Czech Norris
Brewfist

Had this one on tap in le Bon Coin, Nernier, France. This imperial pilsner shows big herbal notes. The malt base bring a not so much crisp character for this beer which is kind of disapointing

Hazy golden colour, pours a small head that leaves a great lace. Smell of tropical fruits, pine, notes of honey. Medium body, bittersweet, crispy and salty palate. Aroma is hoppy, tropical fruits, notes of caramel. Bitter finish.

Personally don'tlike the taste, a bit funky..

 

 

 

 

33cl brown bottle purchased from Domus Birrae in Rome.

Pours a faintly hazed, but mostly clear pale golden colour. Head initially forms a frothy, loose mass, but collapses and fizzles out pretty quickly. Some streaks of lace. Fine carbonation. Looks okay, but nothing particularly special.

Nose is also decent without being super exciting. Clean faint green hoppiness, with a European, herbal quality that does give off the Saaz qualities you'd expect. They're pretty muted for in Imperial Pils though. Malt is, however, also restrained, so despite the extra body, it doesn't get in the way: it's still balanced, but a bit weak.

The taste, however, is really excellent. Full front palate sets down a pleasant cushion of neutral malt, and then the hops glide in triumphantly, clean, herbal and fresh. Bright finish mingles with a light sparkling carbonation to accentuate the fresh hop characters on the back. Bitterness is restrained, but present in a good quantity on the back, leaving the finish a little crisp and moreish. It's really nice here.

Feel is good: the fine carbonation works well with the hop characters.

Overall, from inauspicious beginnings, this beer actually delivers something extremely drinkable and very pleasant: a bigger, bitier version of a pils as it should be. It's a shame it looks so dull, and that the nose is so weak—these are things that could be fixed, and you'd end up with a truly superb beer.

 

Greenish yellow, slightly opalescent, off-white foam, creamy.
In the smell, on a lightly honeyed maltiness, stands the hop, not too strong and intense (it was more intense in a previous taste on-tap). Citrussy.
In the mouth again, malty start, the citrus hoppiness, and resinous, and a hint of alcohol.
Average body, the aftertaste starts with a honey feeling, then it goes toward a intense bitterness, again citrussy.

 

A 330ml bottle with a BB of May 2014. Acquired a little while back from Trembling Madness in York. An imperial pilsner with 46 IBUs - tasty....

Poured into a straight pint glass. Bottle conditioned. A hazy golden-amber hue with light carbonation and visible sediment. Yields a large head of creamy white foam that lasts for a few minutes before settling as a patchy surface layer. Slight lacing. Aroma of grassy, spicy hops with hints of apples, fruity yeast esters, hay, mild floral notes, grainy malt and earthy yeast. Subtle and nicely balanced.

Tastes of light, grainy malt and grassy hops, with a crisp bitter finish. Notes of grass, pepper, mild noble hops, faint spice, apples, fruity yeast esters, grain, a hint of caramel and earthy yeast. Balanced and dry, followed by a restrained bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, with good body for the style but rather textureless and lacking in carbonation. Slightly astringent, accompanied by an aftertaste of grassy, leafy hops, grain and earthy yeast.

As amped-up lagers go this is pretty good. Looks decent, with an aroma and flavour that possess the subtle, leafy characteristics of a classic pilsner. The extra strength brings out more yeastiness and fruity esters. Body is OK but would benefit from enhanced carbonation. A solid effort, though I can't help thinking that a regular pilsner provides a more harmonious experience. Worth sampling if you have the chance.

 

Of course a beer with the name "Czech Norris" wouldn't be a mere light pilsner. No, it's got to be imperial!

With a most "keller-like" character, the lager pours with a yeasty golden color that's particularly cloudy. As the carbonation cuts through its dense haze, a creamy white cap of froth ensues. Strong in its retention and long lasting, the head remains in tact until the final sip, lacing with well defined rings all the while.

Its yeasty tone continues in the beer's aroma- fresh dough, and baking bread seems solidly of sourdough. Then the refreshing acidity of lemon, apple and pear slices through the bready and grainy rich scent and sets a crisper tone. Strongly herbal, grassy and a firm spiciness shows that this lager has no room for finesse with its hop content.

Delivering on its larger-than-life namesake, the lager's masculine taste is of raw grain, bread dough and brisk corn-like sweetness. The firm citrus and orchard fruit flavors wrap around mineral and sulfur taste for a whack of refreshment later on the palate. Tea-like herbs give the beer a floral taste early but a spicy bitterness late in order to balance the fruit and bread. Its short aftertaste is of grassy hops and light plaster.

Medium bodied, the beer may seem quite full for lager status however the ample carbonation pulls the malt off the tongue and offers more drinkability than is expected from imperial beers. The acidity keeps the palate clean, crisp and overall- quite refreshing. Aided by hop dryness and moderate alcohol warmth, its leaves the mouth with one last quick kick to the throat with that last pang of hop bite.

There's no question that the base for "Czech Norris" would be the workhorse lager style, but it couldn't be the stalwart 5% variety. It had to have a backbone, an edge, a mean streak- and Brewfist provided it to perfection!

 

 

Pours gold with a fading head.
Nose shows grassy, herbal and spicy hops along with biscuity malt and subtle honey. Very Czech pilsner, just on steroids.
Similar flavours, more spicy and grassy hops and prominent biscuity malt. Finishes with an assertive bitterness, almost sharp. Very lengthy.
Nice moderately-high carbonation and light body works well.