The Black Lion roars
May 26 '02
The Bottom Line Worth a try. I prefer Negro Modelo, but I was disappointed when the last bottle was drained.
Czechoslovakia leads the world in per capita beer consumption (averaging 161 liters per year.) Calling it "Liquid Bread," this is part of (almost) every meal. Common at most weekday lunches and essential for dinner, many Czechs drink beer with a hearty soup for breakfast! With more than eighty breweries in the tiny republic and a long history of beer making, its no wonder this beverage is such an important element of the culture.
The other day my wife and I went into a grocery store that prides itself on being left of center. Although first glance would lead you to believe that this is just another large grocery store in a national chain, closer inspection yields some nonconforming elements. Mother Jones magazines at the checkout area, for example, and tattoos or body piercings widespread among the employees. If not for higher than average prices, I might make this a regular venue.
The beers were also a little overpriced, but I found a new addition. Kralovsky Lev Black Lion stood darkly on the shelves, packaged in a sturdy, if somewhat unwieldy, cardboard carrier. I pulled a bottle from the six-pack and examined the label, discovering that this is a Czech Premium Dark Beer. That sounds promising. It is imported by Harvey Imports of Dublin, CA (I later found out that they have exclusive rights and only distribute this brand to a dozen or so states—North Carolina is not yet listed, though, so that fact may be out-of-date.) I held the beer up to the light but couldn't see much through the brown bottle. At $5.99, or a dollar apiece, I took the brew home.
That night we grilled steak and the Black Lion seemed an obvious accompaniment. Besides, I haven't written an epinion in so long, here's a topic less likely to be buried under 600 other writers. This is a decent beer, not destined to be a favorite but I will probably buy more.
Just the facts
I rate beers on a short scale of four main elements, and the Black Lion merited 15 out of 20.
Appearance was 2.5 out of 3. The bubbles were small and clean, yielding a nice, but tiny, head in the glass. The brew is dark and well toned. Even in a clear glass, sunlight barely makes it through.
The Aroma is nicely malted, ranking 3 out of 4. In researching the process, barley malt is combined with handpicked saaz hops (prized by European brewmeisters.) The scent is earthy.
Naturally, the most important element is Taste, and this beer is quite tasty, ranking 7 out of 10. A very drinkable beer that went well with the steak and, days later was welcome following an afternoon of heavy yard work.
Overall I rated this beer 2.5 out of 3.
I prefer dark beers, porters being my favorites, and this would probably land in my top twenty, maybe top fifteen.
In preparation for this review I did some research on the brewery and the region. If you are not interested, simply scroll to the end of this review and be sure to rate it as you see fit.
A short history of a small place
The Hradec Králové brewery opened in 1844, along the banks of the Elbe, following a tradition in brewing noted in Munster's Cosmography in 1554. You will find the town of the same name northeast of Prague near the Polish border. The ownership and brewing equipment changed in 1994 and now this brewer makes over 1,000,000 barrels per year. The Czech republic has a long history of beer-making, dating back to 859, where recorded hops cultivation is first seen. The region was exporting beer in 903 AD but really became a world force during the Renaissance, when Bohemia became synonymous with beer. In the early 16th century, the Czech beer industry contributed as much as 87% of total municipal income! The most distinctive beer of the region is, from the town of Pils, Pilsner Urquell. Pilsners are golden in color and get their name from this region. The original Budweiser was brewed here, and still is today, although there is no connection to the American beer we usually think of. Czechs refer to their version as the "beer of kings" and courts throughout the world are wrestling with the trademark dilemma. Most Czechs prefer the bottom-fermented beers and Pilsners remain most popular. Dark beers, like the Black Lion, are gaining in popularity among men but were always preferred by the women, owing, in part, to an old wives' tale that they enhance breast growth. Dark beers are called "tmave pivo" and pale beers are "svelte pivo" in the native tongue.
The brewery is well respected, winning a silver medal in last year's World Beer Cup rankings for the Lev Lion Pale Double Bock in the Pilsner category.
If you like dark beers and have the good fortune of being on the Harvey Distributors trade route, I recommend picking up a six-pack or two. This is a good beer to enjoy with friends over the barbecue. I couldn't find any information on calories, but if your breasts start to grow, at least you have been forewarned.
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Epinions.com ID:
aashtech
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Member: Steve
Location: Raleigh, NC
Reviews written: 108
Trusted by: 43 members
About Me:
Hack golfer and passable poker player.
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