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Shaken up March

With my life (and at least for the moment my finances) a bit more settled, I was able, in March, to (as much as the wallet allowed) go around beer hunting.
One of my goals was to go to Beroun and taste their Easter beer. I did go to Beroun, but the beer was missing. The brewery was closed for some technical reason and the restaurant had ran out of their beers. Of course that I was very disappointed. Fortunately, they were not tapping any rubbish, Chodovar Sklepní Ležák and Tmavé and Klášter 10°. Nothing out of this world, but it could have been a lot worse.

My next stop was at Pivovar Sv. Norbert, in Stráhov (more on them soon) to taste their Easter brew. This time the beer hadn't gone AWOL. The Jarní Ležák is a golden lager fermented at 13°balling, with 5.3ABV. I found it simply delicious, fantastically hoppy, with finish that tasted almost like grapefruit. It could have been the beer of the month, if it wasn't that they charge 59CZK/0.4l for something that is not much better than a good batch of golden lager at Pivovarský Dům, which goes for 35CZK/0.5l.

I also stopped at Richter, where among others, I drank their Ale. I liked it a lot. I didn't take any tasting notes because I was with friends, but I remember it as very good, too easy to drink and with a very good mouthfeel.

There were other Easter specialities: Krkonoše, which will have its post soon, and Medové Pivo, from Opat. I had tasted this one last year and I was terribly disappointed. This year I found it very improved in almost every aspect, more rounded flavour, less carbonation, nicer body, what was still missing was a real honey taste. There is something sweet there in the back, but if you don't know you are drinking a honey beer, you probably wouldn't identify it as something added to it.

The "award" this month must go, again, to Pivovarský Dům. This time for their Märzen. An amber with thick head, a nose full of fruit supported by cream, honey and citrus (this last, almost a signature of Dům for their non flavoured beers). When drinking it I could feel lovely honey notes followed by peach, the finish is mild and long, with a lot of herb, some citrus and caramel. Very interesting. I simply couldn't have enough of it.

One that almost made it was desítká kvasnicové from Kácov. Why? I simply liked Märzen better.

Regarding my count, in March I tasted 33 different beers, that adds up, so far in 2008, 112.

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