Harpoon Brewery: Big Bohemian Pilsner

Summer just might be my favorite season. The sun feels great on the skin, plenty of baseball on the diamonds, attire is minimal, and a beer tastes mighty refreshing.

Ever summer I make the trek out to the East Coast to engage in a number of relaxing activities including soaking up sun, salt, seafood, sand, and suds. I really enjoy drinking beer in Massachusetts (irrespective of the month) because I have the opportunity to sample a few beers I can’t seem to find on the opposite coast. Over the years I have been imbibing my way through a number of quality craft beers and I have found myself enjoying a bunch of fine breweries. One such brewery is Harpoon out of Boston, Mass.

Over the years I’ve just about sampled every Harpoon, so like many microbrewers, I have to wait until this brewery comes out with a ‘limited release’ to try something new. According to the packaging, Harpoon started the Leviathan series in 2008 to roll out a number of ‘big beers’ for ‘adventurous pallates’. This summer I snagged Harpoon’s Big Bohemian Pilsner. While, I normally wouldn’t recommend an imperial pilsner in the summer heat (this beer hits 9% abv) this is still a refreshing brew. The beer starts with a classic European pilsner aroma which further encourages a big gulp. While this beer does have a strong alcohol flavor once it hits the tongue, the malt content fights with the ethanol to provide a nice balance. The pilsner has a dry finish and a few light flowery notes even though it's not that hoppy. Considering this beer is stronger than most double IPAs, it’s quite drinkable and probably can be downed by even the causal beer drinker.

While Harpoon has a number of other brews which might have cooled me down and refreshed my pallate a little more thoroughly than the Big Bohemian Pilsner (Harpoon’s UFOs come to mind) half the fun of visiting a state is trying out something new you can’t get at home. And on a hot day on the dock or at the beach, you really can’t go wrong with a Harpoon in your hand and a little more booze in your system than anticipated. Cheers.

Saranac Bohemian Pilsner

Philly has just started in on its first heat wave of the summer, and with temperatures expected in the high 80s over the next few days, it's a perfect time to move onto summer style beers. I've been meaning to blog one of the beers by Saranac (technically the "Matt Brewing Company"), so here's a way to kill two birds with one stone.

For whatever reason, it seems like American craft breweries aren't all that interested in the pilsner genre. Almost anything in America that gets labeled "Pilsner" is actually an American-style lager--a far cry from the refreshingly hoppy Czech-style brew. Fortunately, Saranac doesn't engage in the same shenanigans. They use genuine Saaz hops, which is what gives a Pilsner its distinctive flavor. Unfortunately, they don't seem to use quite the same strength or quantity that you'll find in Pilsner Urquell, Czechvar, Krusovice, etc. So while I have to give Saranac props for sticking to the true genre, I don't think their brew stands up to any of their old-world counterparts.

Nevertheless, Saranac's pilsner is a satisfying, albeit simple, beer. It's really light bodied and mild tasting, lending it incredible session-ability. And while it isn't Czech-strength, it has enough hop bite to keep your tastebuds interested. Just the thing you might be in the mood for on a 90 degree summer afternoon while you're chilling on the lake.

Královský Pivovar Krušovice: Krušovice Imperial

Keeping with the foreign trend I bring to you Krušovice from the Czech Repblic. As beer drinkers know, the Czech people make killer Pilsners. Krušovice definitely fits into that class.

In Prague, Pat, Nick, Hof and I sampled the best of the best. And we all enjoyed Krušovice. But this is not a memory post. I drink Krušovice quite frequently. As Pat and Deidre can attest, Davis randomly has a Czech bar with both Krušovice Imperial and Krušovice Dark Lager on tap year round. Thus, the beer is also available as a result around town. It's quite wonderful.

Just to clarify the 'imperial' tag is not used in the American sense: this brew is not double alcohol content; its rests at the standard 5% amount by volume. That's just the name of their flagship pilsner.

As for the taste, the most prominent feature of this brew is the Saaz Hops flavors. It's the standard and oh so delicious hop taste you will find in any quality Czech pilsner. Powerful, clean, and crisp. I feel Krušovice sets itself apart from the other Czech beers for the shortness of this crisp taste. It's not an overpowering pils with very strong flavors and lingers on the palate. It's the hops you want but not much else. You can definitely throw back a few of these; doesn't matter you decide to go with the pint, bottle, or stein. But I think we all prefer the stein. Na zdraví. Cheers.