Baltika 4 Dark Lager (8/10)

Baltika is brewed in St. Petersburg, Russia. I first encountered one of their beers at a Turkish restaurant here in Columbus. I enjoyed it enough that I picked up the Baltika 4 Dark Lager on a beer shopping trick. (My wife shops for shoes and purses... I shop for beer. Everyone goes home happy.)

Baltika 4 pours a deep mahogany with a generous tan head that dissipates relatively slowly. The aroma is mildly yeasty, with a hint of sweetness.

The flavor starts malty, then dries out a little, and ends with a grainy sweetness. Hops flavor takes a back seat here. You get a little of it in the middle, but just a pinch. It's a smooth, easy to drink beer. Definitely one I would recommend.

One of Baltika 4's best qualities is its price tag. The bottle pictured above should set you back about three bucks. Awfully good beer at that price.

The Beer Advocate crowd disagrees with me on this one, rating it merely average.

I've seen this locally at Kenny Road Market, The Andersons General Store, Giant Eagle Market District at Kingsdale, and a few other retailers.

ABV: 5.6%
IBU: unknown, but I would guess about 18
My Rating: 8/10