Beer of the Weekend #345: Boom Imperial Pilsner
Being a private contractor, “tax refund” is no longer part of my personal lexicon. Having just paid $2,900 worth of tax payments and estimations, I think I need a beer.
The beer tonight is an odd little thing I picked up while making the rounds of local beer retailers for my LV recommendation. (I usually drive around to see where my recommended beer is available and for what price.) It represents my first beer purchase at Hartig Drug, the John’s of the west side: Boom Imperial Pilsner, brewed by the Explosion Brewing Company of the Czech Republic.
I am a little leery about this beer because I cannot find any concrete information about it or the brewery online. The Explosion Brewing Company has no website, and no address or city is listed on the label. There were a couple posts on a RateBeer forum, so all I know is that it is imported by Doyna, Ltd., which, according to one of the posters, is the US importer of Baltika. Perhaps these beers are being contract brewed by Baltika. I have no clue, but I am sure Hartig got a couple discount cases with an order of Baltika.
Before moving on to the tasting I want to say I was thoroughly impressed by the selection at Hartig today. It always impresses me for a west side store, but today I stopped and really browsed the shelves. I picked up another beer for tomorrow night and also spotted sixers from Mad River. I have not seen Mad River brews since I last shopped at the BevMo! on Beach. (Damn! It’s been a while since I last wrote that.) I think Hartig is too good for the “John’s on the west side” moniker; it definitely deserves to be referred to by its own name from now on.
Serving type: 500 ml bottle. There is no freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a pilsner glass. The color is clean, clear straw. Two fingers of dense, buttery, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly, leaving a few trails along the glass.
Smell: When I popped the cap I got a whiff of skunky Czech barnyard hops. Yes! It smells awesome. Lots of pale malts and grassy Czech hops. Gradually, sweet caramel and a fruitiness emerge, though I cannot pin the fruit down.
Taste: The mouthfeel is pretty thin and the flavor offers a metallic astringency I was not expecting. The flavors emerge individually: pale malts, sweet caramel, floral hops, and then the bitterness. As the beer warms the astringency becomes much more aggressive, boozy, and offensive. However, it does even out in the end.
Drinkability: It starts well but finishes strong and bitter. The “Explosion” advertised on the label is more unpleasant than flavorful.
Fun facts about BIP:
-Style: Imperial pilsner. Here is some info via BA:
-Price: $5.59/bottle at Hartig Drug on Mormon Trek Boulevard in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 8.5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: For the style, BA recommends curried, Thai, and Pan Asian cuisine; sharp cheeses; and game and grilled meat.
-The back label features this text (Eastern European accent and grammar included):
Below it is “Na zdraví!” written in script. Literally translated, it is Czech for “To your health!”
The Quiet Man’s grade: C+.
The beer tonight is an odd little thing I picked up while making the rounds of local beer retailers for my LV recommendation. (I usually drive around to see where my recommended beer is available and for what price.) It represents my first beer purchase at Hartig Drug, the John’s of the west side: Boom Imperial Pilsner, brewed by the Explosion Brewing Company of the Czech Republic.
I am a little leery about this beer because I cannot find any concrete information about it or the brewery online. The Explosion Brewing Company has no website, and no address or city is listed on the label. There were a couple posts on a RateBeer forum, so all I know is that it is imported by Doyna, Ltd., which, according to one of the posters, is the US importer of Baltika. Perhaps these beers are being contract brewed by Baltika. I have no clue, but I am sure Hartig got a couple discount cases with an order of Baltika.
Before moving on to the tasting I want to say I was thoroughly impressed by the selection at Hartig today. It always impresses me for a west side store, but today I stopped and really browsed the shelves. I picked up another beer for tomorrow night and also spotted sixers from Mad River. I have not seen Mad River brews since I last shopped at the BevMo! on Beach. (Damn! It’s been a while since I last wrote that.) I think Hartig is too good for the “John’s on the west side” moniker; it definitely deserves to be referred to by its own name from now on.
Serving type: 500 ml bottle. There is no freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a pilsner glass. The color is clean, clear straw. Two fingers of dense, buttery, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly, leaving a few trails along the glass.
Smell: When I popped the cap I got a whiff of skunky Czech barnyard hops. Yes! It smells awesome. Lots of pale malts and grassy Czech hops. Gradually, sweet caramel and a fruitiness emerge, though I cannot pin the fruit down.
Taste: The mouthfeel is pretty thin and the flavor offers a metallic astringency I was not expecting. The flavors emerge individually: pale malts, sweet caramel, floral hops, and then the bitterness. As the beer warms the astringency becomes much more aggressive, boozy, and offensive. However, it does even out in the end.
Drinkability: It starts well but finishes strong and bitter. The “Explosion” advertised on the label is more unpleasant than flavorful.
Fun facts about BIP:
-Style: Imperial pilsner. Here is some info via BA:
Similar to a Pilsner in appearance, but expect a more pronounced malty backbone and an intense bitterness. Malt flavors tend to be quite sweet in many examples. Alcohol can be quite aggressive and lend some spicy notes to the flavor.
-Price: $5.59/bottle at Hartig Drug on Mormon Trek Boulevard in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 8.5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: For the style, BA recommends curried, Thai, and Pan Asian cuisine; sharp cheeses; and game and grilled meat.
-The back label features this text (Eastern European accent and grammar included):
From the Czech Republic that ‘invented’ Lagers, we offer you beers that have “Explosion of Flavor”. Boom Imperial Pilsner is an all-Zatec hopped Pilsner made with four kettle additions for good bitterness and conditioned for more than 100 days.
Below it is “Na zdraví!” written in script. Literally translated, it is Czech for “To your health!”
The Quiet Man’s grade: C+.
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