Saint Norbert Dark
Klášterní pivovar Strahov

Had on tap. Black center with brown edges, big khaki head, spotted lacing. Roasted malt, slight charred notes to the cocoa, dark yeast rounds out the smells. Taste has some coffee and a kiss of tobacco underneath the yeast, otherwise same as nose. Feel is roasty and then yeasty, light but never thin, decently chewy.

I had this beer on-tap at the brewery in Prague in a glass mug.

Appearance: dark brown hue with a bit of haze and a thick head of frothy tan foam.

Smell: lightly sweet with a little yeastiness, a little caramel, and just a hint of roast. It’s nice!

Taste: moderately sweet with a somewhat roasty character that dries it out a little. The yeast adds a smoothness, and the bitterness, while a little high, is balanced. Good!

Mouthfeel: medium body with decent carbonation and creaminess.

Overall: tasty and above all drinkable. The light dryness conferred by the roast really makes this a refreshing quaff.

 

Near black with two-and-a-half fingers of dark khaki head. Beautiful webbed lacing. Cocoa and bread in the nose. Chocolately taste. Silky feel. Great!

March 2005: Draught at the brewpub/restaurant at the monastery. Dark brown, nearly black colour. Thick creamy head. Aroma of roasted malts, some leather, hints of treacle. Solid flavour of roasted malts and coffee, notes of dark bitter chocolate. Reminds me of a Baltic porter. Dry bitter aftertaste from the roastiness and hops. A very good beer - good enough to make me go back the next day for more! By the way - the brewery restaurant serves decent food too.

Had a glass in a cafe in Prague. A lovely dark lager!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap into a tulip glass

A - Beer arrived at my table with only a very small amount of head, half finger at the most, which was off white in color. Beer itself was very dark caramel in color, reminiscent of Coca-Cola. Small amount of carbonation visible but color is dark enough that you can't see much. Head dissipates to a thin lacing that is retained. 3.75/5

S - Aroma is mainly of a dark toasted bread and a dark maltiness, almost a bit of dark cocoa. Clean, grassy hops accentuate the maltiness. Aroma is a bit sweet overall. 4/5

T - That same dark maltiness that I got in the aroma is the first thing that hits my taste buds and is quickly followed by a dark toasted bread note. Maltiness is a bit sweet, leaning towards caramel. Hints of coffee and chocolate come into play in the middle and transition into bitter, grassy hops that come in on the back end with a bit of peppery spiciness. Somewhat of a lingering bitterness. 4/5

M - Beer is medium bodied with a dryness on the back end that lingers somewhat but is gone by the next sip. Carbonation is moderate with a moderate burn, which helps to keep this beer right in the middle in terms of body. 3.75/5

O - Nice medium ABV (for the Czech Republic that is) dark lager that stays nice and lighter but also has a toasted malty backbone that can stand up to pairing it with heavier foods (which is what I was eating since it was late November during my trip). 4/5