New Beer Weekend #74

What a blast from the past! I remember buying that years ago when I was in Orlando visiting my brother in a gift box with 2 spieglau glasses - still use those glasses a lot. I drank it fresh though - great beer!

 

Nice! It was always a big "want" for me several years ago, but never managed to find one! Just taking the last few sips now, and I can say it is fantastic at this age! Cheers!

 

Alright so I drank this one while putting groceries away this evening. Žatecký Světlý Ležák. I'm pretty disappointed - when I grabbed this I assumed it was a new Czech beer hitting our shelves, but upon closer reading of the can it appears this is brewed by Okocim in Poland "under the supervision of Žatecký Pivovar". I probably would have skipped it had I caught that in the store ... but at the end of the day it was $5.99 for a 4-pack of 16.9 oz cans, so it can't be all that bad.



This one pours a crystal clear burnished gold color. Thick pillowy white head forms on the beer, lingers for a moment and then slowly collapses until just a thin film of foam remains on the beer. Aroma has notes of sweet bread, honey, mineral water, straw, and fresh cut grass. I'm kind of surprised at how "sweet" the aroma is on this.

Taste has notes of white bread, light toast, honey, hard water, dried grass, dried straw, fresh cut grass with a light herbal bitter hop note on the back end. It is on the sweet side of things for a Bohemian Pilsner. Feel is full bodied, smooth, with light carbonation.

Overall this is a pretty mediocre bohemian pilsner - it definitely skews sweet, something I do not care for. I will drink the others, but I wouldn't pick this one up again.

4.25 | 3 | 3| 3 | 3 = 3.08 (-16.3% rDev)

 

Its hard to believe, but I've never actually had GL Christmas Ale. Winter warmers are not a style I particularly love, so I tend not to pick them up. But circumstances aligned and this evening I had both the GL Christmas Ale and the GL Barrel Aged Christmas Ale:



GL Christmas Ale:

Appearance is a bright rusty brown color. Completely clear and rather effervescent. Thin, sudsy off-white head forms on the beer but quickly dissipates leaving no residual head.

Aroma on this is very malty - lots of nutty malts with lighter notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, with a light fruity, citrus note. A light honey-like sweetness comes through on the nose.

Taste follows the nose with lots of nutty malts up front giving way to an array of spices - nutmeg, allspice, ginger, clove, cinnamon, and cracked black pepper. There is a moderate orange, citrus note to the profile that does give it a very holiday like profile when combined with the spices. notes of honey come through quite clearly providing a certain sweetness. Moderate bitterness is noted on the back end.

Feel is medium bodied, smooth, somewhat sticky. Moderate carbonation.

Overall this is a very nice winter warmer. Its not my favorite style, but this is a good example of one.

3.75 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 = 3.99 (+0.5% rDev)

GL Barrel Aged Christmas Ale

Appearance is a bright rusty brown color. Completely clear and mildly effervescent. Somewhat oily in appearance. Very thin, sudsy off-white head forms on the beer but quickly dissipates leaving no residual head.

Aroma has notes of orange, candied orange slices, bourbon, nutty malts and lots of spices - nutmeg, allspice, ginger, clove, cinnamon, and cracked black pepper. Not getting any honey on the nose.

Taste is very malty with notes of nutty malts, toasted brown bread, giving way to notes of orange, citrus, warm bourbon all spiced with notes of nutmeg, allspice, ginger, clove, cinnamon, and cracked black pepper. The barrel aging adds this warming character to the beer along with the bourbon notes. The sweetness is more restrained in this and the honey really does not come through as obviously as it does in the non-barrel aged version. The bitterness is mellowed out in the barrel and is more subdued on the back end.

Feel is medium bodied, smooth, somewhat oily. Mild carbonation. Warming.

Overall the barrel aging on this does take it up a notch. The warming bourbon notes add a dimension that the non-barrel aged version lacks. Most importantly the nutty malts have mellowed out in the barrel giving them a smoother character - something I like.

3.5 | 4 | 4.25 | 4 | 4 = 4.07 (-2.4% rDev)