Comes From A Small Country Near Poland: Kalnapilis ExportMay 02 '04 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line A nice little Lithuanian beer.
I get it all the time when I tell people my last name. “Ah, Staradumsky, “ they say, “a good Polish name.” Not exactly, I’m forced to explain. “It’s actually Lithuanian." “Lithuanian?”, they usually reply incredulously. When I further explain that that means my ancestors came from Lithuania around the turn of the 19th century, then comes the geography lesson. “Where’s that?” they ask, and the discussion comes full circle when I tell them it’s near Poland. More or less. Of course, like a fine beer with all kinds of flavors going on, I’m a complex person, with ancestors from other countries besides Lithuania. My grandfather is a descendant of German immigrants. In that respect, I’m a lot like Kalnapilis Export. That’s because Kalnapilis Export is a Lithuanian/German fusion, brewed in Lithuania by a company founded by a German. Kalnapilis history dates back to 1902 (before Soviet times), when a German named Albert Foight established the Bergschlösschen brewery. Today, the company is known by the Lithuanian name Kalnapilis, but the German brewing tradition remains the same. That suffered during Soviet times, when ingredients and other materials could be difficult to obtain. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, however, Kalnapilis has strived to improve its product and to upgrade its facilities and equipment. This has made it one of Lithuania’s largest beer producers, and today the company even exports its products to the United States. Here in Atlanta, the most common variety of Kalnapilis beer seems to be the Export. The beer is sold in half-liter brown glass bottles with attractive gold labels. They retail for about $2.99. The importer is Stawski Imports of Chicago, so I’m sure Kalnapilis is available in a good number of markets. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I bought my bottle. It seemed clean and bright, so I was confident it wasn’t too old. If the beer was in fact styled after a Dortmunder Export, I would expect plenty of hops and malt in a refreshing dry lager. Kalnapilis Export pours to a pale gold color with a thick rocky foam head and a soft malty nose. The palate is crisp with biscuity, fresh malt flavors. It’s very clean and a little creamy, with a light bitterness balancing nicely in the finish. I like this beer well enough, and I suspect it would be a great one to sip in Lithuania fresh on tap. Overall, I think it could use a little more malt flavor and a dash more hops, but it’s a good effort nonetheless from a brewery in Lithuania. Errr, which is near Poland, more or less. EPINIONS CRITERIA: Overall Rating: Three and a half stars Beer Rating: A solid performer Weight: medium Body Flavor: Slightly Bitter Complexity: Direct Price: $2.99 per half liter bottle  |
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