Czech Czech
Blue Owl Brewing

RB transfer

 

 

 

when i ordered this i didnt realize that everything blue owl makes is sour. in fact, i thought this was just a regular pilsener, and after a day of way too many hoppy beers, i was excited for it. at first when i smelled some lacto derived tang to it, i thought it was a flaw, and infection or something up with the tap line at the bar, but as i settled into the glass of beer i realized it had to be intentional. a soured pils, not sure i have really seen that before, especially in this simple and straightforward manner. its golden and mostly clear and has a short white head from the tap with a lemony twang to the nose and a little mouth watering tartness. a classic pils type grain base, crackery and dry but with a little body, almost more german than czech here despite the name, but there are some nice noble type hops that come on late and give this some finish. its not real acidic, but there is a little pucker to it, and enough to make me only want one to be honest. its dry but there is a weird funkiness to it thats not all the way compatible with the base beer. light enough and summery and all, but exposed a little in its simplicity i think, and just not as dialed in to me as most of the rest of the blue owl beers seem to be...

12 oz. can poured into tight nonic

L: yellow, clear, pushes up small head of white foam about 1/4- to 1/3-inch tall; no lacing or sticking; keeps the thinnest of white collars

S: lemon, lemon peel, yeast, tart peach then sweeter, fruitier peach ... begins smelling more and and more like a good bready malt pils as it warms; grain, sour grain; halfway into the glass it takes on a tart orange aroma

T: half gose/half pils ... tart, almost lemony sour, but immediately the sweeter bread-malt flavor rushes in to tame the tartness

F: solid midweight, surprisingly hefty, somewhat soft after an aggressive pour; if you like more carbonation, this would be fantastic out of the can

O: another great beer by Blue Owl; they have a deft touch when it comes to adding their sour spin on non-sour styles; this beer is truly a mix of the kettle-sour Berliner weisse or gose with a barley-malt pils; there might even be a pinch of a hop bite in there somewhere; glad I bought a sixer, wish I'd bought a couple more

O: