Unexpectedly, AB InBev EFES gave birth to a new beer in the Stary Melnik lineup. They brewed “wheat live”. The full name of the beer is Stary Melnik from Barrel Wheat Live. Untappd users have it as Witbier / Blanche, but that’s not quite right. Unlike blanche, this beer has no zest. The coriander is there, but no zest.
In fact, the emphasis is on coriander. The promotional text on the back label (I wonder who reads it with such a small print?!) says – “Kishnets – the crown of taste” and then other marketing nonsense. Kishnets is one of the names of coriander. It comes from the Persian Pers. گشنز (gešniz). That would never in a million years would not have guessed! Come to the store and ask – is there any kishnets? I don’t think anyone will understand what you’re asking.
Stary Melnik from Barrel Wheat Live (Russia, Volgograd region, Volzhsky) – 4.9% alcohol. Aroma of light coriander. Taste is a little bit watery, but clean and soft. In the aftertaste also coriander and a little wheat.
Of course I’m not an expert like some and I can’t tell from the taste the race of yeast, but it seems to me that this is lager. It tastes really flat, though softened by the wheat. In principle, you can drink it. Rated C+.
Why didn’t they make a normal blanc? Most likely, the calculation was for the audience of the Old Mill. The overly bright taste would scare them off. There’s something similar to this at the Barrels, Weiss Berg. And it sells well by the way. I wouldn’t drink more than one glass of this beer, though.
