Czech Mate
Church Street Brewing Company

(review from December 2022) Tasty, well balanced dark lager with good mouthfeel, nice lighter malty/toasty flavor and slightly lingering aftertaste. Very quaffable indeed.

 

16oz can. No dating information found. Purchased at Binny's in Rockford IL.
Clear, amber brown colored body. One finger of khaki colored head, results in lingering small bubble skiff. Leaves behind fragmented rings of lacing.
Aroma is slightly sour pumpernickel bread. Slight note of chocolate. Grassy and fruity hops.
Taste is chocolate infused pumpernickel bread. Slightly sour, with notes of prune and raisin dark fruit. Woody, grassy, and fruity (citrus lemon) hops. Aftertaste is led by the pumpernickel bread flavor.
Frothy medium mouth feel. Has a detectable tongue sting. Tends to be mouth lingering, rather than crisp and clean. Very good carbonation.
Kudos to the pumpernickel bread with the slight sour note that works with the sweeter chocolate, with the background of grounded hops, but with a touch of lemon.

From a one-pint can, this brew is a rich brown color with thick tan head. The aroma had a malt and chocolate scent. Nice. The tase is lightly sweet with some malt notes. Smooth and enjoyable.

 

Pours a ruddy brown color. Excellent clarity. Thick, frothy tan colored head forms on the beer, lingers, then dissipates leaving a thin layer of residual foam. Aroma has notes of bready malts, pumpernickel, powdered cocoa, a touch of slight roastiness and a hint of creaminess.

Taste follows the nose with notes of pumpernickel, cocoa, some roasted malts, and a touch of that creaminess that came through on the nose. Along with that whatever hops they used in this are giving it a lightly fruity undertone. Feel is light to medium bodied, smooth, with a drying finish. Bright, lively carbonation.

Overall its a solid Czech dark lager - not the best available around here, but a worthy contribution to the selection.