Utepils Tmave Dark Czech Lager.

Utepils Tmave Dark Czech Lager.
5.1 % ABV. 42 IBU.
Utepils Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Dark brown color, nearly black, with a rich, creamy brown head.

In the nose: Earthy, nutty, slight caramel malt tones. Minor hops, mostly malty.

In the mouth: A little bit roasty, just a tiny touch bitter, then nothing but malty and smooth. Medium bodied, malt-forward, pleasantly drinkable. Lots of flavor to carry you through. Tasty malt flavors keep the palate happy. Yum, a dum-dum.

I like a good Czech-style dark lager, and this is one of them.

Tmave` Czech Style Dark Lager is very dark, deep red - black in the glass, but it has a surprisingly light body. It’s brewed with Czech hops, which give it a nice balance and aroma. The malt flavor comes through with suggestions of toasted bread.

Originally released as a one time beer named Utepils 2018 Moment beer, it was too delicious not to come back as it's own beer. Enjoy!

Utepils 2018 Moment Czech Style Dark Lager

Utepils 2018 Moment Czech Style Dark Lager. 5.1% ABV, 42 IBU. Utepils Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Dark brown color, fully opaque, slim beige head,

In the nose: Sweet, earthy, nutty. Whole lot of dark malt going on. Low bitterness. Delightful.

In the mouth: As in the nose, on the palate. Caramel malt keeps it nice and tasty. Hops lay low, but keep the balance. Sweet turns to dry. Light bodied and terrifically drinkable. Nice and toasty, lightly fruity. Good ol Dunkel.

Utepils 2018 Moment beer is very dark, almost black in the glass, but it has a surprisingly light body. It’s brewed with Czech hops, which give it a nice balance and aroma. The malt flavor comes through with suggestions of toasted bread, chocolate and dark fruit. 

Utepils Pils Czech-style Pilsner

I was glad to get this sample recently, from an Utepils representative. I'd had some of their cans before, all of them but this one, and reviewed them all here in the Nib. I'd had it before at my one and only visit to the brewery (I will be back, mind you.) and had gone through a couple of kegs at Acadia, for our rotating local pilsner line. (And it will return there, too.) Just needed a can for the review. And now we do it.

Utepils Pils Czech-style Pilsner. 1 pint can, 5% all. by vol. 37 IBU. Brewed and canned by Utepils Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Clear, bright golden coloring, slim ivory head.

In the nose: slightly sweet, malty, floral, nicely hopped.

In the mouth: climbs on board the palate with a slight malty sweetness, checks out with a dry style. Crisp meets clean. Light bodied as can be. Each sip urges on another. Minor hop bitterness, exquisitely approachable, terrifically drinkable.

I don't drink a lot of lagers, or pilsners, but I can appreciate a good one. This is one.

UTE = OUTSIDE | PILS = BEER; NORWEGIAN FOR THE FIRST BEER ENJOYED IN THE SUNSHINE AFTER A LONG, DARK WINTER. OUR SIGNATURE PILSNER IS BREWED WITH CZECH-GROWN BARLEY AND HOPS; FERMENTED WITH A CZECH LAGER YEAST STRAIN.

Town Hall Surreal Chemisty

Something strange happened the other week, when I sat down to review a new beer from Town Hall out of a growler. Poured out the brew, after misreading the cap on top. What I thought was "Super" actually read "Surr"...so, instead of reviewing an IPA with the new Super Alpha hop, I was actually reviewing a hybrid ale/lager, a la Anchor Steam, or California Common, fashioned after a Czech pilsner.

So, here's what I did: I purged those words of anything relating to an IPA or my struggle to reconcile the description of the IPA with what I actually was tasting, while finishing off the rest of the growler. And let me let you, it was a much better ale/lager hybrid than it was an IPA. And, here come the notes...


Minneapolis Town Hall Surreal Chemistry .

Clear, apricot/amber coloration, slim white head.

Aroma: soft and citrus-y, with fruits aplenty.

Let's taste away! Tiny bursts of hoppy bitterness (or bitter hoppiness) pounce the palate, and buzz away, with all those fruity associations taking over and leading the charge. Medium-bodied, robust and emboldened with juicy fruit. Orange and mango. Bitterness never fades completely. Tasty, tasty stuff, downable and refreshing. I like this quite a bit. It would be better in the summer, though. April 5, and we're still not into spring, yet, for real.

I tried this new thing, that all the kids are doing of taking a photo of the menu instead of copying it down. (Once upon a time, there would be slips of paper with descriptions of the newest beer at MTHB floating about, and I would try to take one home for use in my reviews.) I won't, however, Instagram it, Vine it, or post it on Facebook. Just copy it here: "This unique beer has the malt and hops of a Czech-style Pilsner, but was fermented cool with an ale strain. Crisp, clean, bready, hoppy, and lager-like. 5.8% ABV."

Schell's Stag Series #5: Czech-style Dark Lager

August Schell Stag Series Limited Release Batch#5: Czech-style Dark Lager.

"Modelled after the famous dark lagers of Bohemia, our version features dark bread and caramel notes that are accentuated by a decoction mash and balanced by the spicy Saaz hops."

Largely opaque, dark brown coloration, nearly tan/light brown, dotted, lace-leaving head. Looks nice.

Aromatics: sweet caramel malt hits the nose first. Next up, notes of vanilla, cocoa, and dark fruit.

Taste:  all that comes together at the tip of the tongue, and floods to the back, before a generous brace of bitterness hits. Hops and malt in equal play in the mouth. Medium-bodied, yet fully-flavored. Sweet malt continues to met and matched by a fine layer of hop bitterness.

Very toasty and a little spicy, like a reuben on rye. I like this more and more as I drink it. Another successful stag entry.