U Flecku substitute?

A suggestion:

Go to this list on the Beer Advocate site:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/style/149/

The U Flecku dark lager is listed there.

Take the list with you to go beer shopping and see what other beers you can find from the list. Give those you can find a try to see if any of them satisfies your "itch."

Good luck!

 

Since you live in Texas I would suggest Shiner Bohemian Black Lager. Now, keep in mind this beer will not be exactly the same as the beer you drank at U Fleku but it will have some similar qualities.

In my opinion Shiner Bohemian Black Lager is a very, very tasty Black Lager!!

Cheers!

P.S. Your other option is to homebrew your own version. I have homebrewed my own Tmavý Ležák (Czech Dark Lager) two times and those beers turned out AWESOME!

 

Which ones have you tried? Czechvar Dark is a fine beer if you can get it.

 

Michael, is this beer regularly available in your area? If so, how fresh is it when you find it?

I was grocery shopping earlier today and I walked through the beer store that is co-located in my Wegmans Supermarket. I walked down the imported beer area and noted that for German imported beers they have reduced the product line even more; they used to carry Rothaus but that beer is gone now (they stopped carrying Jever about a year ago). If they trend continues in another 5 years there will be zero German beers there.

Cheers!

 

Imports have always had a solid following here. I know places that not only stock Czechvar Dark, but it moves as well.

Granted, it's not everywhere. Each store has their plusses and minuses, naturally. But a regular beer shopper will have a rotation of places to go.

 

Good advice.

I haven't had U Flecku but the review descriptions of it sound very similar to DAB Dark, which I really enjoy. (Beer Advocate's photo is outdated).

Also you'll likely find some beers with similar flavor profiles in the German Schwarzbier [aka black lager] or Munich Dunkel [Dark] Lager categories. The styles can have a lot of overlap. Shiner Bohemian Black Lager suggested by @JackHorzempa is in the schwarzbier category and I agree is very good beer that might be similar to the U Flecku Dark.

Beer Advocate's style description and list of examples to possibly add to your shopping list...
Schwarzbier: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/style/31/
Munich Dunkel Lager: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/style/46/

 

I've tried a handful of beers on the "Euro Dark Lager" list, but but they all paled in comparison to U Fleku.

@TongoRad mentions Czechvar Dark. I'm not sure if he was referring to this beer? If so, I didn't find that beer at all similar to U Fleku. I had it on tap in Prague, seemed pretty fresh at the time.

Still hoping to trade for Death and Taxes one day.

 

It was just meant as a starting point, tbh, hopefully closer than a Schwartzbier.

 

There are none. Not as far as I can tell. I agree with the poster above who said the Euro Dark Lager list on here will be full of disappointments. Shiner tastes very little like U Fleku either. At Bierkeller we have experimented on a pilot system trying to get close to U Fleku but it has thusfar eluded us. Brewed a Fastenbier that we will release this weekend, but it is more Franconian than Czech dark lager. Wish I had better news for options.

 

Have you ever had the Herold Black Lager? I really miss that one and wish there was something close to that as well.

 

I have but it has been a while. Dont have a great memory of how it tasted. My favorite Czech Dark Lager I had back in the early 90s was from Domazlice. So soft and sweetly bready...with that peppery spiciness and amazing balance. Now that I think of it @ChrisLohring at Notch is doing one that, by all accounts, sounds like it might come close to U Fleku

 

Notch does brew a Černé Pivo but I am not aware they ever produced a Tmavý Ležák.

Cheers!

 

In Austin I'm sure you won't find Czechvar Dark. You definitely won't find any DAB products.

I'd think the Shiner Bohemian Black Lager may be the closest you will find.

Although schwarzbiers may also scratch some of the itch even though they won't be what you remembered.

Austin Beerworks Black Thunder and Rahr's Ugly Pug are two schwarzbiers that I like. I can't remember if Rahr distributes down to Austin though.

The availability of dark lagers in Texas is not very high at all.

 

That's sad to hear. I was able to find Czechvar Dark at Total Wine in Tucson. I'm surprised that they would distribute to Tucson AZ but not to Austin TX considering Austin being a much bigger market and all.

 

In Tucson you also have beers like Ayinger Dunkel and Jahrhundert that are not available in Texas. I'm sure there are other imported beers but I was just looking at the Merchant Du Vin site at their beer locator.

 

I feel your pain-I loved it so much that I bought a growler of it to take home despite the fact that I still had two weeks of traveling left before returning to the states. Even though I lugged it around in a backpack, it still tasted great. I shared it with a friend and he said "damn this is good, which packie ( new england slang for liquor store) did you buy it at? let's get some more!" I told him that unfortunately we would have to travel a little farther than the nearest liquor store, so he had better pack his bags.

 

Or he could brew his own.

Cheers!

 

The homebrew recipes I have found out there that claim to be close to or even "clones" of U Fleku are also way off. It really has a unique and elusive flavor.

 

Sometimes it is not the recipe but the execution of the recipe that is in error.

Brewing process is often key.

Cheers!