{"id":11637,"date":"2024-10-31T23:39:05","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T21:39:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/?p=11637"},"modified":"2024-10-31T23:39:08","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T21:39:08","slug":"387-osobaya-varka-beer-in-kaliningrad-good-or-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/387-osobaya-varka-beer-in-kaliningrad-good-or-not\/","title":{"rendered":"387 Osobaya Varka beer in Kaliningrad good or not?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Craft, Imported and Specialty Beers: 387 Osobaya Varka<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mick Hart\u2019s difficult job of reviewing craft, imported and specialty beers in Kaliningrad<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

31 October 2024 ~ \u00a0387 Osobaya Varka beer in Kaliningrad good or not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever wondered why Baltika Breweries number their beers instead of giving them a name, for example Russian Sausage or Yalkee Palki. I read somewhere that it is a hangback to Soviet times when everything was numbered, ie School No. 26, Bakery No. 38, Factory No. 97, but perhaps the real reason Baltika use a number instead of a name is that it is easier to recall. Also, whenever one asks for one of their numerical brands, they have first to refer to the brewery name. I mean you can hardly ask for a \u20189\u2019, can you, without running the risk of buying a pair of 9-sized slippers, or a packet containing a German negative. Nine, I mean no; when you ask for any Baltika beer with a number instead of a name, you have to append the \u2018Baltika\u2019 first, and, from a marketing point of view, this is rather clever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disregarding the fact that not many people ask for bottles of beer when they take them off the shelf (No theory is perfect!), Baltika may have smugly thought that they had the numbers game sewn up \u2026 and they had, until along came this little beauty: a beer that goes by the name of 365, sorry that\u2019s a phone number of an old flame (Old Flame Bitter! That\u2019s a good name for a beer!) I meant to say 387.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

387 Osobaya Varka<\/strong> beer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

387 (never start a sentence with a number!). Is it a bus? Is it a car? Is it a plane? No, the answer to the riddle lies, as revealed by Svoe Mnenie Branding Agency\u2019s comment on the\u00a0 website packagingoftheworld.com<\/a>, that this Russian brew was not named after Tyre Repair Centre No. 387, but because of\u00a0 387\u2019s vital statistics. According to what I have read, each bottle of 387 contains three types of malt \u2013 lager, caramel and burnt; it has taken eight hours to brew; and not less than seven days of natural fermentation. Put it together and what have you got? 387. Now that\u2019s rather clever too, is it not!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More clever is the fact that the figures \u2018387\u2019 all but completely overwhelm the label and are produced in a clear, strong, attractive typeface with closed counters, thus ensuring that the beer leaps out at you from the multiplicity of brands seeking attention on any one shelf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The little image of the Kaluga brewery projected in a contrasting orange colour on the collar label is also a nice, effective visual touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heckler: \u201c\u2019ere mate, did you buy this [beep] beer to look at the label or to drink the [beep]?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll have less of that, my good man! I thought we said no liberals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beer review links:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Butauty<\/strong><\/a>] [Kanapinis (light)<\/strong><\/a>] [Kanapinis (dark)<\/strong><\/a>]
[Keptinis Farmhouse<\/strong><\/a>][Bistrampolio<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I first bought and drank this beer on 12 September 2022, it cost me 79 roubles. The average price today for a 0.45 litre bottle would appear to be around 80 to 84 roubles. Can\u2019t complain about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beer 387 Osobaya Varka, to use its full name, weighs in at 6.8 per cent. For an old Englishman like me who is used to drinking beer at strengths between 4.1 and 4.5, that\u2019s quite a hike, but who is complaining? Live dangerously. It\u2019s safer than walking down many a street in London once the night has mugged the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As always (“He\u2019s so [beep] predictable!” It\u2019s that [beep] heckler again!), the assessment of a good beer and, indeed a bad beer, starts with hooter appraisal. Tops away and the smell genie that pops out of the bottle is strong, sweet and barley-like, with jostling hoppy undertones. The aroma is not lost between the bottle and the glass, into which the nectar happily settles to give a good mid-amber colour and a head which is ‘now you see it and now you don\u2019t’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The head fizzling out faster than a TARDIS escaping from Dover\u00a0 [see episode 28,000 of Dr Woke<\/em> \u2018The Invasion of the Third Worlders\u2019] is as significant to me as paying my TV licence. I don\u2019t want to have to shave every time I drink a beer. I don\u2019t get the taste and high-volume foam connection, if, indeed, there is one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See also \ud83d\udc53\ud83d\udc53> Variety of Beer in Kaliningrad<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we have a mid-hoppy taste; a malty taste; a little bit of fruity taste; culminating in a taste that owns up to its strength. The first sip loses nothing in the making, and there is a nice balance among the flavours. The finish is a \u2018back of the tongue\u2019 gripper, and the aftertaste in no hurry to let you down and scarper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beer is moreish, which is good news for the brewers and also for you, providing you weren\u2019t so daft as to only buy one bottle!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patric McGoohan\u2019s Prisoner said, \u201cI am not a number, I\u2019m a free man!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beer 387 is a number. It is not a free beer, but, believe you me, it\u2019s worth every rouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cAB InBev Efes is currently the biggest player on the beer market in Russia\u201d\u00a0
AB InBev Efes<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

