United States of Beer

Week after week I promise myself to post another review but January was so packed with other obligations that I couldn't get out of that finally I was only able to make one. I am rethinking the video reviews. Hope you can be patient once again. In the meantime I want to show you something really nice.

Today I found (@ Cool Infographics) a really cool beer map of United States. It represents GABF medal awards for breweries in different states.

The map was made by Mike Wirth for Lyke2Drink blog (another thing that I found today).

Sagres (#21)

Happy New Year! I'd like to start this year with a review of a Portuguese beer in the cutest baby bottle. I brought it last year from Porto. So enjoy! If you want to stay up to date with new reviews follow me up on Twitter - twitter.com/girllikesbeer.

The Sagres Bohemia was introduced in 2005.



1. [PRE-REVIEW]

• brewery: Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas
• type of beer: lager
  
• bought in: @ supermarket in Porto
  
• container grade (bottle): a cute baby bottle 
  

2. [REVIEW]

• the looks: head (dirty white), body (amber)
  
• the taste: malty
  
• the smell: malty
  

3. [RECOMMENDATION]

I'll have another one but maybe not right away...

Budejovicky (#20)

The day has finally come. I am tasting the last beer from the first beer trip batch. It is kind of a special one since it trademark is different depending on the region. I am drinking the Budejovicky Budvar which in US is known as Czechvar and in UE as Budweiser. And not becasue there was something wrong with the name and marketing team had to come up with something else.

Before I get into the review I will try to sum up shortly what is up the those different names. First beer to be called Budwesier was the one created in 1785 in Budweis. It was then exported to US. Around the same time as the export started the Anheuser Busch has registered the Budweiser trademark as their own. Twenty years later (in 1895) a third company (now called Budvar) was created in Budweis by mainly Czech brewers. This resulted in a Budweiser trademark dispute which you can read about on Wikipedia. The negotiations led Anheuser-Busch to use Budweiser trademark only in US.

So let's see this beer, shall we.


Budejovicky review from Gril Likes Beer on Vimeo.

1. [PRE-REVIEW]

• brewery: Budejovicky Brewery
  
• type of beer: lager
  
• bought in: @ grocery outside of Prague
• container grade (bottle): an ordinary bottle 
  

2. [REVIEW]

• the looks: head (classic white), body (classic gold)
  
• the taste: hoppy but without strong bitter aftertaste
  
• the smell: hoppy bitterish
  

3. [RECOMMENDATION]

I'll have another one but maybe not right away...

Stiegl (#19)

After some guerilla tastings I come back to relaxed, video-taped, home try-outs. It is also time to finish the beer batch, if you will. This beer is fourth last, so three more to go. Hopefully by the end of this year. So let's give it up for Salzburg, Austria.

Stiegl review from Gril Likes Beer on Vimeo.

PS. I forgot to make the picture. Again.

1. [PRE-REVIEW]

• brewery: Stiegl Brauwelt
  
• type of beer: lager
  
• bought in: @ a gas station in front of Schonbrunn
  
• container grade (bottle): an ordinary bottle 
  

2. [REVIEW]

• the looks: head (airy with big bubbles, white), body (classic gold)
  
• the taste: hoppy and bitter
  
• the smell: classic lager, strong hoppy
  

3. [RECOMMENDATION]

Whatever I guess

Mezquita (#18)

Hola cerveza. The final beer is Mezquita. At the tasting I was sure it was a different brewery but now I've realized it's also an Alhambra beer. Third time's a charm.



1. [PRE-REVIEW]

• brewery: Cervezas Alhambra
  
• type of beer: lager
  
• bought in: @ Spanish pub in Warsaw - Casa to tu
  
• container grade (bottle): a regular small one 
  

2. [REVIEW]

• the looks: head (thick), body (old copperish)
  
• the taste: bitter-sweet, kind of heavy, carmazine
  
• the smell: quite hoppy
  

3. [RECOMMENDATION]

I'll have another one and another one...

Alhambra Negra (#17)

Hola cerveza! The second Spanish beer is Alhambra Negra. As the Alhambra Reserva 1925, this one was also a guerilla tasting. So let's see how was it.



1. [PRE-REVIEW]

• brewery: Cervezas Alhambra
  
• type of beer: dark lager
  
• bought in: @ Spanish pub in Warsaw - Casa to tu
  
• container grade (bottle): a regular small one 
  

2. [REVIEW]

• the looks: head (quickly gone, as dark as the beer), body (very darkish)
  
• the taste: malty but mostly neutral (in a good way)
  
• the smell: none (believe it or not)
  

3. [RECOMMENDATION]

I'll have another one and another one...

Alhambra Reserva 1925 (#16)

I made it. Just before end of the month I give you three new reviews. As promised Spanish beer. Hola cerveza! The first one is Alhambra.



1. [PRE-REVIEW]

• brewery: Cervezas Alhambra
  
• type of beer: lager
  
• bought in: @ Spanish pub in Warsaw - Casa to tu
  
• container grade (bottle): old school green 
  

2. [REVIEW]

• the looks: head (dark white), body (dark orange, amber)
  
• the taste: light hoppy but refreshin'
  
• the smell: hoppy
  

3. [RECOMMENDATION]

I'll have another one but maybe not right away...