4.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 4.5
Bottle (no date, though most likely a 2005) consumed on 7/3/06.
Small light-tan head is poorly retained, providing no lacing. Head fades to cover/partial-cover. Body is a deep black-brown, with some deep mahogany tints. Sediment remains on bottom, but the beer shows a low clarity.
Strong chocolate graham crackers in the nose, with sweet, rich honey and milk chocolate. Not much lager yeast here, no mention of crispness. A touch of smokiness (phenols) and dry buttered bread, but most of the character is drowned out in heavy malt sugars.
Some very light clove phenols provide some light dryness, that bites at the palate, but are fully washed away in a sea of caramel malt sugars. I don’t know if something went wrong with the carbonation in this bottle, but it’s shockingly low, leading to a thick, syrupy, cloying palate that runs anywhere from chocolate, to honey, to caramel. Even without much carbonation , this still seems HIGHLY underattenuated. Hop notes are certainly nowhere to be found in this sugary concoction. They weren’t kidding about the double decoction, I guess. Hopefully I just got a severely undercarbonated bottle (still questionable about the attenuation). Will certainly try it again as soon as possible.
This bottle was kept in my refrigerator since purchase.
Small light-tan head is poorly retained, providing no lacing. Head fades to cover/partial-cover. Body is a deep black-brown, with some deep mahogany tints. Sediment remains on bottom, but the beer shows a low clarity.
Strong chocolate graham crackers in the nose, with sweet, rich honey and milk chocolate. Not much lager yeast here, no mention of crispness. A touch of smokiness (phenols) and dry buttered bread, but most of the character is drowned out in heavy malt sugars.
Some very light clove phenols provide some light dryness, that bites at the palate, but are fully washed away in a sea of caramel malt sugars. I don’t know if something went wrong with the carbonation in this bottle, but it’s shockingly low, leading to a thick, syrupy, cloying palate that runs anywhere from chocolate, to honey, to caramel. Even without much carbonation , this still seems HIGHLY underattenuated. Hop notes are certainly nowhere to be found in this sugary concoction. They weren’t kidding about the double decoction, I guess. Hopefully I just got a severely undercarbonated bottle (still questionable about the attenuation). Will certainly try it again as soon as possible.
This bottle was kept in my refrigerator since purchase.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Jul 2006
at 23:37
6.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Dark brown color. The aroma is nice, with delicate roasted malt. Medium body strength, somehow dry; roasted malt and ashes; not too complex but pleasant and well brewed, most of all the final, with roasted malt, light liquorice, caramel, Fernet Branca herbs.
Good to drink it during this Midsummer day with Swedish fish; in the big Cardinal mug I even think it tastes like some old Swiss dunkel… ;-)
Good to drink it during this Midsummer day with Swedish fish; in the big Cardinal mug I even think it tastes like some old Swiss dunkel… ;-)
Tried
on 23 Jun 2006
at 18:57
6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5
Cask@Last Plantagenet, Leicester. Amber beer with a light head. The aroma is syrupy and sherbet and the flavour is strawberry, fizzy and bubble gum with a gentle bitter finish. Overall a strange malty concoction.
Tried
from Cask
on 30 May 2006
at 11:46
4.9/10
—
Appearance 2
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Clear pale yellow color, thin white head with a light honey and grain aromas. Sweet grain flavor.
Tried
on 30 Apr 2006
at 16:58
7/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
A very dark red-brown beer with a nice bubbly brown head. The aroma is quite sweet with primary notes of caramel, but also some roasted malt and straw. The flavor is also quite sweet with strong notes of caramel and roasted malt - almost burnt malt, the end is dry from the roastyness and somewhat bitter from the hops. A very crisp beer. The mouthfeel is very smooth.
Tried
on 26 Apr 2006
at 14:26
9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
Bottled. Very dark brown, close to black colour, mediumsized brown head. Roasted malts and coffee in aroma with caramel coming in a bit weaker. Strong roasted malts and espresso coffee in flavour. Hops comes in aftertaste, along with roast. Extremely wellbalanced and excellent mouthfeel. I think I just got myself a new favourite Czech beer!
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Apr 2006
at 13:54
8/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottled, labelled as Pivovar Herold Bohemian Black Lager (BB 12/2006)
Very dark ruby, nice tan head. Roasted coffee beans, caramelly aroma, sweet notes are dominating. Similar to Kozel Cerny, but stronger nose. Very good mouthfeel, balanced. Very roasted, coffee malty flavor with nice Saaz hopping giving long bitter aftertaste. One of the best Schwarzbiers and one of the best Czech beers.
Very dark ruby, nice tan head. Roasted coffee beans, caramelly aroma, sweet notes are dominating. Similar to Kozel Cerny, but stronger nose. Very good mouthfeel, balanced. Very roasted, coffee malty flavor with nice Saaz hopping giving long bitter aftertaste. One of the best Schwarzbiers and one of the best Czech beers.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Apr 2006
at 13:44
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
(Bottle 50 cl) Comes as "Herold Bohemian Black Lager". Pours a deep, dark mahogany with a warm tint of red and a creamy, beige, cappuchinoish head. Malty aroma with notes of coffee and dried fruit. Medium body with accents of lightly burned malt. But otherwise this is an extremely complex, vinous - as in port wine - brew with some underlying sweetness. Some coffee returns in the finish. My bottle was 8 months past its best before date, but it really has aged gracefully. 130406
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Apr 2006
at 16:11
6.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle, provided by Pivnizub
Bready sweet malt and saaz aroma. Amber, low carbonation, relatively low head. Straw malt, honey and minerally dust base, then and subtle saaz hop profile kicks in, quite delicate. Honeyish and light herbal finish. Welllagered sparkly mouthfeel, on the thinner side. I really need to go to Czech epublic and try these beers on tap....
Bready sweet malt and saaz aroma. Amber, low carbonation, relatively low head. Straw malt, honey and minerally dust base, then and subtle saaz hop profile kicks in, quite delicate. Honeyish and light herbal finish. Welllagered sparkly mouthfeel, on the thinner side. I really need to go to Czech epublic and try these beers on tap....
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Mar 2006
at 13:15
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle
Cloudy yellow, big foamy white head. Very interresting aroma: Estery apricot, light sourdough and cloves. Flavor along the same lines - slightly wooden and dusty, but the fruityness prevails. Relatively light body and with a sparkly carbonation on the palate. I think with this beer freshness is everything, and this bottle came straight from the source thanks to Pivnizub. Danke Günther!
Cloudy yellow, big foamy white head. Very interresting aroma: Estery apricot, light sourdough and cloves. Flavor along the same lines - slightly wooden and dusty, but the fruityness prevails. Relatively light body and with a sparkly carbonation on the palate. I think with this beer freshness is everything, and this bottle came straight from the source thanks to Pivnizub. Danke Günther!
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Mar 2006
at 12:52