimal stopover on the tongue; again, the body of a malt liquor...
Taste: malty, malty, malty lager--thick and syrupy, with the honey notes predominant...
Overall: Much like the 7, but not as strong--a palate cleanser or a barbecue companion, but no need to purchase another now that I have a glass...

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2010 04:45:21 | More by dacrza1

jrallen34

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

I drank this from a 22oz bottle into a chalice.

The beer pours crystal clear straw gold with a white head not much retention or lacing.

The aroma is not much, just light skunk.

The taste is the same just ligit skunk, not much flavor. Like you're typical ameriacan lager.

Moutfeel is light.

Overall a very boring disappointing beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2009 00:16:26 | More by jrallen34

mnrider

Connecticut

2.53/5  rDev -9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

16.9 oz Clear bottle with gold label. Pilsner Glass.

A: Pours a yellow color with a one finger white head which almost immediately disappears. Carbonation is moderate. Lacing is almost none existent.

S: Almost nothing. Watery with faint fruits and malts.

T/M: Watery like all hell. Not a bad taste really, just none to be found. Cereal grains and light malts.

D: Not very good at all. Very bland and funky. Not something I would get again.

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2009 03:58:42 | More by mnrider

Reinheitsgebot71

Ontario (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Time for round 2 of the Blatika gift pack, number 5, gold jerry gold! Here's hoping she pours a bit fairer then the less them comely maiden Baltika 7.

Well it definitely looks like a lager pale gold with a pure white head about an inch thick, eventually settling down to the thin film above the liquid "gold."

Smell well what smell besides some faint whiffs of wheat, old white bread, a bit of hoppy grass notes, and a hint of apple.

Very sweet malt tastes to begin with more akin to watered down honey than the complex sweetness provided by good malts. Stale bread and crackers mixed with corn syrup is about as vivid as I can get when describing this flavor. Some alcohol presence as we progress down the glass. Next to no hop profile whatsoever, everything just seems so watered down.
The water theme carries on to the feel foamy reasonably drinkable but just thin and watered down overall.

Well it's certainly a euro lager. Not terrible but definitely not amazing, good for washing down the pizza I had but that's about it. Come on Baltika only the porter can save you now!

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2009 04:49:43 | More by Reinheitsgebot71

mintjellie

Ontario (Canada)

2.3/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Part of the Baltika gift set. Poured into the branded glass it comes with.

Effervescent straw gold and capped by a fluffy white head. Head is well retained and leaves behind a decent lace as it dissipates. Weak cereal and sweet grain aroma. This beers defining characteristic is a corn syrup sweetness. Because it actually is brewed with corn syrup. It says so on the ingredients list. Cloying. Tastes like sweet bread with hints of lemon and bittering hops. Light bodied with spritzy carbonation. Feels a bit thin, but not watery. Off-flavours make this one a bit of a chore to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 19:25:06 | More by mintjellie

BeachRez

California

2.53/5  rDev -9%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured from bottle. Thank you Freddie J!

A- Gold water. Wow, not very inviting. Very minimal head that disappeared quickly. From the bottle it reminds me of cream soda.

S- Smells like cheap lager. Take that Nirvana.

T- Tastes like corny-not so malty. Very blah. I took my time drinking this, and it actually tastes better warm.

M- Easy to drink. No flavor, just kind of there.

Overall, easy to drink. In fact, it goes down so easy, that it could be drunk all day. Not sure if I would unless VERY cheap.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2009 02:55:11 | More by BeachRez

DrJay

Massachusetts

2.8/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Crystal clear, pale yellow with a think fine, white cap. Sticky lace, decent retention after the head fell to a collar. Aromas of cooked veggies, floral hops, and light sweetness. Low bitterness. The flavour was the same as the aroma, lots of veggies and not much else. Fairly clean though without a lot of sulfur or skunk. Light bodied with average carbonation, fairly dry. Not bad, but nothing here worth revisiting.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2009 22:42:57 | More by DrJay

dbmcrorie

Connecticut

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

Presentation:
16.9 oz clear glass bottle poured into an imperial pint glass. Freshness & bottling date printed on back.

