I'm very excited today as we're launching our new range of beers today - the Inspiration Series. It's a brand new series of beers which have been inspired by the great beer styles of the world. There are some amazing classic beers out there in the wonderful world of beer and we thought it was about time we made our mark on this field. We asked everyone in the brewery to get together and make up a Beer Development Team to think about some new beers for us to brew and they came up with the Inspiration Series, a numbered list of deliciously diverse and exciting beers. We've got 4 in the pipeline, or grist-case I should say, at the moment, and Inspiration Series No.1 is Sunburst Bohemian Pilsner. You can see we've got a brand new designed look and those of you with excellent 3D vision can tell it's a 330ml long-necked bottle.
As you know Sunburst on draught has been developing over the last 15 years from a cask-conditioned version originally to a filtered version in keg more recently. I've always wanted to get it into bottles but we just didn't have the maturation or lagering tank capacity. It takes 8 weeks icy cold maturation after its 10 day cool bottom fermentation to develop its exquisite and complex Saaz and Hallertau Hersbrucker hoppy aroma, its smooth malty palate and its soft lingering finish. This fermentation and lagering regime is only possible with our beautiful Czech lager yeast, which I get from my good friends at the Brevnovsky Brewery in Prague. One of my long-term plans has been to get more tank space and get a dedicated maturation cellar, which we now have and at last we can put Sunburst into bottle! Slava, Slava! Hooray, Hooray in Czech!
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| A happy brewer in his new maturation cellar |
It's No.1 in the Inspiration Series because I've been inspired so much by my Beer and Brewery Hunting visits in the Czech Lands to brew this beer. I've had a very long association with Bohemia and the Czech Lands, first learning some Czech in 1968, year of the Prague Spring, so I could sing in the boy's chorus on the stage of my mother's opera company in Smetana's Bartered Bride. Years later I started to visit the country more often and since, as they say in Czech, Hospoda je nejlepsi ucitelka - the pub is the best teacher, my language skills improved along with my appreciation of their wonderful brewing traditions, sowing the seed for my desire to brew my version of the wonderful Pilsner style. Exacting to brew as it's such a delicate, yet exhilarating taste, with no margin for error, but oh, so exquisite to enjoy.
I hope you all enjoy as much as I do. Diky moc a Na Zdravi! Thank you very much and Slàinte, Ken
Had a few brewing friends staying over from Czech Republic at the end of October and to celebrate Czech National Day on 28 October we had a wee tasting, or organoleptic evaluation as we brewers like to call it, in the brewery bar and tasting suite. Above left is Ales Dvorak, technical brewer at Budvar Budweiser, pulling a pint of Ossian for Oudak, former Chief Test Pilot for Czech Air Force. It was also my birthday, so we tasted everything from Santa's Swallie to Pundie...
Slàinte and Na Zdràvi! Ken 
Went to Czech for Easter to visit a few breweries and my good friend Krtek. A fine midnight view of the Lady Arlenka in Prague in Malostranske Namesti. Prague Castle and St. Vitus' Cathedral up on the skyline, but for the beerhunter, the real prize in the picture is the building on the far corner opposite the Square over Arlenka's shoulder - the great pivnice U Kocoura (The Tomcat).
Another fab Prague institution - Pivovarsky Klub - with our good friends Mirek (who plays with the Rebel Pipers) and Liba. You can see straightaway from the shelves behind of the variety of great czech and international beer to sample. Mirek's on Svijany, Liba and Arlenka on Velen wheat beer with myself relishing Kocour's Samurai IPA.
The Czech Easter Ram (Beránek boží) representing Christ's sacrifice on the Cross (in chocolate and sponge cake) or Agnus Dei for Latinists amongst you. Agnus is also a Czech hop variety named for Mr. Beranek the grower, found in Budvar's Pardal. Czech Easter has wonderfully painted eggs also and a quaint tradition of the menfolk whipping the womenfolk (gently) on Easter Monday morn with a supposedly fertility-giving pomlazka willow wands.
The džbánek or traditional beer jug with which you get carry-outs from the local hospoda or pub. We were guests of David Neckař who is another Rebel Piper, Beerhunter and kiltmaking Scotophile and the next morning he drove us up to Blansko to the Černá Hora brewery (pivovar), who make the Velen wheat above. It's quite an old brewery but very modern inside and lovely beer.
With my opposite number beside the traditional square open fermenters with yeast heads in various stages of formation. A brief video of the brewery is here.
Chimneys from L to R - the two little silver ones are the wort kettle and mash copper, the tall banded one is from the old steam boiler firebox - disused now but there's a pair of storks that nest in the summer on it's top. The lower brick one is from the new boilerhouse and the banded one with the cowl is from the maltings.
Loved this former fire department vehicle in the brewery courtyard - Pivni Pomoc is a pun on Prvni pomoc which means First Aid or to paraphrase it - Thirst Aid!
Now here's some beer pictures....very tasty Černá Hora beers at the brewery tap. Delicious lunch too.
