Královský Lev Negra (Lev Black Lion)

Brewed by Mestansky Pivovar
Style: Dunkel
Havlíčkův Brod, Czech Republic

LIke the old style simplistic label. 500 ml bottle. Good looking dark beer dark brown, bordering on black small tan head, bubbly, nice looking in my pint mug. malty sweet aroma, slightly smoky ash in the back ground. very coffee like accent to the taste as described by others,dark coffee with hints of dried fruit, not much hops happening, dry ,quick finish leaves the impression of wateryness. Pretty thin on the palate, but that might just be the finish. A drinkable enough beer, but totally unremarkable.

Bottle compliments of Tres Bonne Cuisine in Boise, ID<!-- BR -->Pours a dark brownish black color, a light tan head. The nose is sweet and rich with some subtle skunk and corn notes. Lots of molasses and brown sugar, some roast and a touch of vanilla. The finish is balanced, it has that classic tangy "imported european dark lager" hint in the end. A bit traditional but a bit stale and a letdown.

the black lion pours like a porter, it’s stubbornly resistant to illumination and dark as a coal digger’s nostril-- but throw enough wattage at it and you’ll expose some raw meat hues. the head was a billowy splendor, this cat was coiffed to extravagance by vidal sassoon with foam as tan as bran flakes and as dense with variegated bubbles as a natural sponge. the aroma loses a point for a dried blood and tin foil metalllic distraction. on the plus side there’s cherry, dark chocolate and smoke. a sweet, medium-bodied dark lager with a pleasantly surprising bitterness suggesting citrus oil and one that lingers like a loud shout in a deep cave.

Dark red/brown in appearance, not much head. This is moderately pleasant, no bitterness, and easy on the palate. No body. Great aroma, though.

Dark reddish-brown with not much head. Sweet dark roasted malt aromas. Light coffee and malt flavors without any bitterness. Not bad, but too thin and watery to make a good impression.

Much better than the double bock. Dark and swet hints of dark fruits. Missing that littlwe extra something to make it a great beer, but still very enjoyable.

First one that actually look and smells good. More importantly, it tastes alright too. Typical roasty chocalty Czech dunkel. Not the greatest but acceptable.

(500 ml bottle: $1.79 at Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido, CA) Pretty straightforward and simple dunkel, not as flavorful and malty and some, but decent enough. It’s mildly malty, toasty and not sweet at all, showing a bit of roast throughout and smoke in the finish. Slight bitterness seems more from the roast rather than hops. And there’s also some saltiness and a modest sourness in the flavor as well. The aroma is light, showing toast, some vague malt, and roast. Body is light-medium, trending toward medium, and it’s fairly dry on the palate. Carbonation level is solid but does not have a very gentle mouthfeel. Chestnut brown and quite clear, so even though this beer is fairly dark, I can still see through the beer to read the logo on the opposite side of the glass. Light-tan head pours quite small and quickly fades to a filmy top. Nothing great, this is not something to sit and ponder, but it’s not bad if you’re wanting just a plain old dark beer to suck down.