Bièropholie Na Zdravi!

Formerly brewed at Bièropholie
Style: Bohemian Pilsener
, Canada

(Yellow-framed label) :
Proficient, citrusy, resinous Saaz hop effusions float on the mountainous head of sticky foam...Weird floaties, considering the fact that this is supposed to be filtered (or so I think) lie dormant on the bottom much like OKBeer’s experience...The dry, tart hop signature is all over the place, very well-balanced between citrusy acidity and flowery bitterness...I definitely see what OKBeer means when he compares this to Orval : a fluffy body with a very similar level of carbonation with a huge rocky head drawing maps of an unknown world on the sides of the glass, harboring hop flavors not unlike the great master itself in a quaffable dryness and light eccentricity that makes you beg for more...There is no brettanomyces in Na Zdravi but you can easily imagine what it could be with it...With much more hop-driven flavors than the 1st recipe, this thirst-quenching yet thirst-inducing epiphany would need just a bit more of a malt cookie kiss to become a superstar...

(Red-framed label) :
Light citrus amidst relevant earthy malt and crisp Saaziness…A relentless head gives a great appearance to this fantastically clear gold…Hay and pine fade away into a super-drinkable and mild aftertaste…I am not yet a big fan of pilsners of any kind, but I can say I much preferred the first half of the sip, flavorful and more assertive, than the second half which is quieter and maybe less complex…An oncoming trip to the Czech Republic might illuminate me…3.3/5

Pours like the color of urine after taking some vitamin E with a frothy white head like you actually aimed to fill the bowl with bubbles. Aromas of hops, surprisingly and thats about it. Mouthfell is light-bodied with flavors of hops, caramel and flavors. For the style, this is really good. Overall, I don’t think b bohemian pilsner will sut it...even though I of czechoslovakian decent.

1st Recipe: Deep golden colour with a thick frothy white head. Caramel, spicy, and floral aroma. Caramel, floral, light perfume flavours and a lightly spiced deep and building bitter finish. Light bodied but refreshing. Very tasty pilsner. Thanks tiggmtl. (7/3/7/4/15)

2nd Recipe: Hazy deep golden colour. A very thick frothy and rocky, almost meringue like white head with light brown patches. Later noticed some thick sediment** in the bottle that wasn’t there in the first batch. I must have lost my mind at this point, because the aroma was fruity and candyish in a way that I can only remember smelling before in Orval - is there Brett in this, or is that just the Saaz? Lightly fruity, then building to a big floral, perfumy, and dry hoppy bitter finish. Light bodied, creamy, dry, smooth, and refreshing mouthfeel. Very different from the first recipe, but still very good. Thanks tiggmtl. (9/4/7/4/16)
**Since tiggmtl has confirmed for me that this isn’t supposed to be bottle conditioned, I figured I’d throw this asterisk in. I don’t know if the sediment I found means an infection or not, but if it was infected it certainly didn’t detract from my enjoyment.

Bright gold-amber. Slight haze w/ good carbonation. White head that rises like soft ice cream. Fine lace. Flowery, spicy aroma of Saaz hops & biscuity malt. Soft feel. Clean, fresh, well-balanced flavour w/ crisp, long, bitter finish.

2004 edition 7-5-7-3-14=3.6 Very spicy hop aroma with underlying maltiness. Clear golden body with nice carbonation and large, lasting white head. When it finally recedes it laces the glass beautifully. Strong bitterness balances a strong maltiness with spicy, herbal hop flavour breaking the deadlock. Very dry with strong bitterness in the finish. Medium body. Quite refreshing. I think that I rather prefer the original version though this is a fine beer also. Bottle.
2003 edition: 8-4-8-4-16=4.0 Crisp, clean noble hop aroma with a touch of cereal. Pillowy white head that lasts on clear golden body with excellent clarity. Nice lacing. Bitterness is assertive and a bit spicy without being overwhelming. Sweet malt with a touch of toastiness. Bitterness lasts in the aftertaste. Good carbonation and lively mouthfeel make this very enjoyable to drink. Definitely more Urquell than Budvar but a fine pils all the same. Bottle.

Clear golden color with a thick, slightly frothy white head. Moderate Saaz hops aroma. Excellent flavor of malt and hops, maybe citrus too, nice balance between the malt and the hops. Moderate bitter finish. Full body, dry mouthfeel and lively carbonation. A defifnite improvement from the first recipy, a very good pilsner !

2nd batch (label surrounded by a yellow border) From the shining golden body emanes a frothy white head that won’t leave. Aroma could be a bit more pronounced, but it’s clearly a pilsner, saazy flowers and something more to the hop profile. Solid malt, clean and herbal, Nice malt/hops balance. I indeed prefer it to the first version. Long bitter finish: very dry. Body is medium-thick, very filling for the style while carbonation is adequately lively. Well structured tasty pils. /
First batch: (label with red) Clear light yellow body with a mild golden shine. Big white frothy head forms on top of the very effervescent liquid. Fresh floral saaz aroma. Fresh cut grass malt profile. Grassy palate with the typical toasty malts at first which. Dry finish with a fitting bitterness strenght. I never have that much to say about a pilsner and being the only one rating it, I’d sure wish to be more descriptive, but this displays great balance and tastes fresh like I wanted it to be + it got a nice bitter aftertaste and a tongue-cleaning carbonation that makes it a perfect match for salmon I imagine. I’m in a belgian funk mood though these days, so I may not be appreciating it to the fullest. No excess on that one. The brewers were talking of a beer approaching the old Budvars, but I thought the budvar to be less hoppy and maltier. In that sense, it’s not unlike one of the rare fresh Urquell bottles. 3.5

Lightish gold color with nice full lacy head. Classic pilsner aroma, redolent of aromatic spicy grassy hops with a hint of tomato vines. Flavor is briskly hoppy above a thin layer of malt. Finish is more balanced than expected, malt carries through until the end. Still, a firm bitter background is omnipresent. Less crisp than a classic Bohemian pilsner but still rather good stuff.