Butautu Dvaro Alus Tamsus

Brewed by Butautu Dvaro Bravoras
Style: Dunkel/Tmavý
Birzu raj, Lithuania

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

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Bottled from Šnekutis, Vilnius. Cloudy orange/amber, creamy head. Fruity and mid-sweet with soft mouthfeel and low arbonation. Mellow and pleasant, lightly lactic with mild caramel. Vague floral hay bitterness.

Bottle, 5.5%. Buttery aroma. Cloudy red/brown colour. The flavour is buttery, malty, hint of roasted barley. Rough bitterness. Would have been good without the butter, I guess.

29th May 2006.
Warning! Early amateur rating! Think this was a draft beer somewhere in Vilnius. A traditional Lithuanian beer - allegedly. Darkish amber in colur. Moderate carbonation. It was served only slightly chilled. Has a mildly sour undertone and has a mellow finish.

Bottle from Snekutis. Deep amber pour with a thick white head. There is a nice light toasted character. An odd sort of slick butterscotch flavour. Some light caramel and a bit of light sourness. Maybe has some pediococcus. It’s not really good, but it has an unusual sort of grainy character. It’s definitely not awesome, but it’s interesting.

UPDATED: APR 8, 2012 1L bottle (Butautu Brewery) (6:4:7:4:14+=3.5+)
Slightly legumey, a touch grassy. Lovely fresh malts. A touch wooly dry bitter finish. So subtle, but not lacking flavour. Very sophisticated and delicious. Obviosuly didn’t survive the journey north last time.
Rerate of: 1l bottle (SOPP2009) (5:4:5:3:12=2.9)
Deep orange, persistent head. Sickly sweet aroma. Even sicklier taste - heading towards creamy pancakes. However, there’s a serious hoppiness that only kicks in on swallowing. Has a milky palate. Some pancake, but it’s the hops that are the win - almost soapy - great bite, and last long.

Bottle. Hazy dark brown with an off white foam. Aromas are chocolate, caramel and weetabix with some smokiness. Bready yeast with raisins and hints of banana. Flavours are very sweet malts with autumn fruit and cookie dough. Spicy, sweet and dry on the finish. A bit thin bodied compared to the aromas. Decent.

My Bottom Line:
This beautifully conditioned Lithuanian Tamsus shares earthy nuances on top of svelte caramel and spicy hops before bready cereals and herbal hop bitterness conclude each sip.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam floats atop the hazy dark amber.
-This is quite complex for a quencher.
-This is not a Tamsus that relies on deep caramelization (raisin and toffee flavors, for example). It is rather distinguished and shows its terroir very nicely (open fermentation, Lithuanian malts, etc.)
-The aroma can remind one of a garden on a humid day.
-Cereals appear to be very fresh, especially in the aroma.
-The lean body and soft, natural carbonation combine to make a very comfortable mouthfeel.

Bottle.

Bottle from Baltic Branch Dover. Hazy golden brown, big creamy off-white head. Sour aroma. Starts quite sour for a second, then lovely malt flavours set in, with a delicious touch of caramel. The sourness lingers in the background and goes well with the caramel, earthy hops and hints of mint. There is a tiny touch of smoke in the lingering finish Extremely unusual - extremely delicious and moreish.

2012-01-19. Lightly hazy amber body, nice foamy off-white head. 3+ Orr aroma, caramel malt, dusty malt notes. Flavour is odd, tangy malt, light bitterness, lingering tangy quality, light metallic notes. Average palate has soft carbonation. Discussion notes a kvass like grainy character to it, which I don’t think I would have called it, but agree with the assessment. Bit of an odd one, I do not particularly care for it. Interesting to try. Bottle shared by JoeMcPhee

Bottle 650? ml
Aroma: caramel , hops, sweet potato, softer floral notes that followed. 7-
Appearance: hazed amber with growing foamy top. Fine pillow cap, some sparse lace.3+
Palate / Taste: dry frontal notes. Mineral elements , slightly metallic. Thinner mid. Hint of nuts , some sugars. If not its excessive empty dryness this would be quiet decent.