Bosnia-Herzegovina in a Bottle
Dec 29 '04
The Bottom Line Surprisingly good beer.
Jules Verne traveled around the world in eight days, if only vicariously through his novel of the same name. I am traveling around the world vicariously as well, but in a bottle rather than a balloon or train. In my series of reviews entitled Around the World in Eighty Brews, I’m selecting beers from various countries throughout the world to write about.
Current stop: Bosnia-Herzegovina. To be sure, this isn’t a land well known for its brews. It is a land that has been embroiled in much strife over the past decade or so. In fact, the area has had troubles for a good part of the twentieth century. History buffs will recall the area’s involvement in the events that led to the First World War.
After World War II, Bosnia-Herzegovina became part of Yugoslavia, a maverick communist state that never completely kowtowed to Moscow’s every whim. When the Soviet Union disintegrated, civil war broke out in Yugoslavia.
The local Bihac brewery hasn’t been around that long; it’s only a child of the nineties. With a brewhouse designed by a Czech company, Bihac cranks out a very good pilsner called Preminger. Despite the unfortunate choice of green glass bottles, my sample arrived safe and sound and rather fresh tasting.
Preminger Lager Beer pours to a pale golden color with a creamy, spritzy head formation and a good hoppy nose. The palate is robust with crisp biscuity malt, a little butter and no adjunct flavors. This is a clean refreshing lager with a generous dose of hop bitterness in the finish. A gentle grassy buzz lingers nicely on the tongue after sipping.
All in all, this is a very credible Pilsner-style beer. It’s not incredibly complex, but then neither is the style. Just some decent malt and hop flavor in one very drinkable and tasty beer. If this is Bosnia-Herzegovina in a bottle, then perhaps things there are making a turn for the better.
EPINIONS CRITERIA:
Overall Rating: Four Stars
Beer Rating: A Solid performer
Weight: Medium Body
Flavor: Bitter
Complexity: Average
Price: $1.25 bottle
Other beers in this series :
America in a Bottle
Austria in a Bottle
Belgium in a Bottle
China in a Bottle
England in a Bottle
France in a Bottle
Germany in a Bottle
Holland in a Bottle
Lithuania in a Bottle
Slovenia in a Bottle
Russia in a Bottle
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