28 April 2010

Zatec Dark Lager

Zatec Dark Lager (bottle)
Zatec, Czech Republic
5.7% ABV

Apparently this beer is so new that it's not even supposed to be out yet. My store got these a few days ago, but they're not supposed to be out until June. Did our distributor ship them a bit earlier than anticipated, or was there a mixup? Can't say, but I can at least review the beer.

Out of the bottle it's a light reddish-brown, very clear, with a very thick foamy head. Significant lacing. Smells roasty and bready, just like a Euro Dark Lager should.

Tastes dark, roasty, slightly chocolatey, with a slightly astringent dryness that balances quite nicely. Lots of malty bread character, and finishes smoother and cleaner than expected, despite a touch of astringent dryness.

Overall quite a nice lager that makes me look forward to my upcoming month in Prague. A very nice balance of malt and hop, somewhat sweet, somewhat dry -- if not for the relatively high ABV this might make a very nice session beer. Hopefully I'll get to try it on tap sometime this summer.

My overall BA rating: 4.05/5

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