Beer Review: Baltika Breweries Baltika #9 Extra

I went out on a beer run looking for something different and I thought have I had a Russian beer? And I couldn’t remember having such, so finding one became somewhat of a mission and that is how I ended up with this one. The Baltika #9 Extra is seen as a strong lager from the Baltika which is located in St. Petersburg, Russia and is exported to 40 countries around the world. It is part of the Carlsberg family of breweries so it is considered a macro brewery, which is something that I found out later but that’s okay. I am just happy that I was able to find one and look at giving it a try.

So let’s talk a little about this beer which comes in with an alcohol content of 8% ABV. The beer pours a nice golden straw color capped by a decent white inch and a half head, although it did dissipate quickly. Clarity was very nice as the carbonation streamed nicely up the glass and as far as aroma; the notes of the sweet malt climbed out of the glass with ease and was able to provide nice aromatics of the barley used with a hint of the hops on the back end.

Taste on the beer was also flavorful enough for a consistent enjoyment and for a higher alcohol content beer, it did provide a nice smoothness and a came across as a nice medium body beer. There was some breadiness of course, but it is a lager so that was also expected. Carbonation sat well and wasn’t over done which was nice as it left a good mouthfeel and a nice tingling in my cheeks.

So how was my score on this one overall? It received a decent and doable 74 out of 100.

Score Makeup:

• Appearance – 10 out of 15
• Aroma - 12 out of 15
• Flavor – 11 out of 15
• Palate – 11 out of 15
• Overall – 30 out of 40

See my video review below to see the actual discussing of the beer in more detail…Cheers!