This is a three-way collaboration brewed at Brouwerij Kees early last year, which involved brewers from Velka Morava in Russian, and our good friends from Alvinne. And it isn’t a sour beer!
The name is a reference to the gigantic gun – Tzar Pouchka – known as the king of guns. It defends the Kremlin in Moscow but has never been used.
The beer pours a thick black, viscous liquid with an aroma heavy on roasted malts and bourbon from the barrel ageing. It smells like a really big and rich beer.
And it is. There is an initial sweetness that doesn’t last long giving way to a dark chocolate bitterness, with really roasted malts and a hint of smoke that is probably from the barrel. Dark red stone fruits, chocolate, charcoal and a little smoked meat flavour is all thrown into the mix.
It finishes pretty dry for such a big beer, with an aftertaste that lingers long and full.