Herold Bohemian Black Lager - Pivovar Herold Březnice A.s.

jreitman

California

4.33/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Black with a nice light brown head. Noticeable chocolate aromas in the nose. Taste was a whole lot of malt with nice burnt character. Moderately bitter finish. My first schwarzbier... I think I will be trying some more.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2002 22:06:34 | More by jreitman

packetknife

Idaho

4.4/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It's desert. Desert. At first glance most people are turned-off. It's dark with a dark head. At first sip people are suprised. It smells like burned cookers chocolate. Definatly one to try and make a seasonal habit of.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2002 10:33:43 | More by packetknife

pbrian

Connecticut

4.75/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Very fresh, clean and smooth. Burnt malt aroma and flavors with hints of Saaz mingled into both as well. The finish lasts forever, leaving you with a lingering malt bitterness at the back of the throat making you want for more.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2001 08:08:24 | More by pbrian

ThreePistols

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a very malty brew, four different malts are used in the brewing, but this is balanced by a generous helping of Saaz hops. As befits a proper lager, it is stored (lagered) for 70 days in the cellars of the brewery before bottling.

A gold medal was awarded at the Czech Beer Competition in 2000.

Deep ruby color with a creamy brown head with lace till the end. A smooth, refreshing and malty-hoppy aroma, with yeasty notes. The initial palate is full-on bitter chocolate, with good malt character and some vanilla creaminess, complimented by peachy notes on the swallow: the overall smoothness speaks of conscientious lagering. Then the Saaz shows itself with a marked, bracing hop kick in the finish. A lingering bitter chocolate aftertaste.

This is an exceptional beer when drunken ice cold. Very drinkable, I reached the bottom of each glass before I knew it.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2001 01:01:10 | More by ThreePistols

kojevergas

California

3.48/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on draught into a Staropramen pint glass at the Czech Inn, Dublin.

A: One finger head of fair cream but poor retention. Hazy dark copper cola.

Sm: Very light nut-hoppy scent.

T: Nutty hops, vanilla, slight caramel body. Finish complements the body, which is well-balanced.

Mf: Adequately coarse and nicely wet.

Dr: Not badly priced for Dublin, and worthy for fans of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2011 00:18:19 | More by kojevergas

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Transcribed from notes) Tasted on cask at two JDW pubs in London, Nov. 2005, during the Spoon's Holloween Beer Festival. The pump-clip says its imported exclusively for JDW, and to serve a Czech beer on cask-conditioned form really is quite interesting.

A: pours an ebony hue with brownish glows when seen against light, coming with a thick and tightly frothy tan head with great retention. Looking just amazing on the handpull~~
S: colourful~~ caramely sweet and dark chocolatey note of black malts with light roastiness and leather, against a background of sour-sweet plum juice, cherry jam, bread-doughy sour note, sour edge of raw nuts, soaked red-grape skins... the combo. is almost like the liquid form of rum-raisin and nut buttery cookies... ensued by a refreshing, floating aroma of spicy+grassy Saaz hops... Complex and very pleasant indeed.
T: a mouthful of sour-sweet dark fruitiness (plummy and a bit vinous) prevails upfront, along with soft-textured but profound roasted maltiness (plus a tinge of leather) and cherry-flavoured chocolates... leading to a mild aftertone full of clove+licorice, caramelised sugar, herbal bitterness, and more darkest chocolates' sour-bitter edge, going deeper and deeper down the throat...
M&D: a touch too smooth for this fantastic lager, but the cask-interpretation is not bad at all! The low fizziness makes this beer slightly watery at the back, but this remains a medium-bodied and fullsome Czech dark lager, which is less rich and positively smoother. A nice experiment that I feel so happy to bump into twice at JDW pubs, and feel even more lucky that it's on form on both visits!!

Serving type: cask

06-15-2006 02:59:16 | More by wl0307

BenConnery

Australia

1.4/5  rDev -65%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Tasted as part of a Weatherspoons beer festival.
Pours a lovely looking black colour, the head did not last.

This was a pretty awful beer. I was expecting so much more but perhaps the keg had problems I don't know. It was flat and warm without the flavours and aromas that should a room temperature beer should have.
Some chocolate hints I suppose but to be honest I could barely finish half my pint of this one.
I've seen some reviews here that say this was a very nice beer so perhaps it was storage or transport problems but I hated it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2003 04:13:04 | More by BenConnery