Pilsner Urquell

Greetings from beautiful Prague, Czech Republic! I was fortunate to get the chance to visit this wonderful city for three days while I was in Europe and if I could have I would have never left! Everything about this place is terrific, the architecture, culture, food, and of course the beer! I decided to start with the FIRST AND ORIGINAL pilsner and The Czech Republic's most popular beer, Pilsner Urquell.

This first ever pilsner was invented in 1842 in the town of Pilsen, Czech Republic and the name translates to "The pilsner from the original source." My girlfriend and I were walking close to our hotel and we noticed a cafe and decided to stop for some beer and a quick bite. I knew The Czech Republic was know for it's great beer but I had no idea! This beer had an amazing, thick, and creamy head that lasted until the very end. (That's what she said) But seriously amazing!! Nice deep golden color with hints of malt and sweet honeysuckle in the nose. Very aromatic. The taste is unreal! I am used the the American "Pilsners" and with a single drink this put them all to shame. So complex in flavor and yet so simple. Very full flavored and malty with the not too overbearing hoppy aftertaste .

I was enjoying this beer so much I forgot to take a lot of notes on it. I highly recommend you get yourself a case, sit back, and do the same so you know what I am talking about!!

Ringnes Fatøl

It has been a while since I have posted something so today I will be reviewing a different kind of Ringnes called Fatøl. So far I have been very please with Ringnes so at the local store where I am staying I saw this and gave it a try. There isn't really a Norwegian to English translation of the word Fatøl but I was told it means barreled or tapped, and in Norway barreled and tap beer is supposed to be the best quality and freshness. I can see what they mean! This beer poured a very nice deep amber color and had a long lasting and thick head. I was surprised when I had my first sip to find this a thicker brew then the Ringnes Premium. Much more flavorful and like all the Norwegian beers I have had so far very fresh! The nose was sweet and bitter and much lighter then the actual heavy taste. I'm starting to wonder if Norway makes bad beer?

I still have a BUNCH of beers to post yet from Norway, Sweden, and The Czech Republic so make sure to keep checking!!

Hansa Premium

Today I went to the nearby grocery store here in Langhus Norway. I was looking around, the beer isle, and saw anther popular Norwegian beer, Hansa. This beer was similar to the Ringnes I tried. It too is a somewhat old brewery, being brewed in Bergen since 1891. The taste itself was similar except for the noticeable taste of wheat. This is a premium lager, but after my girlfriend translated the writing on the can for me I was surprised to learn they do throw in a touch of wheat when brewing this remarkably fresh beer. (Wheat is aways a good flavor as far as I'm considered.) The color was light and golden and had nice carbonation. It had a strong head that gradually faded with a good grainy nose to support the taste. Crisp, clean, full, and flavorful. I am beginning to enjoy the simplicity of Norwegian beer.

Åbro Light

Today I went to Sweden to a mall on the Swedish-Norwegian border with my girlfriend and her parents. We were getting hungry and saw a cafe so we ordered some typical Swedish food, I got the cod with potatoes. I noticed a cooler in the corner with what looked like some beer inside. I was thrown off guard by this, booze in a mall?! The woman working said I could have my choice of drink so I opened it and picked up a Åbro.

I was sort of in a hurry to try this beer and write down my thoughts before my food came so I may have been harsher on this beer then I should have been. Åbro is a light wheat beer brewed in Sweden since 1856. When I poured this beer I noticed the head disappeared almost instantly and because of this the layering was zero. It was very crisp, but almost flat tasting. The only thing that jumped out at me was the sight hint of grain. Very light in color, and flavor for that matter. When my food came I still had some left. This only took all of the little flavor this beer had away and reduced it to water in my opinion. Like I said, I was rushed for this beer so the food wouldn't change the flavor but in the end the beer needed flavor before it could be changed.

In retrospect, this beer was like my favorite quote from Liar Liar, "I've had better."

(Sorry for the bad picture. I will remember my camera next time.)

First beer!! Ringnes Pilsner

Finally I am posting my first beer, and what better place to start then Norway!! My girlfriend and I are on a three week vacation here and I thought this would be the perfect excuse to get the ball rolling!! Norway doesn't have many breweries, but by far their most popular is Ringnes. They have been brewing in Norway since 1877 and have about four or five different varieties they make. I decided to try their Pilsner for my first Norwegian beer.

When I poured it I noticed it had a nice light-golden amber color. The head, or foam, was thick and stayed for quite a long time. Normally the foam is a sour point in the initial pour, and tastes as so, but the foam was a high point in this case and tasted delicious! The smell was bitter, malty, and sweet without being fruity. My first sip was great! Very thick for a pilsner, compared to Miller and Budweiser. (which is water compared to this!) The hops were very present and the bitterness was perfect for it's thickness and added to make this pilsner robust.

Overall I can see why this is the most popular beer in Norway! 20 times better then the same kind of stuff in America. It may have been one of the freshest and cleanest beers I've ever tasted. When it gets warm the flavors are much more present and gives you the true complexity to this great beer. I wish I had another!