CELIA Dark lager
Strength: 5.7% ABV
Brewed: Žatec, Czech Republic
Brewed in the cellars of a 14th century castle in the historic Czech town of Žatec, CELIA produces two different beers. Both are notably vegan-friendly and gluten-free, thanks to a silicon filtration technique used during the brewing process. As a result, the brewery takes great pride on providing beer that doesn’t leave drinkers feeling uncomfortably bloated, without compromising on flavour.
CELIA Dark, a dark lager, for instance, is hand-crafted and brewed with premium ingredients including toffee Bavarian malt, sand-filtered water sourced from the Žatec foothills and bitter Saaz hops. What’s more, CELIA is one of only few lagers available in the UK brewed with 100 per cent local noble Saaz hops – the world’s only protected hops. When poured, CELIA Dark has a cola-brown body with a flash of ruby, topped with a thin tan head. On the nose, prominent sweet aromas of chocolate, caramel and roasted malt are joined by hints of coffee and undertones of rye bread. Notes of caramel and dark chocolate continue on the palate, and are joined by some nuttiness, plum, raisins and underlying smoke. With a fizzy carbonation, a mild earthy bitterness finally prevails and lingers on the palate, joined by some bittersweet dark chocolate.
An easy-drinking, bitter sweet Czech lager. What’s most impressive, nonetheless, is CELIA Dark’s depth of flavour, when considering the lack of gluten: especially enjoyable when paired with food – particularly red meats or decadent desserts.
Further information on CELIA can be found at www.celialager.co.uk.
