Lvivske Porter

Lvivske Porter. Ukraine. Brewed with Craftsmanship. 

8 % ABV. Lvivska Pivovarnya, Lviv, Ukraine. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I've made no secret of my love for Baltic Porters. And now I will drink a Baltic Porter that is new to me from the Lvivska Pivovarnya brewery of Lviv, Ukraine. There have been no Ukrainian beers yet in the Bitter Nib, but BeerAdvocate tells me that I logged 5 reviews of Ukrainian beers there between 2003 and 2005, those days when I would buy every weird thing on the shelves. (Where did all the Ukrainian beers go? Or did I stop searching for them, while I kept up with all the local beer action? Those early/mid 2000's were a dark time.) It also told me that I had two beers from this brewery, a lager called Mitzne and a German pilsner called Premium Lager. I did not like them. 

Will I like this? Let's find out. 

Clear, but nearly opaque, dark brown, but close to black, with a large, proud, creamy-toned head. 

In the nose: Sweet, malty, and slightly floral, at first. 

In the mouth: Starts off slightly sweet, at first, then finishes off the palate on the dry side. Mostly malty, with low hops/bitterness. Medium bodied, where I'd like it a little fuller. Well-balanced, for certain. Smooth and creamy. I said low bitterness, but there is some, keeping the sweet at bay. 

It's an enjoyable beverage, but, to be honest, a far cry from my favorite Baltic Porters, none of which I've seen in a long time. (Carnegie, Synebrichoff, Stepan Razin, Zywiec, Okocim, etc.)

I say this just before the high alcohol starts to ring in. A bit more body to ballast against the booze, please.