BOX TICKER\u2019S CORNER<\/strong>
Name of Beer:<\/strong>\u00a0387 Osobaya Varka
Brewer:<\/strong>\u00a0AB InBev Efes
Where it is brewed:<\/strong>\u00a0Russia
Bottle capacity:<\/strong>\u00a00.45 litre
Strength:<\/strong>\u00a06.8%
Price:<\/strong>\u00a0It cost me 79 roubles (0.63p)
Appearance:<\/strong>\u00a0Light amber
Aroma:<\/strong>\u00a0Barley with fruit nuances
Taste:<\/strong>\u00a0Starts mild-hop bitter; Finishes with a bite
Fizz amplitude:<\/strong>\u00a03\/10
Label\/Marketing:<\/strong>\u00a0Unique
Would you buy it again?\u00a0<\/strong>There\u2019s no reason not to<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beer rating<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Beer<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

About the beer:\u00a0387 Osobaya Varka<\/strong><\/a>:
The brewer\u2019s website\u00a0has this to say about 387 Osobaya Varka<\/a>:

A brilliant beer with rich and original flavour. Caramel malt gives a rich colour, whereas brown malt adds a rye bread aftertaste. This light beer is slightly stronger than average, which makes its flavour more complex and pronounced.

Brewer\u2019s website: https:\/\/abinbevefes.ru\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wot other\u2019s say<\/strong> [Comments on 387 Osobaya Varka from the internet, unedited]
\ud83d\ude0aExcellent beer, for lovers of strong foamy drinks, good quality, easy to drink, no alcohol aftertaste! [Comment: No idea where he got the \u2018foamy\u2019 from!]
\ud83d\ude0aYes, I have been enjoying this beer for a long time. It goes well with pistachios. It is cold and just right in the heat. Not weak and not strong…
\ud83d\ude11 The taste is flat a bit sweet, a bit sour with faint malty finish. Too much carbonation along with alcohol make very bad mouthfeel. Really needs some food pairing. Avoid it.
[Comment: A bit bitty. Avoid bit.]
\ud83d\ude0aI forget what it tastes like, but I know I enjoyed it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copyright \u00a9 2018-2024 Mick Hart. All rights reserved.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Craft, Imported and Specialty Beers: 387 Osobaya Varka Mick Hart\u2019s difficult job of reviewing craft, imported and specialty beers in Kaliningrad 31 October 2024 ~ \u00a0387 Osobaya Varka beer in Kaliningrad good or not? Have you ever wondered why Baltika Breweries number their beers instead of giving them a name, for example Russian Sausage or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[130],"tags":[2431,2430,480,598,479,435,55,482],"class_list":["post-11637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-life-in-kaliningrad","tag-387-osobaya-varka-beer","tag-387-osobaya-varka-beer-in-kaliningrad","tag-beer-drinking-kaliningrad","tag-beer-guide-kaliningrad","tag-bottled-beer-in-kaliningrad","tag-englishman-in-kaliningrad-russia","tag-mick-hart-in-kaliningrad","tag-mick-harts-guide-bottled-beers-kaliningrad"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/387-beer-min.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14034,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/primator-double-24-beer-mick-harts-dark-side\/","url_meta":{"origin":11637,"position":0},"title":"Primator Double 24 beer \u2013 Mick Hart\u2019s Dark Side","author":"Mick","date":"23 \u044f\u043d\u0432\u0430\u0440\u044f, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Craft, Imported and Specialty Beers:\u00a0Primator Double 24 Mick Hart\u2019s difficult job of reviewing craft, imported and specialty beers in Kaliningrad 23 January 2026 - Primator Double 24 beer \u2013 Mick Hart\u2019s Dark Side I\u2019ve always liked them dark, so it\u2019s been said. And yes, there was a time once when\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD"","block_context":{"text":"DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/daily-life-in-kaliningrad\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Primator Double 24","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Primator-Double-24.jpg?fit=769%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Primator-Double-24.jpg?fit=769%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Primator-Double-24.jpg?fit=769%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Primator-Double-24.jpg?fit=769%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13891,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/evening-in-bruges-beer\/","url_meta":{"origin":11637,"position":1},"title":"Evening in Bruges Beer: what’s it like?","author":"Mick","date":"15 \u0434\u0435\u043a\u0430\u0431\u0440\u044f, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Craft, Imported and Specialty Beers:\u00a0Evening in Bruges Mick Hart\u2019s difficult job of reviewing craft, imported and specialty beers in Kaliningrad 15 December 2025 - Evening\u00a0in\u00a0Bruges\u00a0beer\u00a0 Would you trust a man with a clip-on black beard, wearing a dark bowler hat with a cherry stuck on top? Oh, you would. Well,\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD"","block_context":{"text":"DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/daily-life-in-kaliningrad\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Evening in Bruges beer in Kaliningrad, reviewed by Mick