Where would you classify Bohemia?

[Fast_Eddy]

Where would you classify Bohemia?

[Theakston]

Vienna are malty and amber.
this is pale and hoppy.

[Fast_Eddy]

Yeah I classify it as a pils too but I recently got into a bit of argument with one the owners of very prominent beer web site about this classification and I was just wondering what everyone here thinks.

[guzzler67]

I have always associated Bohemia with the Czech's, not Austria.

The Bohemian Brewery makes the Bohemian Czech Pilsner, not a vienna lager.

Saaz hops, from the Czech Republic, are the cornerstone of a good pilsner.

National Bohemian is a domestic pilsner (albeit, not a real good one).

Stick to your opinion, FastEddie.

[Fast_Eddy]

Wait there may be a bit of confusion here.

I mean the beer named "Bohemia". It's a mexican beer. But it's clearly a pils style beer.

[guzzler67]

Sorry for the mixup. Ratebeer.com lists Bohemia(Mexico) as a pilsner, too.

[steveh]

Originally posted by Fast_Eddy
Wait there may be a bit of confusion here. I mean the beer named "Bohemia". It's a mexican beer. But it's clearly a pils style beer.

He, he, he - when I first saw the question - I thought it was a geography quiz!

Based on Fred Eckhardt's descriptions of beers and George and Laurie Fix's description of Vienna, Marzen, Oktoberfests, in their book of the same name - Vienna style lager developed my Anton Dreher (simultaneously with his friend Gabriel Sedelmayer's recipe for what has now become Oktoberfest Marzen) is sort of a lighter, softer, milder version of Oktoberfest Marzen (of note here is that Marzen wasn't necessarily a style of beer at the time of Sedelmayer and Dreher, more of a process because March (Marz) was the last safe month to brew beer, any beer, before the blooming spores hit the air in Spring).

It's been a while since I've had a Bohemia, but I don't recall it having the reddish hue common to the Vienna style. Although, I also don't recall it having the prominent hop nose and flavor common to Pilsners.

So what is it really? The result of changing times I suppose. Maybe at one time it really was more of a Vienna style and the Brewers got lazy as a lot of the US brewers did.

Can you tell us what was said in your other "conversation?" Or maybe direct us to the thread?

S.

[steveh]

http://www.hotv.org/styles/9B.html

I don't know about Leinie's Red being a style example - a little too much corn flavor there IMO. Of course, Sam Adam's recent addition of a Vienna Style beer isn't quite to style either.

S.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by steveh

...................

So what is it really? The result of changing times I suppose. Maybe at one time it really was more of a Vienna style and the Brewers got lazy as a lot of the US brewers did.

Can you tell us what was said in your other "conversation?" Or maybe direct us to the thread?

S.

Actually it was never a Vienna - it probably used to be MORE of a pils, though - the Bohemia brand pre-dates the Austrian brewer migration by 40-50 years.

Take a look at this link Jackson's Info on Bohemia (http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-001516.html)

From the above info it seems obvious that Bohemia is much more closely related to a pils than it is to a Vienna, IMO.

The other "conversation" occured in PM's. It was essentially,"I think it's a Vienna and I don't care what evidence you have to the contrary". The reply to my presentation of the Jackson link was "Just some guy's opinion."

[steveh]

Originally posted by Fast_Eddy
Actually it was never a Vienna - it probably used to be MORE of a pils, though - the Bohemia brand pre-dates the Austrian brewer migration by 40-50 years.

Take a look at this link

From the above info it seems obvious that Bohemia is much more closely related to a pils than it is to a Vienna, IMO.

Interesting article, I can see where you'd draw your conclusions. I still don't get a big hop flavor from the Styrians used, though. And just like U.S. beers today, you have to wonder what it tasted like back when - bet it was pretty good!

Jackson talking about the Dos Equis Amber reminded me that a newly-opened Mexican restaurant in my neighborhood has Equis' light and amber (referred to as "dark" by the personnel) on draft - first time I've seen Mexican beer on draft. It's not bad at all.


The reply to my presentation of the Jackson link was "Just some guy's opinion."

Okay, THAT made me laugh out loud! Some other guy? Besides, he's stating research, not opinion!

S.