the winds of memory

There is a notorious lack of Czech beer in this city.  Some of the beer stores even acknowledge it, saying the distributors aren't reliable and the beer that gets to Spain is about to expire when it arrives.  Still, sometimes they manage something.  La Birratorium got some Primátor and Bernard for July, which I skipped right over to check out.  Or "Czech" out.  Ha.  I only got one of each, since I can only carry so much beer when it's hot like this.

Appropriate towel today

First up is Bernard Černý Ležák (black lager).  There's a little nostalgia there, being a beer I remember sitting down with after ducking into a park restaurant/bar in the middle of a storm like a hurricane.  We snagged the last table and the couple who came in after us went back out rather than stand around like dorks.  A little sad for them, but in extreme situations it's first come, first serve.  It's not like it was raining acid, anyway.  Now, the bottle is quite a bit smaller than I remember the mug being, but we all know memories get exaggerated.  Even completely removed from reality.  That storm beer was real, though, I have photographic evidence!

This isn't it.  Screw you for poking into my private life.

The beer is toasty brown with a light fluffy head.  It has a sweet tangy smell, rather typical of central European beers, and a sweet milky taste.  There's no detectable bitterness, but there is a mildly smoky aftertaste.  It's a controlled and and steady flavor, one that's been honed by years and decades of practice, rendered perfect for every occasion.  The downpour of that day would be nice to have about now, but the wind...not so much.  We already have trees ready to come down around here.

Supplier: La Birratorium
Price: €2.15

black night

Gearing up for a run of German films requires some German beer to go with them.  The set this year looks pretty dark - dramas, social critique, and of course the return of the silent film.  I remember having Köstritzer in bars in the past, so at least I'm on firm ground when it comes to tastiness.  It's a black lager, so the taste is more sweet than a stout would be, but not as tangy as some porters.  Seems like just the thing to get the wheels turning for some movie watchin'.

At first it looks like a stout or porter as it comes out, but the glassful has a clarity and reddish highlights that those brews don't normally have.  As I remembered, it is on the sweet side, with a smooth and easily swallowed taste.  It goes down cleanly, without any sticky aftertaste, although there is just a hint of creamy smoke.  It feels like a dressed-up kind of lager, being black and all elegant like, but with the subtlety and calmness of blond lager.  Just what might be called for in a dark theater with a good drama or horror playing.

Supplier: The Beer Garden
Price: €2.30

pudding in a bottle

I'm always on the lookout for those dark beers.  Smoke & Dagger had an eye-catching label, and black lager isn't something I see every day.  The label calls it a blend of schwarzbier and smoked porter, promising chocolate along the way.

It comes out a bit more transparent than stouts do, but once in the glass it's opaque enough.  The head is off-white and bubbly, another sign of not-stoutness.  The smell is a little sweet and tangy, reminiscent of porters.  The first taste also recalls a nice porter, with a little bit of light fruitiness, but that is immediately overtaken by an earthy chocolate.  After swallowing, it's the chocolate that lingers on the taste buds, something like a light chocolate pudding.  The beer remains smooth all the way down, and the aftertaste is very subtle, not overpowering, and not too long-lasting.  The smoke comes out after a time, not so noticeable right away.  In the end, it floats out, just a mild touch, making a nice balance with the chocolate.

A relaxing beer, good for anytime I'd say.  And it has the decency to wear the dagger on the front, no backstabbing in the cards.