Tmavé Pivo
Elder Pine Brewing & Blending Co.

16oz can purchased off the shelf as a 4-pack for $18.99 plus tax. The 4-pack holder had a sticker that said 10-17-24, so this beer is 2 1/2 months or 11 weeks and a day old.

Look: Nice dark color. Basically opaque/black with chestnut brown color peering through the bottom of the glass. Active carbonation. There was two fingers of a light brown head that dissipated to a thin layer. Looks very nice.

Smell: Very nice roasted malt aromas. I would probably guess that this was a porter or Baltic porter if it was tasted blind. Nice nutty aromas including hazelnut and almond. Dark chocolate, licorice, and coffee also. I get a lingering Jagermeister aroma, which I am not a big fan of but smells really good here.

Taste: Very tasty. The beer is super drinkable also. The flavors mirror the nose with roasted malt, nutty, dark chocolate, and coffee notes up front. The finish is very smooth and also has a gripping dryness with a moderate hoppiness and bitterness. It's also hard to tell how much of the bitterness on the finish is coming from hops versus how much is coming from the roasted malts. I think that more of the bitterness is coming from roasted malts. Very earthy finish and it is reminiscent of a cold brew coffee. Nice body also.

Feel: I'm not sure if this is on the lighter side of medium bodied, medium bodied, or medium plus bodied. On the one hand, it has a lightness and an easy drinkability. On the other hand, it has a velvety smoothness and a body that coats the palate nicely. I think that I lean toward the medium/medium plus body. The carbonation is spot on.

Overall: It's really good. I really enjoy Elder Pine beers and I really enjoy this style. It's so nice to get a good one. Also hard to compare because the few Czech Dark Lagers that I have had have been so good. This beer is interesting because it has a really nice coffee and chocolate flavor without having any coffee or chocolate in it. Guinness, eat your heart out!

From the can:

A LIMITED OFFERING

GRIST
Floor-malted Bohemian dark, pilsen, biscuit, crystal, aromatic, chocolate rye

HOPS
Saaz

12/21/24 can @ home

 

 

tasty

 

Brownish black opaque body with a large dark brown frothy head, rungs of lacing remain on the glass. Smells just as it tastes: roasted malt with cocoa, with supporting earth, rye, and a whisper of vanilla with raisin. So smooth and malty with a full yeast melding in, well balanced. This was really, really good tmave!

16oz can from Tavour. Dark brown pour, thin silky beige head. Aroma is light roast, chocolate and mildly sweet. Taste continues that mild roasty vibe, dark chocolate and a dry bitterness. So flavorful, smooth .

It’s always nice to see Czech Dark Lagers from lesser known breweries pop up on Tavour. It’s cool to see all the local examples from different cities. Let’s crack this one open and see what it’s all about

Pours a cloudy dark reddish brown with 2 fingers of creamy lighy tan head that slowly fades to a cap and leaves decent lacing

The nose is wonderfully balanced, tons of fruity notes complement the malt. I’m picking up on aromas of dark roast coffee, toffee, red grape, rye toast, nutty malt, black cherry, cocoa powder, and light herbal hops

The roast is more exaggerated in taste but it’s still damn good. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting dark roast coffee, burnt caramel, rye toast, toffee, milk chocolate, black cherry, and brown sugar. The swallow brings notes of biscuity malt, dark roast coffee, rye toast, herbal hops, brown sugar, caramel, and light red grape

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a smooth beer with a bite. Finishes mostly dry and nicely balanced

This is a damn good take on the style. I wish fruity notes were more present in taste but I can’t complain