Not so sure about the presentation, clear glass bottle, 330ml size, beer has an almost cherry red glow to it, pours with a good head, almost off white, beneath which toffee, near-vanilla and even the faintest memory of cherry brandy aromas arise; warming and soothing though not the sort of warming that suggests a big bonfire of the vanities (or bonfire toffee for that matter), more like a hug from someone you love. Soft and sweet on the palate with a bitter and dry finish; some sweetness retained in the finish. There’s also an earthiness that I like, presumably from the hop, which is — well I don’t know and does it matter? I’m getting a Jacob’s Cracker-like crispness and dryness on the palate, which would suggest pairing it with cheese, so I try it with a creamy, salty, sweaty Devon blue, but all it did was vanish totally in its embrace, though a fragrant note I hadn’t noticed before emerged; but it wasn’t hideous, it just didn’t enhance either, so drink alone (or drink with friends). It’s not in a Bohemian dark tradition, neither a Vienna amber one, rather it’s a British craft lager tradition of ‘let’s see what happens when we add crystal and caramalt’ to our pilsner. Good work lads.
What is it with clear glass? I cannot take beer seriously when sold in clear glass; not after going on a weeks course that explained much of brewing chemistry.
ReplyDeleteOur main importer of English beer , Beerforce, used to stock clear glass products, the breweries used to tell them that the glass was specially treated to prevent skunking (bollocks) they finally came to the decision that it was indeed bollocks and stopped importing them.
ReplyDeletePerversely many an average punter in this country associates light strike with that 'genuine imported European taste'.
Kieran -- I've heard Americans say that a lot of punters there think that nasty flavour is one of the defining features of Pilsner Urquell.
ReplyDeleteATJ -- this is always on tap at the Duke of Cambridge in Islington and is just a straight up pleasant pint. I'm a fan.
Yeah, Im not into the glass either. But it did pique my interest enough to pair it with a homemade pizza with smoked meats and cheeses last year - http://goodpeopleeats.blogspot.com/2009/01/freedom-dark-lager.html - Worked very well indeed. But that clear glass does put one off, doesnt it?
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very decent lager, although I had it pegged in the Vienna style myself
ReplyDeleteAn Australian brewer I was judging with told me once that when they started brewing Heiniken in Australia they warehoused the stock long enougth to let it oxidise and then slowly fed the market less and less oxidised product untill they were shipping fresh stock. Apparently the average Aussie punter associated oxidation with the true taste of imported Heiniken and would have been up in arms to suddenly be confronted with fresh beer!
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