Karel IV
DUM Cervejaria

 

I have been curious to try this; I was at the brewery when they finished the first bottle.
Bright amber almost copper color with a thick off-white head that leaves a curtain of laces.
Aroma with notes of noble hops resin, some caramel malt, Italian bread and orange marmalade.
Bitter flavor that made me sneeze right away. Notes of orange concentrate, herbal and floral hops resin, lager yeast, bread crust, tea bags and a bit of lemon peel. Dry aftertaste with a long lasting bitterness. 84 IBUs slapping your face.
Bordering full body with appropriate carbonation. Alcohol of 8.4% abv is just felt as a complement to its flavor.
Unique and definitely not boring Double Imperial Pilsner (or Imperial Amber Lager?) that surprised me with the intensity of its noble hops, but still balanced by a firm body. I was expecting a low drinkability, but the bottle went down quickly. Congratulations. Ps.This is not for first timers.

 

From the folks who brought us Petroleum comes a strong lager named after a 14th Century king of Bohemia. I have my Curitibano friend Zize to thank for this bottle. Valeu! On to the beer:

What a pretty color! Brilliant amber colored with hues of orange, autumn red, and sunlight yellow. On top sits a small head which leaves a thin lacing of itself.

For a strong lager, the aroma is more tamed than I was expecting. It smells clean with carmelized malt, bread crust, raisin, and a pinch of grassiness. I like where this is going.

It's too strong to be an amber lager, however it doesn't have the traditional flavor profile of a doppelbock. Karel IV's sweetness is clean, earthy, and not cloying. Clean caramel mixed with grass hits the palate first. Arriving afterwards are bread crust, earth, and a wee note of passionfruit. The alcohol doesn't get in the way of the flavor, which is very good. Add a medium-full sized body to the cause and you have a surprising strong amber lager that is a joy to drink.