Pivo Prosim
08-13-2007, 12:23 AM
Yesterday I had the pleasure of joining my friend Honza in his hometown of Plzen.
After a day of visiting military museums and military pubs and clubs (Honza's a soldier in the Czech Army) we finally got down to business and visited
Restaurace Uctivany Velbloud
Americka 20
Plzen
to try the full line of Prazdroj products. RUV was a very nice place to do this. While there we sampled unpasteurized classic light Pilsner Urquell (delicious) and their latest offering, an 18* dark beer called Master. They also served Honza a special concoction called Black Magic. In a .4 glass they pour the 18* dark on top of the light Prazdroj. The Prazdroj stays golden at the bottom and the dark floats on top of it. You see two distinct colors!
But back to the 18* dark Master. For 35 Czech korunas ($1.85) they served us .4 helpings in the new Master glasses. The beer serves nearly black with just a hint of mahogany light sneaking through at the edges. The foam was a solid two fingers with a nice dense tan head. I was surprised however that it didn't leave more lacing as we drank. It dissipated almost completely in a rather short time. The flavor is of very dense, solid caramel with a backdrop of slightly fruity flavors without a hint of coffee. Thankfully, the brewers have spared Master the oversweetness which is found in Pardubicky Porter. This beer is just right. For an 18* dark it is surprisingly smooth and drinkable like a good Belgian dark, but probably less complex because the recipe is much more straightforward. Still, very enjoyable but watch out, this beer packs a well-hidden punch. What you notice during the second glass is a slight warming in your chest heading toward your belly. As the Czechs say, this beer has a tail! I can't wait to return to Plzen and try some more as I haven't found this in Prague yet. I'm sure it has to be here by now, I just need to look harder. More research required.......
After a day of visiting military museums and military pubs and clubs (Honza's a soldier in the Czech Army) we finally got down to business and visited
Restaurace Uctivany Velbloud
Americka 20
Plzen
to try the full line of Prazdroj products. RUV was a very nice place to do this. While there we sampled unpasteurized classic light Pilsner Urquell (delicious) and their latest offering, an 18* dark beer called Master. They also served Honza a special concoction called Black Magic. In a .4 glass they pour the 18* dark on top of the light Prazdroj. The Prazdroj stays golden at the bottom and the dark floats on top of it. You see two distinct colors!
But back to the 18* dark Master. For 35 Czech korunas ($1.85) they served us .4 helpings in the new Master glasses. The beer serves nearly black with just a hint of mahogany light sneaking through at the edges. The foam was a solid two fingers with a nice dense tan head. I was surprised however that it didn't leave more lacing as we drank. It dissipated almost completely in a rather short time. The flavor is of very dense, solid caramel with a backdrop of slightly fruity flavors without a hint of coffee. Thankfully, the brewers have spared Master the oversweetness which is found in Pardubicky Porter. This beer is just right. For an 18* dark it is surprisingly smooth and drinkable like a good Belgian dark, but probably less complex because the recipe is much more straightforward. Still, very enjoyable but watch out, this beer packs a well-hidden punch. What you notice during the second glass is a slight warming in your chest heading toward your belly. As the Czechs say, this beer has a tail! I can't wait to return to Plzen and try some more as I haven't found this in Prague yet. I'm sure it has to be here by now, I just need to look harder. More research required.......