Pivní Filosof - Beer Philosopher

It's been long since I last posted a review here. I'm sure you were missing them. Don't get too excited, these are going to be rather short. Agullons Setembre (5,5% ABV) A present from Edgar, the same who broought me that beauty Fuller's Vintage Ale . I'd heard a lot about this beer, and all of it was good. Edgar told me about how this beer is made and what made it so special, but I've forgotten since (a blend with Lambic, perhaps?). Anyway, regardless of how Setembre was brewed I really liked it a lot. The sourness both in the bouquet and the flavours reminded me of a Geuze. It's very well balanced thanks to a rather subtle malt base that doesn't let things get out of control. Excellent job by Masia Agullons . Mikkeller Black Whisky Edition (17,5% ABV) Birthday present. I was really looking forward to tasting this beast. I had liked the original version a lot and I was curious about what changes had the three months in a whisky barrel had brou...

The first issue of the magazine Pivo, Bier & Ale is already available (well, the second issue is about to come out, but this can still be found). Believe it or not, it is at the moment, the only specialised magazine published in Czech. The magazine's main aim is to enrich the local beer culture. Besides interviews, news and reviews, there are also some articles that are more technically oriented and a bit of history here and there, as well. As the name implies, the contents are not only about Czech beer , but beer in all its EBC's, ABV's and IBU's. I can't begin to explain you how proud I feel about having my own section, with my name printed in large boldface, and share the pages with people of the caliber of Jan Šuran and Josef Krýsl . My first article was a review of three beers from De Molen that turned out pretty nice in its Czech version, thanks to Petr Buriánek's translation, so much so that it inspired a competition! The magazine can be bou...

My cat is badass. Really badass. He's mixed with Siberian or Norwegian and in winter can weigh up to 7 or 8 kilos. He's pretty big and he's badass. One day I saw him keep his ground in front of a boxer. It was one of those rare summer afternoons that Apolo was at home. One of our neighbours stopped by with his dog in our garden to say hello. The cat was stretched by the French window and when he saw the dog he crouched as if ready to jump. The dog saw him and went closer. Apolo didn't move. The dog stopped right at the window and looked at the cat with curiosity. Apolo didn't move. The dog put a paw inside the house. Apolo didn't move, but he doubled in size and instead of a hiss what he uttered was a deep growl that sounded as if a demon was about to fart. It gave me a slight chill, I must confess. The dog reassessed the situation and, very slowly, took his paw out of the house and, very slowly, walked backwards, never taking his eyes off the cat. Apolo didn...

I'm not interested in answering Mark's call , I think I've already made myself clear enough in the comments. But still, the following is inspired by the topic he proposed, but also by Barm's excellent response and today's totally unrelated post by Alan . This isn't a new topic, either, it's something that it's already been discussed a number of times in this and other blogs, but if you don't mind, I'd like to get back on the subject (and if you do mind, well, the problem is yours, really). How many times have we heard or read that this or that brewer/brewery makes their beers with passion, love, that they are not after the money, that they are fulfilling a childhood's dream, that they want to change the world one pint at a time, that they brew because they want to make the world a happier place, that each one of the bottles that comes out of their breweries is like their own child, and other similar things as if any of that was important...

You can't blame Austrias for believing there is a crisis in the Czech brewing industry , they are seeing things from a distance and their information is sure second hand. To a certain extent, the general public can't be blamed, either. The 12% drop in production is an undeniable reality, the kind that the media loves for their bombastic headlines, knowing full well that not many people will bother with details. Jan Veselý isn't Austrian and, in this context, he can't be considered part of the general public. As chairman of Český Svaz Pivovarů a Sladoven (Czech Brewers and Maltsters Association) he is someone who should not much better and yet, when you read the interview he gave to Radio.CZ (kindly reproduced by kindly posted by Pivni.Info ) you can almost see him sobbing in despair. There, Veselý goes as far as to say that "in recent history, there have never been worse times than this". Really, Mr. Veselý? To me, as a consumer, these are the best of ...