Korça Pils Dark (e Zezë)
Birra Korça
- From:
- Birra Korça
- Albania
- Style:
- European Dark Lager
- ABV:
- 4.5%
- Score:
- +3 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.33 | pDev: 17.12%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jun 28, 2022
- Added:
- Sep 14, 2008
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 1
NO SCORE
-
-
KORÇA E ZEZË is a unique beer for the whole of Albania and further in the region. It is another beer, a completely different variety, which does not resemble at all the other two types of beers, in terms of taste and aroma. For the production of this beer, 4 types of malt are used, which give it a special taste, where above all the light caramelization taste is distinguished. Meanwhile, the color of the beer is completely dark (black), which distinguishes it significantly from other beers. This beer is more viscous and with a very specific and quite admirable bouquet.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by Beer-RUSH:
Reviewed by Beer-RUSH from Kansas
3.14/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5
3.14/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5
So I lived in Albania for 2 years and there's really no "good" beers made by Albanian brewers....yet. Give them time, people! But comparatively, Korce makes the best of the bunch that I tried while living in the country. You take what you can get where you find yourself, and Birra Korca ain't that bad.
Apr 30, 2019More User Ratings:
Reviewed by flyingpig from Scotland
3.36/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.36/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
330ml bottle in King House, Tirana (250 lek):
Red tinted mahogany with an opaque body with a thick, foamy head that's a light tan colour & sits about a quarter cm tall. It's dark on the nose with some bitter malts & a little caramel, there's some nice roasted malts too. The taste is quite bitter with roasted malts & an earthy coffee flavour thats not overly complex but well-balanced & easy to drink. Carbonation is fine & the body is about medium with a lingering bitterness towards the end, its pretty good the whole.
Jun 28, 2022Red tinted mahogany with an opaque body with a thick, foamy head that's a light tan colour & sits about a quarter cm tall. It's dark on the nose with some bitter malts & a little caramel, there's some nice roasted malts too. The taste is quite bitter with roasted malts & an earthy coffee flavour thats not overly complex but well-balanced & easy to drink. Carbonation is fine & the body is about medium with a lingering bitterness towards the end, its pretty good the whole.
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Texas
2.67/5 rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
2.67/5 rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
It's called Korca Dark, but clearly identified itself as a Pilsner on the label. Purchased at a hypermarket in Tirana.
Bottle is 33cl and made of green glass. Has a branded pry-off crown cap. Best before: 29/06/2016.
Regrettably brief impressions below:
A: Odd for an ostensible pilsner, to say the least: pours a creamy khaki head and a dark amber-brown body. Translucent yet nontransparent. Retention is excellent - ~10 minutes.
Sm: Dark bread. Charred sugars. Black bread. Kvass-like sweetness without the rawness. Pumpernickel. Maybe some spice from the fennel/aniseed family.
It smells more like a Euro dark lager than a Pilsner. In any case, it's definitely appealing. I'm eager to try it.
T & Mf: Bready, though not to the extent the aroma suggested. Oddly light-bodied when its bready flavours demand a more filling weighty presence on the palate. Cream, Amber malts, ester-free lager yeast flavours. The taste is balanced, but the texture fails to support the hefty flavours with an adequately robust mouthfeel; this just needs more body. Well-carbonated, though.
O: An odd little brew that ends up somewhere between a euro dark lager and the intended dark Pilsner hybrid style. I'm inclined to regard it as the former given the absence of any grassy Noble or Saaz hop character coupled with the lack of a crisp refreshing mouthfeel. In any case, in spite of its shortcomings it's well worth trying and I'd be curious to try it again. One of the better choices when in Albania, but not a high quality brew by any stretch.
C- (2.67) / BELOW AVERAGE
Feb 18, 2016Bottle is 33cl and made of green glass. Has a branded pry-off crown cap. Best before: 29/06/2016.
Regrettably brief impressions below:
A: Odd for an ostensible pilsner, to say the least: pours a creamy khaki head and a dark amber-brown body. Translucent yet nontransparent. Retention is excellent - ~10 minutes.
Sm: Dark bread. Charred sugars. Black bread. Kvass-like sweetness without the rawness. Pumpernickel. Maybe some spice from the fennel/aniseed family.
It smells more like a Euro dark lager than a Pilsner. In any case, it's definitely appealing. I'm eager to try it.
T & Mf: Bready, though not to the extent the aroma suggested. Oddly light-bodied when its bready flavours demand a more filling weighty presence on the palate. Cream, Amber malts, ester-free lager yeast flavours. The taste is balanced, but the texture fails to support the hefty flavours with an adequately robust mouthfeel; this just needs more body. Well-carbonated, though.
O: An odd little brew that ends up somewhere between a euro dark lager and the intended dark Pilsner hybrid style. I'm inclined to regard it as the former given the absence of any grassy Noble or Saaz hop character coupled with the lack of a crisp refreshing mouthfeel. In any case, in spite of its shortcomings it's well worth trying and I'd be curious to try it again. One of the better choices when in Albania, but not a high quality brew by any stretch.
C- (2.67) / BELOW AVERAGE
Reviewed by aschwab from Texas
3.95/5 rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I had a verify that I saw the menu right when I saw a dark Korca listed. I just assumed that they would not have it either when I asked. To my surprise they said they had it. I was mildly disappointed when I saw her bring the bottle out as I just thought it was another Korca, as it has more or less the exact same bottle and label - but I could see that it was a darker beer.
I was quite happy with the flavor, as there are not that many different types of beers in the region. Finally having one with a bit more flavor was a treat. It was quite drinkable, and had enough flavor to keep me happy and make me order a second. If you want a beer with more flavor than your average beer in Albania, ask for this one. You will not be disappointed...
Jun 25, 2009I was quite happy with the flavor, as there are not that many different types of beers in the region. Finally having one with a bit more flavor was a treat. It was quite drinkable, and had enough flavor to keep me happy and make me order a second. If you want a beer with more flavor than your average beer in Albania, ask for this one. You will not be disappointed...
Reviewed by Globetrotter from Virginia
4.18/5 rDev +25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.18/5 rDev +25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Picked up in a small store on the road between Girokastra and Korca in southern Albania. Standard brown half liter bottle sports a gold and dark green label featuring a landmark of the town of Korca above the name. Ingredients listed on the website conform to the purity law. Best before 3/15/09, I opened it on 5/25/08.
Pours a nice cloudy dark caramel hue under a 1.5 finger dark tan head that lingers nicely and clings well to the glass, leaving some nice lace strings. The nose is quite mild but dominated by sweet caramel, accompanied by a hint of plum. The mouth is slightly sticky and very well carbonated. Very nice opening taste, with definite but not overwhelming caramel teamed up with some bready malt and, a little later, a mild but refreshing bitter most closely related to coffee but not without a touch of grapefruit. The bitter lingers nicely in the aftertaste, always mellowed by the caramel, but very inviting. An excellent product anywhere, it is no surprise that the locals are very proud of this brew.
Sep 14, 2008Pours a nice cloudy dark caramel hue under a 1.5 finger dark tan head that lingers nicely and clings well to the glass, leaving some nice lace strings. The nose is quite mild but dominated by sweet caramel, accompanied by a hint of plum. The mouth is slightly sticky and very well carbonated. Very nice opening taste, with definite but not overwhelming caramel teamed up with some bready malt and, a little later, a mild but refreshing bitter most closely related to coffee but not without a touch of grapefruit. The bitter lingers nicely in the aftertaste, always mellowed by the caramel, but very inviting. An excellent product anywhere, it is no surprise that the locals are very proud of this brew.
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