Prague Underground

Prague Underground by City Built Brewing Co. was evaluated as a Czech Premium Pale Lager, Style 3B, per the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines.

Into the glass, it pours a fairly bright deep golden color with a frothy white head that does collapse. On the nose, I do get a pretty classic Saaz-type hop aroma, spicy and floral with some hints of grapey pilsner malt. There is a pleasant honey-like sweetness to the nose as well, along with a growing malt presence as it opens up. A touch more of that beautiful Saaz aroma would be welcome.

On tasting, the initial impression is slightly toasty pilsner malt with a balancing bitterness. This lingers through the finish as well. There is a slight fruitiness that I was not expecting, and it does move it a bit out of that classic Czech vibe. The bitterness grows but is never harsh, pushing toward the higher end of the style, which I quite like. The malt is supportive, though somewhat more muted mid-palate than expected. I do get some biscuit and toast in there, but it is just a touch thin.

Nice and dry and soft through the finish, with bitterness cleaning it up quite nicely. Super drinkable, but I think the fruity note I am getting may be yeast-derived, and it is a bit distracting. All that being said, it definitely has a Czech feel to it and is super drinkable. A bit more robust hop flavor and aroma, and a bit less fruitiness, and this would really hit the mark. Good stuff.