I tasted Urquell and Peaceful Pils side by side yesterday. Peaceful Pils was lighter and hop forward - it was a pretty typical lager. I actually like the Urquell more - nice malt flavors and I enjoyed the finish. I had another beer in the fridge Reality Czeck from Moonlight Brewing which was similar in flavor profile as Urquell but just better in every category.
I didn’t know at the time, but Peaceful Pils proceeds directly supports the work of World Central Kitchen.
Reality Czeck, eh. Sounds like a try out.
Catching up with some Estonian beers I have lying around. Pühaste is a micro brewery but they make a lot of different styles, not to mention they have a wide distribution network. I have tried many of their beers and will continue to do so.
Imperial stout. Intense, roasted coffee flavour. Bitter sweet.
Pastry stout. Like drinking a chocolate cake. Heavy and alcoholic.
Porter. Unfortunately, I only taste the anise. Just a little is bearable.
IIPA DIPA - Imperial / Double Hazy (NEIPA). Tastes a bit weird. Turns out it’s been aged in Mezcal barrel.
Learning To Fly - NEIPA - Joy Project Brewing - Brazil. 6,6% 38 IBU
Tasty NEIPA. Juicy and only a little bit sweet (but gets sweeter when no longer cold, still more sour though). Citrus, papaya, melon and sour pineapple. Creamy and hoppy. Surprisingly bitter. Drinks almost like a DDH NEIPA (also surprising). Sometimes it’s the other way around (DDH that’s too weak).
I feel you when you shed light on the one note stuff. Anise, in this case. I love the anise background, but, front/center, it doesn’t belong. I felt the same way about a vanilla porter I had a year ago. It was just a headache to drink. Didn’t even feel good about making brats with it.
Sounds like you had some good tastings, though. Always makes for a good day.
Aged in a mezcal barrel? Gutsy, if nothing else.
I do tend to like imperials. Probably the heaviest brews I can drink. Never found the soft spot for barley wines and such. Estonia sounds pretty cool to me.
Seems anise is a popular profile on darker beers. Makes one wonder if they don’t throw a few stars in the wort.
The anise notes should come from the malt. Just that little surprise. Love it when you get it in the nose before you drink. Grand imperial porter-Poland. Why that’s my latest addiction.
Just saw it in the store. From the land of sky blue waters (waaaters). This was my best bud’s go-to in college. I chose Huber bock as my $4 a case beer.
“Comes the beer refreshing…Hamm’s the beer refreshing!”
Being a Czech beer lover i was so happy when I found a new (for me) beer from the Czech Republic, Star of Pilsen. This is the first-time I’ve been disappointed w/a Czech beer. Now I know they’re never as fresh as you get over there, but the Czech bottles are usually very tasty (all of 'em) and true to the style. However, this brew was a weak imitation of the classic. So i did some digging and couldn’t find much on this “brewery” What i found was, incorporated in 2010 on google maps the address looks like a typical Czech building in a small town, not a brewery. At least it wasn’t stupid expensive like some local brews (Breuery etc)
Sierra Nevada makes a lovely stout. So does North Coast and Bells makes quite a few as well. You’re right about the lager style, I haven’t found one American lager that I would brag about.
Hermit Thrush out of Brattleboro makes some nice sours, trad and kettle soured. I’ve had 4 of theirs so far and loved 3 out of 4.
Old Rasputin is a great beer.
An amazing beer, especially the barrel aged.
Never had Star. My fave Plzen is Velkopopovicky. Can’t find it any more, though. I’d be happy with a lager that came close to Urquell. Still haven’t had time to find the recs from here, though.
The kicker is, even if I find Urquell’s equal made here, it will probably cost more than the original Plzen. Just tired pf paying for beers people have gushed over only to think “meh.” I really want to source my brews to US only.
I’ll have to find Death & Taxes and Reality Czeck and try. Just seems like, when I compare a micro US Plzen and Urquell, a vail has been lifted when I quaff Urquell. There’s a fuzziness, maybe due to lack of aging, I’ve found present in every US micro lager I’ve tried. The flavor reminds me of the first batch of beer I ever made, when I used a bunch or corn sugar to “assist” the malt. I was just glad it turned out, being my first. But there was that adjunctive film on your tongue feel I get from US micros. To a lesser extant than my first batch; but it’s still there. From the first micros until right now. I’ve always gotten that strange extra sumthin’. I still think it might have to do with aging. Euro beers are forced to age if the come here. I don’t find freshness and beer to go hand-in-hand flavor wise. Born on dating was the funniest scam to me. Bud already sucks, now, it’s fresh and sucks even worse. I see that fad has died.
