High temperatures

Except for a couple of rainy days, June was a fantastic month to drink those wonderful summer beers like golden lagers or wheat. And of the latter, there were several and all excellent. Starting, of course, with the every day better and more popular Primátor Weizen. Both bottled and draught it's a beer that has nothing to envy its German counterparts. On a more crafty side, I tasted the superb Pšeníčné from Pivovar Strahov. Mild, but unctuous body, very refreshing banana and cinnamon notes with a deliciously sour finish with a touch of cream. At 59Kc for a half litre (yeah, when they want, they can serve half litre glasses) it's not cheap, but worth it. Also down my gullet went the almost tropical Weizen from Ječmínek Prostějov. A beer almost ideal to pair with a rather spicy lunch.

Ah! But that's not it. During the minifestival at Zlý Časy there were, not one, but two wheat beers. Purmistr Weissbier, from the brand new brewpub of Pilsen, and Duchmaus Weissbier from Stříbro, this one actually a bit of an oddball, since it was bottom fermented. Anyway, they were both lovely. And if all that wasn't enough, Pivovarský Dum premiered their Dunkles Weizen, its taste, ripe bananas with a burnt sugar finish. Nice beer for dessert.

Not everything was wheat, of course. Kocour Vandorf's Stout almost blows my brain with its bitter Belgian chocolate taste. Simply outstanding, more so if we consider that its creator is actually a young girl fresh out of secondary school. How about that?

I stopped by at Chýně, where I hadn't been too long for my own good. Apart from awarding my senses with that unmatchable desítka, I delighted myself with their Vienna Lager 14°, a beer a body nicer than a Czech supermodel, silky texture and balanced flavours that danced between caramel and dry herbs. Oh! And I was almost forgetting about it. At Chýně I also bought a bottle of their Pšeníčné. As with every other one brewed by this magic brewpub, this wheat beer was simply wonderful, even after a couple of days in the fridge in its PET bottle.

Among the golden lagers it is worth mentioning (apart from Richter Ležák, that was in top shape this month, as was Štěpán) the deliciously hoppy Moritz Ležák, or Stříbro Argent, a perfect lager for a hot day, flowery nose, dry with a texture typical of an unfiltered beer. I must not forget either, Purkmistr Ležák with a delicate balance between caramel and herbal notes and Kout na Šumavě. This Pilsner style lager, which was debuting in Prague, has become a bit of a legend in a very short time. The expectations fell short for this remarkably excellent beer. Fruit notes struggling with the most flowery Saaz in each sip. At the end, it is the hops that win, conquering our palate and our hearts.

Honestly, I don't know whom to give the award to. All the above mentioned deserve it. So, as it was the case last month, there are multiple winners, with maybe a special nudge to the wheat beers. It's their season.

Na Zdraví!!

PS: During June I tasted 28 different beers, 20 of which were absolutely new to me. What a great month! The total for the year, 196.