Ekstra

Svyturys
Place: Lithuania
Imported by: B&I Overseas Trading, Inc.

Available: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, MI, NV, NJ, NY, OH, TX, DC, W

The Svyturys (“Lighthouse”) Brewery is the oldest in Lithuania, tracing its history to 1784. The most popular beer in Lithuania, Svyturys Extra is brewed in the Dortmunder style.

Alcohol (wt.): 4.1
Alcohol (vol.): 5.2
Color: 2.6
Bitterness: n/a
Gravity: 1052

Lithuania, the last pagan European country, regarded bread and beer as sacred long before Christianity arrived in the 16th Century. Still known for flavorful dark rye bread, beer in Lithuania has apparently seen the light. Svyturys Ekstra is one more lackluster lager that has sold its soul to a global god. Credible package, bright gold color, no hops, corn syrup character and little taste. I’m not converted.
- Charles Finkel

Beer is good and so is this. Light lager with reasonable head retention. Full malt flavor with a pleasant pilsner-type hop flavor balance. Quenching and substantial. Great for quaffing and a compliment to any dinner or lunch. There are a lot of terrific beers available in America. Svyturys is not necessarily distinctive, but it doesn’t have to be if it is great beer.
- Charlie Papazian

A Dortmunder-style beer brewed at the oldest brewery in Lithuania, which opened for business in 1784—no wonder the original German brewers of the style called it Export! Ekstra has won several awards in American beer competitions and clearly deserves them. The golden beer, with a thick collar of foam, has a tempting and embracing aroma of juicy, toasted malt, followed by a firm palate dominated by malt, but with a gentle underpinning of hop bitterness. The long, rich finish is malt, creamy but with a good if gentle bitterness. An exceptional beer.
- Roger Protz

Charles Finkel
Founder of Merchant du Vin and the Pike Brewing Co., Charles Finkel is a pioneer in the marketing of craft beers in America.

Charlie Papazian
Author of the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, founder of the Great American Beer Festival and a Beer Examiner at www.examiner.com, Papazian is a leading voice in beer and brewing.

Roger Protz
Roger Protz is the author of Complete Guide to World Beer and 300 Beers to Try Before You Die. He is a respected beer authority and editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.

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