I fully respect Honkman and Jondough and their choices. I fully respect both opinions as knowledgeable brewlovers. I want to be the US micro lover. But, from where I stand/taste, the safe beers are safe from our producers. I wish US micros would sell more single cans, so you’re not stuck with 5 crappers for $10. New Belgium, Summit, Sierra Nevada, God I can’t remember them all. They all had that corn sugar effect, or aging issue. Wish I had time to experiment with some recipes, but homebrew has gotten pretty pricey.
I’ve been on a euro kick of late. Trad beers, well made and reasonable pricing. The core Sierra range is still great and in NYC you can always get single bottles and sometimes cans. I’ve yet to have a Pilsner style American beer that was anywhere need as good as the original. Though I’ve heard great things about Notch from the North shore in Massachusetts. Schilling Beer from NH has been the closest , so far.
Not sure where you live but normally it is really not that difficult to buy single cans/bottles. I can’t remember when I had to buy a packs of beer.
I have to admit that I am quite surprised by your love for Urquell which I would even within the many pilsner options in Germany/Czech as lackluster at best without any spark or quality.
I like Urquell. Maybe it’s partly the nostalgia, but mostly malt and hops. So Death and Taxes comes in a single serving? If I find one, it’s bought.
I’m not kidding, since early 80’s Augsberger, I’ve tasted the same off notes in pretty much every micro I’ve tried. To me, it always felt like thee brew wasn’t aged for long enough.
The reason I started with Heineken was that it was the everyman’s blah beer. Urquell is much better. Urquell was the first version I tried (1985). I was impressed, and I still like it. I can’t believe you don’t taste this slightly bitter (honestly tastes like raw corn sugar to me, just not as blah) adjunctive flavor in the micros. They’ve actually gotten worse since Augs of the 80’s. Urquell is middle of the road. I’m setting myself up for disappointment every time I try this. I live in western WI, near La Crosse. I jujst never stop by the US micros anymore, since they all taste a little off. Go with another middle of the road: DAB. Nothing made here can compete. I want you to flip my script. So many of these micros, might take me 15 minutes to find, if they have them. Next week I have a few days off. I’ll go hunting. Little busy at work lately.
I have to admit I’m quite surprised when I read on forums how great some of these are that are nowhere near their Euro counterparts. Urquell. Boring ole Urquell. Nothing close that I’ve tried.
I can remember a few: Heater Allen. This was supposed to be superb. More mediocre than any Urquell, I’ve ever had. I thought Oregon would yield lovely malt. Again, maybe just wasn’t aged for long. Sierra Nevada Noon something. Ho-hum, shave the tongue finish. Live Oak. So thumbs down. Summit Keller pils. Don’t even want to talk about it. Wanted to support my neighbors in MN, but Grain Belt is better, and old Grain Belt was better than that.
Either way, it’s all good. The beers that were good for me, aren’t good to you. The beers that you might like, I might despise. Let us both enjoy our consumption. Got a few Sam Smiths in the fridge. Love their oatmeal stout. Hope you enjoy what it is you’re imbibing, bud.
That’s what I don’t understand - you write as there is only one approach and flavor profile for pilsner with craft breweries in the US (or elsewhere in the world) which couldn’t be further from the truth. I am not sure if you haven’t actually really tried a large variety craft lagers (can you actual name the craft lagers you have tried) or you can’t taste the significant difference between them. You tend to name European lagers which even in Europe many people tend to describe as acceptable at best.
And no offense, but to be honest I am not sure if you are even willing to change your mind with craft beer as you seem to be on a self-fullfilling approach where you are looking to hear that Urquell, Heineken are the best for you.
Fort Point Berliner Weisse Strawberry Darling
I’ve had this before and really enjoyed it, crisp and tart with nice strawberry flavor and subtle wheat. Perfect way to kick off a hot 4th of July weekend - unfortunately it is 50 degrees, overcast and cold gusty winds in San Francisco, but I am pretending it is summer.
