09 July 2009

Here I Go Again On My Own

This is officially the second blog that will have anything to do with beer. Enjoy. As you will soon read, hopefully this will be more regular for a couple of weeks.

Ok, so my friend Travis scored me 8 exotic-ish beers, most of which I've never heard of. The one I have, Moose Drool, I've already tried. I really enjoyed it, so I'm glad to have another, and I'll give a review when I get to that one. Here are the beers I got:

Czechvar, Belhaven Scottish Ale, Kiltlifter, Warsteiner Dunkel, Black Jack Porter, Moose Drool, Oak Creek Nut Brown, and finally, something I'm very excited about, Krusovice. The first and the last are Czech beers, and the last apparently cost $3 for the bottle. I'll be saving that one for last.

Today, I'm trying the Czechvar. First, some backstory. In America, we know Budweiser. This started from some Czech immigrants that decided upon coming here, that whatever was available to them didn't meet the standards they set in Prague. Thus, Budweiser was born. The actuall beer from Prague is apparently called Budvar, but that would confuse dumb Americans, so it's Czechvar in the states.

Czechvar is, essentially, what Budweiser is trying to be.

Ok, so onto the beer itself. If you've ever had Budweiser, this won't be wholly unfamiliar to you. In fact, if you've had lagers, this will probably ring a bell. Right off the bat, this has noticeably more flavor than Bud. So far, nothing stands out to me as either "über good," or "that tastes like crap." It's slightly malty, but nothing like a Killian's. The hops are noticeable, but not overpowering. All in all, it's good, but I'm liking it less now that it's not from-the-fridge-cold, and I don't think I was in love at first sip.

All in all, I'd say, if you ever get the chance to experience Czechvar, give it a go. It's different enough to be fun, but similar enough to what you may know to not throw you for too much of a loop. Definitely better than it's bastard American successor.

"I'm in the business of misery, let's take it from the top."

4 comments:

Hat said...

I'll give it a try sometime if I run across it. The others sound interesting (as does that special Guinness you have... I still want to buy one off of you). I look forward to reading more of your thoughts on them..

By the way, I hear that there's a dark Heineken. Not sure how good it is, but it sounds good enough to try.

Hat said...

Also, I'm not sure what to make of the cross of Whitesnake and Paramore.

Nagrom said...

The Warsteiner Dunkel is very good. I've had it a few times and rather like it.

I'm curious to see you review of the Belhaven Scottish Ale.
Have you had McKewans Scottish Ale? And/or did you have brew pubs? If so, I'm curious how the Belhaven compares.

Real Pilsner type beers are vastly different from Bud and the like. I actually enjoy a good example of the type from time to time, but find them on whole less pleasing than other beers. They do go well with certain moods/environments and foods, but thats true of any beer. A good pilsner makes great pizza & beer beer.

On to 'Becca's comments...
"Special Guinness"? Is this their anniversary stout or did Marcus score something more interesting?
Their anniversary stout is rather good.

Dark Heine is also rather good. It is a Dunkel type beer, and tastes similar to the Warsteiner Dunkel. Not an all the time beer, but one I will drink happily and enjoy a lot. Recommended.
(I am not a Heineken fan. Regular/pale heineken is just not a beer I enjoy.)

Marcus said...

Morgan, I totally agree with the pilsner-style beers. Last time I went to TN for a wedding, the bachelor party had little caesar's pizza and miller high life, and it worked incredibly well.

Hat was talking about the anniversary. It is quite good, and I still have a few left.

I have had McKewan's, but not the brew pub Scottish Ale. I'll let you know what i think based on that.