Dark Lager Tasting (May 13-15)

It's been a while since I did these threads. I will be busy next weekend. After all @FBarber you did blow up the porch with lager related goodies recently

 

I saved my dovetail Czech dark lager he sent just for this occasion.

 

As Czech lager is that popular, I added one on the darker side to the palette

 

Sadly/Happily I still have 4 beers from last year's virtual Lagerfest in the back of my beer fridge. I think all of them are dark beers. I'll squeeze in as many of them as I can.

 

I was able to locate 4 "different" beers that are (or claim to be) the core style of this tasting: Czech Dark Lager (pic coming shortly), two of which are imports from the Czech Republic.

But, I wonder about who really brews the two from the Czech Republic. I know what follows will cause eyes to glaze over, but on the off chance that someone may know...
(Translations from Microsoft Translator.)

Samson 1795 Czech Dark Lager (as labeled on the bottle)
• According to their web site, it is brewed by:
Pivovar Samson s.r.o., Member of AB InBev. ("Samson Brewery, LLC")
• According to this site, it is brewed by:
První Budějovický Pivovar Samson (“The first Brewery in Budějovice Samson”)
• According to the bottle label:
Piovar Samson s.r.o. (“Samson Brewery LLC”)
• According to RB web site:
Budějovický Meštanský Pivovar - Pivovar Samson (AB InBev) (“Budweiser Meštanský Brewery – Samson Brewery)

OK, apart from minor differences, brewed by Samson Brewery, an AB-InBev company.

But, then there's Praga...

Praga Dark Lager Czech Beer 1784 (as labeled on the bottle)
• According to their web site, it is brewed by:
The Praga Brewing Group
• According to this site, it is brewed by:
První Budějovický Pivovar Samson (“The first Brewery in Budějovice Samson”)
• According to the bottle label:
Piovar Samson a.s. (“Samson Brewery JSC”)
• According to RB web site:
Pivovar Litovel (PMS Přerov) ("Litovel Brewery (PMS Přerov)")

Praga is less clear.
Is it also owned by AB-InBev? No mention of AB-InBev anywhere.
It is listed as an a.s. – JSC rather than as an s.r.o. – LLC. Those are different, but not being a corporate lawyer, IDK what it actually means.
Does Praga have an arrangement with Samson to brew their beer for export while their domestic version is brewed in their own brewery?

Does anyone here know?

 

#FreeCzechBeer
#SplitUpCzechBeer

• Výčepní pivo, from 7° to 10°. Strangely, výčepní comes from the word for taproom and the term literally means “draft beer.” It is applied to all beer in this range, irrespective of package. Pronounced vee chep nyee Pee voh.
• Ležák, from 11° to 12°. Again, to add to the confusion, ležák literally means lager—and again, it applies to all beer in this range whether lager or ale. Pronounced leh zhak.
• Speciál, strong beers above 13°. Pronounced spet zee-al.

• Světlé, or pale-colored. Pronounced svet lee.
• Tmavé, or dark. Pronounced t’ma veh.
• Polotmavé, which literally means semi-dark or half-dark, referring to a color in the amber band. Pronounced polo t’ma veh.
• Černé, or black. Pronounced cher neh.

 

I'm curious what the significance of those dates is?

 

Do you know how old those Czech brewed beers are? Is there an easy to understand bottling date on those bottles?

I unfortunately have no answers to your question(s).

Na Zdravi

 

1795 is when Samson opened, so I'd guess the same for Praga's 1784 -- using the dates to show off.

Whether or not they're brewed to original recipes of the era is probably debatable.

 

There's a small town south-west of me called New Prague, MN.

Pronounced "new praygh".

 

Pretty old, I assume. I'm afraid to look. (In green bottles, too!)

 

Sounds like New BERlin, WI.

 

Yeah. Or Nevada, IA. Pronounced Na-VAY-da.

Did anyone catch Blake Shelton's pick for the Kentucky Derby?
(said in a Southern twang...)
"My pick for the Kentucky Derby is Messy-er. Y'all been sayin' it wrong."

 

Horse was named after Mark Messier, pretty sure he pronounces it just like Shelton -- and Messier is Canadian.

 

This is awesome, learning something new! Thanks and cheers

 

I've still got a few cans of Human Robot's Tmavy 13° in the fridge, but I'll have to pick up a few more. I am a big Schwarzbier fan but unfortunately most locally brewed ones are once once-a-year type releases.

 

Here are my representatives of the Czech Dark Lager (unofficial) style:

Two from the Czech Republic, one from Connecticut, and one from Minnesota.

 

And, here the other dark lagers I intend to sample:

One from Germany, one from Mexico, and one from Minnesota.



Two dunkels and one generic dark lager (although the Indeed Loretta's has also been called a dunkel by the brewer in the past).

I am disappointed that I was not able to find a European Dark Lager (i.e. just a "Lager - European Dark") actually brewed in Europe. Not even a really old one still collecting dust.