neighborly

Nothing like a brewery down the street to make you feel welcome in the neighborhood!  Well, Břevnovský Klášter isn't actually just a brewery, it's an old monastery.  Naturally, there's beer being made in a religious building, how could you expect anything else?  The monastery dates from the end of the 10th century, so quite some history behind it, but the brewing done today is of modern style.  While there are the typical lagers, there is also a black beer and an IPA on tap.  I know what I feel like today (and always)

So, the Benedict černé looks alright, it's a nice dark brown, although not quite opaque at the bottom.  The head is fluffy but thins out pretty fast.  The aroma is stouty, a little earthy with a touch of sour underneath.  It has a good smoky flavor with a bitter scratchiness at the end, no sticky sweetness, but it's awfully thin in the mouth for a dark beer.  Something like a hint of chocolate starts to build up, but it never quite comes out in the open.  It's actually rather nice for a summer black beer in that it isn't heavy in any way - light feel, light flavor - well, ok, the color is pretty dark.  I got a little snack with my beer, some delicious grilled cheese.  The two went very well together, no clashes of bitter beer with salty or oily cheese.  The beer is also a nice complement to the sweet jelly.  I can't remember what kind it was, maybe raspberry?

While a little disappointed with the lack of substantialness, it is a nice enough beer.  I'll probably have to go check out that IPA, since it's right down the street.

Might as well see the entrance