Czech Saaz Kellerbier
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

Mildly murky dark honey that was nearly brown in the center and nearly amber at the edges. The small ecru head didn't last very long, but there was a fair amount of lace. Each upending of the glass resulted in a thin ring, with each ring connected by a thin, gauzy veil.

Although the nose didn't jump out of the glass, it was acceptable. I could appreciate sweetish pale malt combined with semi-bright lemon and apple. It wasn't very Saazy, but I can't decide if that's a good thing or not (I'm not a huge fan).

The flavor was surprisingly sweet and the mouthfeel was surprisingly sticky. Sweet malt was complemented by an apple flavor that I've tasted in other beer from this establishment. A little lemon and orange were evident, but they took a backseat to sugared apple skins. Simple and good.

The Saaziness of the flavor wasn't the usual floral Saaziness that I've come to know. Maybe the sweetness blunted that characteristic and accentuated the hops' fruitiness. While there wasn't much bitterness, I did note a definite tightening on the finish that tended to focus the taste buds.

I got the sense that I would have enjoyed the flavor even more if the beer had been more carbonated. I'm all for cask-conditioned, softly carbonated beer, but this one lacked a certain mouthfeel spark and the flavor suffered a bit as a result. The mouthfeel itself was a tad more full than medium, especially considering the style, and was smooth and slick.

Czech Saaz Kellerbier isn't the typical keller bier as I understand it, although I'm far from an expert on the subject. It's sweeter and more full than usual, but that just makes it different, not worse. A few more bubbles and the mouth party would have been in full swing. Worth a pint.