Arsenalnoe Strong
Figure 1. Arsenalnoe Strong
Introduction
Arsenalnoe Strong (АРСЕНАЛЬНОЕ КРЕПКОЕ) has only recently arrived on the shelves of New Zealand supermarkets, although this emergence may have occurred earlier in other locations. Arsenalnoe is a Strong lager-style beer (7.0% ABV) produced by the Baltika breweries in various locations throughout Russia (see Baltika website) and is available in sizes ranging from 0.5 litres to 2.5 litres. Other beers in the Arsenalnoe range include Gold, Traditional, Classic and Live. Although the Baltika website provides interesting information about the company’s products, the Arsenalnoe website exhibits an alarming array of information relating to guns and tips on selecting “travel” axes and saws. Arsenalnoe beers claim to be beers which are “beer with a male character, is brewed for real men who value honour, strength, patriotism, family, Motherland”.
Aim
This experiment was designed to investigate numerous characteristics of Arsenalnoe Strong beer including, but not limited to, aroma, flavor, colour, satisfaction and vessel design.
Method
A 1 litre can of Arsenalnoe Strong (see figure 1) was obtained from a local supermarket. The top of the can was cleaned under running tap water and opened under controlled conditions. The contents of the can were decanted into clean glass vessels. Aroma was evaluated by smelling the beer. Flavour was analysed by tasting the beer and discussing it with a research collaborator at great length and, subsequently, satisfaction was assessed. The glass was held up to a standardized light to evaluate the colour and aesthetic aspects of the vessel were considered.
Results
The results for Arsenalnoe Strong are shown in table 1 below.
Table 1. Characteristics of Arsenalnoe Strong
| Characteristic | Result |
| Aroma | Slightly floral and malty |
| Flavour | Floral with a ‘fuzzy’ feel at the back of your throat. Not malty, not hoppy – run-of-the-mill |
| Colour | Deep hay with a slightly cloudy tinge |
| Satisfaction | Substantial alcohol content ensures rapid progression towards insobriety |
| Vessel Design | Intimidating 1 litre can with pleasing Cyrillic script and a no-nonsense logo. The printed ‘rivets’ suggest an industrial background and reinforces its manlyness |
| Head | Forms a ‘fizzy’ head, which disappears within 2 minutes |
| Drinkability | 4 |
Conclusion
It is clear from the results that Arsenalnoe Strong does indeed have a male character (mainly due to its strength), but could also be enjoyed by females. The beer has an uncomplicated flavor which would neither excite nor offend the palate. The highlight of the Arsenalnoe Strong experience, except for the alcohol content, would be the can which could make an interesting talking point for guests stuck for conversation.
References
http://eng.baltika.ru/brand/0/4/arsenalnoe.html
http://guns.arsenalnoe.ru/main.html
Disclaimer: The researcher and research collaborator do not condone the use of firearms in any situation.
July 18, 2010 at 7:49 PM
I’m interested in the price of this fine lager… also, does it come in singles, six-packs or boxes of 12? More importantly, on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being slightly euphoric and 10 being comatose, how did you feel at the end of the experiment?
July 18, 2010 at 8:49 PM
The price was NZ$10.40, however, this price did include a 20c discount. I believe that the 1 litre vessel is only available in single multiples, but you could buy six or 12 of them at the same time. Since the 1 litre vessel was sampled by both the researcher and the research collaborator, feelings were around the 3 mark. This data can be extrapolated to arrive at the conclusion that continued exposure to the sample would elevate these levels towards the 10-end of your scale.