Czech Pale Lager Reivew

Appearance: Persistent and fluffy white head. Straw gold body. Not quite crystal clear but close. I probably disturbed some sludge from the bottom of the keg while transporting it from the lager fridge to the keg-o-rator.

Aroma: I get a crisp, earthy and spicy Noble hop aroma. Pilsner malt aroma contributes nicely with a sweet and grainy character.

Taste: Very nicely balanced between hoppy taste and malt. Like the nose the hoppy quality is crisp, earthy and spicy. The malt quality is a little bit bready like the crust or so. Sweetness is low but there.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly full for such a low ABV beer. Carbonation is moderate and contributes to the crisp / dry aftertaste. The aftertaste has a spicy hop quality and maybe a slightly mineral note.

Overall: I'm very happy with this one. It's flavorful, hoppy and well balanced between malty and hoppy. Very drinkable. Similar to my Helles but lower ABV and more balanced between the malt and hops. My wife said that it tastes like Krombacher or Warsteiner from her native Germany.

At some point I should do a side-by side with Notch Session Pils to see if it tastes like an "real" example of the style.

Festivus Ale Review

Happy Holidays!

Appearance: Tan head that doesn't quite persist long enough, moderately hazy deep amber body. Moderate opacity when held up to the light.

Aroma: Clearly holiday spice. Nutmeg / cinammon come through the strongest (I find their taste fairly similar) with ginger hiding in the background. Hop aroma is none. Malt aroma is present - hard to describe but to me a bit Belgiany- dry and spicy. Smells a little like apple pie or gingerbread.

Taste: Again dominated by the flavor of the spices, which not only have the characteristic Christmasy taste but also seem to have a dry, tannic quality in the mouth.  Hop bitterness low, or covered by the taste of the spices The beer tastes fairly dry to me. Malt characteristic present but again hard to describe since it is dominated by the spices. Probably has a brown-ale like maltiness.

Mouthfeel: Moderate carbonation. A little prickly on the tounge and dry in the aftertaste.

Overall: Pleasant but not something I would drink a lot of. Probably I mashed too low. The spices could use more balancing sweetness and maybe some mellowing out. This beer really shows how cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger are spices, and although associated with sweet food such as apple pie, they really don't have much sweetness on their own. That's why the deserts with them often have ton of sugar and why this beer could probably use a little more sweetness. It's probably my mistake that I didn't quite get the mash right. When brewed properly according to the directions and allowed to age more it's probably better.