Country & Western by Bow & Arrow Brewing Company (Albuquerque, NM) - IPA
Rather typical NEIPA with citrus, tangerine juiciness upfront which is reinforced by the addition of sweet orange peel. Good balance by some piney dank. Quite creamy mouthfeel, medium bitterness in the finish and refreshing.
Goses are Red by The Bruery Terreux (Anaheim, CA) - Fruited Sour
Interesting flavor combination of a gose and a rose wine. Quite tart upfront but smooth by the slight saltiness and the oak. Gets much more (but not overwhelming) fruity towards the finish by the grapes not unlike a rose. First a bit unusual combination but it grows over time.
Oh, they all taste different; but all the American micros , though different in profile, have the malt haze, as I call it. I believe it’s just from a simple lack of aging. The beer tastes incomplete. I can’t get to the finer details of the beer through this haze.
I’ve been wanting US success for years. I’ve tried lagers from (as far as i can remember): Sprecher, Sierra Nevada, Rogue, Summit, New Belgium, New Glarus, Rockwell Beer Co., Lakefront Brewery, among many others. Forgettable. All of them. Malt haze. Is it the malt itself, lack of time to mature, water? Wish I had the time to experiment. I get no malt character out of these, because of the haze. If I see Death and Taxes, I’ll grab one. But, I’m guessing, the haze will be there. I only suspect aging, because my old outlet used to have great discount deals on older brews, most micro/craft. So, I’d buy a discounted beer that was aged for another 6-10 months from the time it was made.
Have you made beer? The haze tastes just like the spend yeast cells at the bottom of the carboy. Know what I mean? It’s like you added the dead yeast to the bottle, and it veils any nuance from me. Can’t get past it. This flavor does not exist, even in weak ass Heineken, or mediocre Urquell. That’s why I’d rather drink a mediocre Urquell, than a whatever US micro. Breckenridge, was one I tried recently, Brek Lager. Haze.
This isn’t just a lager thing. I buy a stout from up the road, just because I want to keep those guys brewing. Not as pronounced as in lagers, but the haze exists there, too. Guiness is clean. You can taste the malt, unobtrusively. The haze gets in the way of our ales, too.
So, drink whatever micro/craft next to the Urquell, and instead of this note, that note, think the one full note you’re left with. Urquell-clean, little hop spice, fair head, love the nose. Victory Prima Pils- astringent, astringent, astringent. All I’m getting. Had micros in: Texas, Colorado, AZ, MN, MI, NM, TN, WI, IA, CA, MO, prolly more. Astringent.
Then I read reviews with people saying this brew is amazing, when the safe beers were so-so. Try the beer they say is amazing, and always go back to the safe beers, because they don’t have that obtrusive, astringent haze. I like a clean finish, not a film on my tongue. Had countless flights in countless pubs. Astringent.
Maybe it’s just me, but friends of mine, who have been consuming for years, have agreed. We can make a Squirrel Nut Zipper raspberry/chicory/walnut hull/possum urine sour imperial stout. Just can’t make anything close to flippin’ DAB. Eh, I’ve had some crappers from Germany, Netherlands. Never ever had that astringency, though. Bitte sucks; but not for that reason. Just sucks.
Oh, and session these lagers, it’s hangover hell. Ice for the head, and shave the tongue. The haze started with the first micro/crafts. Part of our brewing tradition, now. The more of 'em I drink, the m ore fervently I return to safe. I guess safe means clean, to me.
Last time I visited my bro in Texas, all his pals said I HAD to try Shiner Bock. This beer tasted almost identical to the $4/case beer I drank in college (Huber Bock.) Whatever. I’ve coached a lot of kids in my life and one of my old wrestlers new I liked different beers, so, when he went to Texas for work, he called me on his way back home and said he had a surprise beer for me. I said, “let me guess, Shiner.” He goes "you a-hole!!"Love that kid.
The other kicker for me is, one of the first, Augsburger, was better than most of these greats. I wish Joe Huber was still alive. Used to stop at Sprecher brewery when it was on the river in Milwaukee. Randy Sprecher was a very generous owner. He got us college kids giddy on his brews. Those were better than the new lagers, IMHO. I really thought the day would come when we’d rival Euro lagers. Loooong way to go, IMO.
All I got.