Hart","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/rz-Evening-in-Bruges-Cherry-Beer.jpg?fit=725%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/rz-Evening-in-Bruges-Cherry-Beer.jpg?fit=725%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/rz-Evening-in-Bruges-Cherry-Beer.jpg?fit=725%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/rz-Evening-in-Bruges-Cherry-Beer.jpg?fit=725%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12239,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/double-mother-t-double-chocolate-stout-rewort\/","url_meta":{"origin":11637,"position":2},"title":"Double Mother T. Double Chocolate Stout Rewort","author":"Mick","date":"29 \u044f\u043d\u0432\u0430\u0440\u044f, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Craft, Imported and Specialty Beers: Double Mother T. Mick Hart\u2019s difficult job of reviewing craft, imported and specialty beers in Kaliningrad 29 January 2025 ~ Double Mother T. Double Chocolate Stout Rewort A brother of mine who came and stayed in Kaliningrad refused to drink and eat with us at\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD"","block_context":{"text":"DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/daily-life-in-kaliningrad\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Double Mother T.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG-20241123-WA0026-min.jpg?fit=903%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG-20241123-WA0026-min.jpg?fit=903%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG-20241123-WA0026-min.jpg?fit=903%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG-20241123-WA0026-min.jpg?fit=903%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11776,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/baltika-8-wheat-beer-in-kaliningrad\/","url_meta":{"origin":11637,"position":3},"title":"Baltika 8 Wheat Beer in Kaliningrad","author":"Mick","date":"23 \u043d\u043e\u044f\u0431\u0440\u044f, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Mick Hart\u2019s totally biased review of bottled beers* in Kaliningrad (or how to live without British real ale!) 23 November 2024 ~ Baltika 8 Wheat Beer in Kaliningrad Article 26: Baltika 8 Wheat Beer A wheat beer is a wheat beer is a wheat beer. That\u2019s that then! No, not\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD"","block_context":{"text":"DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/daily-life-in-kaliningrad\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Baltika 8 Wheat Beer","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Baltika-8-Wheat-Beer-Mick-Hart-Review-min.jpg?fit=903%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Baltika-8-Wheat-Beer-Mick-Hart-Review-min.jpg?fit=903%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Baltika-8-Wheat-Beer-Mick-Hart-Review-min.jpg?fit=903%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Baltika-8-Wheat-Beer-Mick-Hart-Review-min.jpg?fit=903%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13332,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/tapkoc-belgian-blond-ale\/","url_meta":{"origin":11637,"position":4},"title":"Tapkoc Belgian Blond Ale","author":"Mick","date":"6 \u0430\u0432\u0433\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0430, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Craft, Imported and Specialty Beers:\u00a0Tapkoc Belgium Blond Ale Mick Hart\u2019s difficult job of reviewing craft, imported and specialty beers in Kaliningrad 6 August 2025 - Tapkoc Belgian Blond Ale With the name Tapkoc on the collar label, and beneath it, on the label proper, the picture of a piddling cherub\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD"","block_context":{"text":"DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/daily-life-in-kaliningrad\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tapkoc Belgian Blond Ale","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Belgian-Blond-Ale-Tapkoc-rz-min.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Belgian-Blond-Ale-Tapkoc-rz-min.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Belgian-Blond-Ale-Tapkoc-rz-min.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Belgian-Blond-Ale-Tapkoc-rz-min.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2088,"url":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/baltika-3-in-kaliningrad\/","url_meta":{"origin":11637,"position":5},"title":"Baltika 3 in Kaliningrad","author":"Captain Codpiece","date":"2 \u0441\u0435\u043d\u0442\u044f\u0431\u0440\u044f, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Mick Hart\u2019s totally biased review of bottled beers* in Kaliningrad (or how to live without British real ale!) Published: 2 September 2020 Article 7:\u00a0Baltika 3 It is, alas, customary for reviewers of almost anything these days that when confronted with something that they judge negatively to pan the product\/experience with\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0412 "DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD"","block_context":{"text":"DAILY LIFE in KALININGRAD","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/category\/daily-life-in-kaliningrad\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/expatkaliningrad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Other-baltika-crop.jpg?fit=343%2C521&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11637"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11637\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}