{"id":9541,"date":"2023-11-06T20:40:47","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T18:40:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/?p=9541"},"modified":"2023-11-07T08:07:29","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T06:07:29","slug":"butauty-beer-in-kaliningrad-how-good-is-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expatkaliningrad.com\/ru\/butauty-beer-in-kaliningrad-how-good-is-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Butauty Beer in Kaliningrad How Good is It?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Craft, Imported and Specialty Beers: Butauty<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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

6 November 2023 ~ Butauty Beer in Kaliningrad How Good is It?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quillfeldt! No, it\u2019s not the name of a beer and neither is it a term of abuse. It is in fact the name of a gentleman, Charles de Quillfeldt, to be precise, the inventor of the \u2018flip top\u2019 or \u2018lightening toggle\u2019 bottle stopper, whose name is eponymous with his marvellous creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Qillfeldt\u2019s bottle closure system consists of a hinged wire frame attached to a stopper which, being harnessed to the bottle neck, allows it to be removed and replaced with ease and relative swiftness. (Just the job in a thirst emergency.) Since the stopper is attached to the bottle, it is impossible to misplace it, enabling the bottle to be opened and closed at will, a thoughtful contraption and that’s a fact, although in my experience a quality bottled beer once opened will never have need to be sealed again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Butauty<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Butauty Beer in Kaliningrad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Butauty beer, by Lithuanian brewers Vilniaus alus, has such a top, or should I say had<\/em>, as recent information discloses, without revealing why, that production of this beer has ceased. That being noted, however, as recently as last week I discovered a shelf full of Butauty in one of Kaliningrad\u2019s Victoria supermarkets, so either someone is telling porkies, or the beer displayed is remnant stock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, as I drank it, liked it and also made notes about it back in 2022, I shall now proceed to review it, even if it has become just an affectionate bittersweet memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It isn\u2019t, not bittersweet that is. It has a slightly bitter twang, but overlaying that a predominantly burnt, smoky, caramel flavour, slightly aromatic, one might even venture to say subtly aromatic, with a deep and generous peaty aroma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When my Quillfeldt flew off, a bit like my toupee did last summer, as I was racing along in an open-topped car, the aroma genie popped out as if it was old Jack from his box, and started into shouting up my nostrils, \u201cGet a load of this! It\u2019s deep and richly peaty!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And isn\u2019t it just the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Butauty Beer in Kaliningrad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the bottle, the beer looks as black as your hat, or most parts of South London, but once you\u2019ve outed it into your glass, it could be any one or other of fifty shades of grey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Butauty gives good head, the sort of rich, frothing, foaming head that they used to like up North in England before the Daleks invaded the area and everything went south ~ although it didn\u2019t help them any. But like a lot of endangered English traditions, the head shows little resolve. It fizzles, farts and splutters and by the time you\u2019ve come back with your crisps, it’s as shockingly gone as a case of white flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I, personally and in particular, have never cared much for a big creamy head. As far as I am concerned, beer can be as flat as a triple \u2018A\u2019, as long as it retains its zest and unique flavour. There\u2019s nothing much flat that I can\u2019t handle, although I don\u2019t care much for the Fens. Mind you, with its rich peaty smell and Fen-like hue, Butauty beer, at 5.5%, has an earthiness about it that would fable well in the Cambridgeshire Badlands, \u2018Ay up, and Jip Oh!\u2019, except, of course, it hails ~ or did hail ~ from Lithuanian brewers, Vilniaus alas ~ sorry Vilniaus alus (with a four-letter word like \u2018alus\u2019, it could have been far worse!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Butauty<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Among Butauty’s internet reviews, many are rather scathing. I just don\u2019t get it (You\u2019re not the only one! Have you any suggestions?). And, if what is written is not a black lie, and the beer is no longer produced, no one will be getting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I, for one, and some others I imagine, can honestly say that I like this beer. It smells like good beer should smell and is right tasty, I\u2019ll tell you that! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should the rumour of its demise be credible, it will indeed be a sorry day for beer connoisseurs wherever they are, and yet we must take heart, for there is consolation in everything: as Bogart once famously said, \u201cWe\u2019ll always have Quillfeldt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BOX TICKER\u2019S CORNER<\/strong>
Name of Beer:<\/strong> Butauty
Brewer:<\/strong> Vilniaus alus
Where it is brewed:<\/strong> Vilnius, Lithuania
Bottle capacity:<\/strong> 1litre
Strength:<\/strong> 5.5%
Price:<\/strong> It cost me about 280 roubles [in 2022] [Note: recent supermarket price is 490 roubles, \u00a34.30]
Appearance:<\/strong> Dark
Aroma:<\/strong> Caramel and peat
Taste:<\/strong> Complex taste of all things dark and beautiful
Fizz amplitude:<\/strong> 4\/10
Label\/Marketing:<\/strong> Olde Worlde Parchment
Would you buy it again? <\/strong>If they ever start producing it again, anytime
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BEER RATING:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the brewery: Vilniaus alus<\/strong>
Vilniaus alus\u2019s claim to fame is that it is the only brewery of beer and natural drinks in Vilnius. The brewery is proud to assert that no chemical additives are used in their beers, guaranteeing quality products wholesome in natural ingredients. Both bottled and draft beers are produced, and the company exports to Europe and to the USA.
Vilniaus alus<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wot other\u2019s say<\/strong> [Comments on Butauty from the internet, unedited]
\ud83d\ude0aCaramel bitterness, like a pleasant surprise, Doesn\u2019t taste bitter, but pleases with its taste, like a little whim

\ud83d\ude12Butter, caramel, diacetyl. Powdery mouthfeel. Nutty with a bitter note. But destroyed by rancid butter.

\ud83d\ude42 Good chocolate stout

\ud83d\ude2eLithuanian Shit! [I say! Steady on!]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copyright \u00a9 2018-2023 Mick Hart. All rights reserved.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The right connections<\/strong>
Cultura Kaliningrad ~ a world-wide beer bonanza<\/a>
Variety of beer in Kaliningrad<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Craft, Imported and Specialty Beers: Butauty Mick Hart\u2019s difficult job of reviewing craft, imported and specialty beers in Kaliningrad 6 November 2023 ~ Butauty Beer in Kaliningrad How Good is It? Quillfeldt! No, it\u2019s not the name of a beer and neither is it a term of abuse. It is in fact the name of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9548,"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_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[130],"tags":[480,498,479,2235,2232,483,435,2231,2233,482,2234,2236],"class_list":["post-9541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-life-in-kaliningrad","tag-beer-drinking-kaliningrad","tag-beer-kaliningrad","tag-bottled-beer-in-kaliningrad","tag-butauty-beer","tag-craft-beer-in-kaliningrad","tag-englishman-beer-kaliningrad","tag-englishman-in-kaliningrad-russia","tag-imported-and-specialty-beers","tag-imported-beers-kaliningrad","tag-mick-harts-guide-bottled-beers-kaliningrad","tag-specialty-beers-kaliningrad","tag-vilniaus-alus"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t