Visual:
Clear golden yellow body with this whispy head that doesn't stick around too long. Slight collar and minimal lacing left behind.

Aroma:
Dry grain, slight corn-like malt, and stale... something. Slight skunk (I can only imagine comes from the clear glass not blocking the sun), with a side of vegetables for the nose to worry about. No hops. Faint dry husk at the end.

Taste:
Cereal/grainy malt, and simple bitterness to follow. More veggies and cooked corn in the mix with a bit of a dry finish. Crisp carbonation in this medium bodied lager with a wet moutfeel. The only hop presence is possibly the overly simple bitterness that doesn't seem to leave the tongue.

Overall:
Hmm. I am enjoying trying these Baltikas for their price. But am some what let down and probably won't make them (especially this one) a regular in the fridge. This is pretty much a mediocre lager with little to offer: nothing good, but also nothing bad. Drinkability is so-so as it does little to entertain or offend my tongue.
I'd say, give it a try for the price. Pair it with some spicy cuisine, some pasta, some chicken, and see what happens.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2009 16:32:34 | More by dbmcrorie

twiggamortis420

Texas

2.55/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Clear 500mL bottle with a freshness date of 03.04.10. Pours a very clear dark yellow color with a medium sized white head that disappears at a macro-esque clip. It does leave a decent collar with some low-hanging lace.

Nose is grainy and a bit stale. A few whiffs of skunk-funk, but not quite up to Heineken levels. Hops are pretty secretive, but a few grassy notes are detectable. This beer just does not smell very good.

Taste is heavy on the wet grains and I would be willing to gamble there is some corn in here as well. Alcohol is very drying on the palate and has a harsh edge to it. Hops are virtually a no-show here but could have provided some much needed depth. It does taste better than it smells and drinks like it is higher than 5.2%. Another less than stellar Baltika experience, but at a buck-fidy it's worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2009 00:40:17 | More by twiggamortis420

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +34.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a clear bottle into a weizen glass. Has a gold color with a 1/2 inch head. Aroma is mild and a bit sweet. Taste is crisp with some maltiness and sweetness. Feels good in the mouth and is very drinkable. Overall a quality beer that I could spend the entire day drinking.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2009 23:53:49 | More by tone77

skrib09

Missouri

3.6/5  rDev +29.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

poured a crispy gold color with a snow-like head. definetly a bright beer.

smell is malty. slight hints of corn meal or dried corn products.

taste is much is the same as smell. dough flavors, corn meal, bread crust maybe.

mouthfeel is crisp and clean. drinkable brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2009 23:07:30 | More by skrib09

Halcyondays

California

3.2/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

500 mL clear bottle from the Total Wine,

A: Pours a clear, pale yellow with a soapy white head, some lace.

S: Grainy, husky notes, brown sugar, maybe a bit of DMS and corn smell.

T: Solid malt, cereal grains, some caramel and sugar with very light hopping, not bad for the style.

M: Light-bodied, thin at times, smooth, off-dry.

D: A average lager altogether, drinkable, but nothing to rush out and buy again, quite inexpensive.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2009 16:52:52 | More by Halcyondays

zeff80

Missouri

2.2/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - Poured out a clear, bubbly, pale gold color with a bubbly, white, two finger head of foam. It faded quickly and left very little lace.

S - It smelled of corn and caramel malt. Not much else.

T - It tasted of candy sweet caramel with a buttery-like flavor. No bitterness or hop presence at all.

M - It was crisp and sharp. A light bodied beer.

D - This is not very good. I can understand why they imported stouts from England.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2009 00:40:41 | More by zeff80

atis

Finland

2.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

500 ml bottle from Riga

Pours pale golden with thin white head that fades fast, weak patchy downsliding lacing. Aroma is somehwat sweet weak grainy malt, hints of grassy hops.

Taste is mild grainy malt with light bitterness. Mouthfeel is light with average carbonation.

Overall, quite average Pale lager.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2009 13:18:13 | More by atis