Then there are true legends, beers that changed the beer world, that became archetypes to be copied endlessly, though rarely, if at all, bettered. One such legend is Pilsner Urquell.
Since moving to the US I have seen the Pilsner Urquell available here improve immeasurably, firstly with the refrigerated shipping, then the switch to brown bottles, on Saturday I enjoyed two pints of draft Pilsner at my local Whole Foods, and took a growler home, and almost it was like drinking back in the Czech Republic.
But for all these improvements it still hasn't quite scratched my Pilsner itch. I am hoping that Thursday will change all that.
Thursday, at the Charlottesville branch of World of Beer, will be a day I honestly thought I would never see. Pilsner Urquell will be on tap, no great shock there I suppose, but the version they will be putting on tap is unfiltered and unpasteurised. Pilsner Urquell as urquell as you can damn well get, without drinking it out of wooden barrels in the brewery.
To say I am excited at the prospect would be an understatement for sure.
For non-Czech speakers, the phrase at the top of the beer mat there is 'perfection need not be changed'.
I've had this a couple of times. I'm a big fan of Pilsner Urquell but I'm unable to taste the attraction of the barrel version. Which leaves me thinking it's nothing more than a gimmick.
ReplyDeletePlease give a detailed review. Are the two versions (cold shipped but pasteurized vs. unpasteurized) really different and if so how? Can you comment as well on the brightness of the beer? Many thanks.
ReplyDeleteGary
I love the idea of them serving from those wooden barrels but it's definitely a gimmick. The poor sod sent by marketing who has to tap the barrel in the pub always seems to have lots of trouble doing so. The beer's never cold enough. It always fobs ridiculously so there's tons of waste and awkward pours. Nice idea but needs to be better executed by Millerbands to really impress people.
ReplyDeleteYep. That. Exactly. My local was the last stop on an eight-pub circuit for the poor bastard on a Friday night. He was 90 minutes later than the advertised time and knackered. And then there was a lot of warm foam.
ReplyDeleteThis wasn't from a wood barrel thankfully.
ReplyDeleteAhh. That probably helps a lot.
ReplyDelete