BTN: Polskie piwo

As expected, I didn't encounter local wine in a recent trip to Poland (and I never got the chance to sample the mead), but I did enjoy the local beers. I ran into mostly european-style lagers, quite nice--especially the simple ones which were so easy to drink. Nonsystematic selection, probably including those which are most widely available in Warsaw:

Browary Warminsko-Mazurskie Jurand Sp. Z.o.o. Jurand Premium. 5.7% appears pale gold, no head to speak of, smell bright lively wood, some candied tangerine as it warms, mouthfeel very spritzy, taste great upfront acid, grain and oats, lively and fresh, hardwood edge to it, simple beer but with great edge to it, absolutely lovely with spicy food, great lively quaffer.

Browary Grudziadz. Grudziadzkie dobry Specjal. 6.8% - appears bright gold, big bubbles, lots of movement, smell faint candied touch, not much of anything on nose, mouthfeel light with some big bubble movement, taste pale wheat, very light, some faint spice that quickly fades, this barely has any presence at all and quickly becomes a weak bore, lousy with food or without .

Browar Dojlidy. Zubr. - appears darker gold, medium bubbles, quickly dissapating head, smell faint citrus, sweet honey syrup, mouthfeel thin and bubbly, taste decent fruitiness upfront, mouthfilling flavor, pasty, lingering spice, faint sweetness, bit light and watery, feels too insubstantial on midpalate.

Browar Konstancin. Mazowieckie Mocne. 7% - appears orange gold, smell slight pineapple-banana, very slight, mouthfeel tight acid, very spiky, taste soft banana-melon, hint of rhubarb spice, nice and enjoyable, solid tasty beer.

Browar Konstancin. Bardzo Mocne. 8.1% - appears orange gold, smell simple, bit candied fruit, quite reserved, mouthfeel light but with acid, taste simple grains, edged with slight fruit in background, kind of one-dimension, but that dimension is very likable and very comforting, simple good beer.

Browar Konstancin. Konstancin Mocny. 7.8% - appears orange caramel gold, smell candied ginger, hidden melon/peach, quite muted on nose, mouthfeel tight bubbles bit thin, taste great light and toward sweet, full, tons of flavors, oats/wood/rhubarb/blueberry, tart and woody, yet hints of sweet, fantastically flavorful, stunning enjoyable, went wonderful with carne asada tacos, would also be lovely by itself, a real winner.

Lech Browary Wielkopolski (SABMiller). Lech Premium. 5.2% - appears medium gold, small medium-fast bubbles, thin white head, smell grapefruit/banana peel, slight sweetness, lurking apricot, mouthfeel big, good acid, hint of foam, taste great entry, slight pepper bitterness, lots of citrus zest, hint of soap, not clean, but crisp enough, great balance, sweetness is there but not on tongue, which is very nice, quite quaffable, great beer with nuts, herbal notes floating around.

Tyskie Browary Ksiazece (SABMiller). Debowe Mocne. - appears dark glossy gold, slight white head, tons tiny bubbles, smell bit stale, fruit cocktail, corn, simple, taste corn, flat rye, good solid taste, very much on simple side, rye and wood, basic hops, bit of soap, nice enough, but not special.

Zywiec Breweries PLC (Heineken). Warka Jasne Petne. - appears orange gold small fast bubbles, little head, smell some syrup, oats, sweetness, mouthfeel big bubbles, movement, light, taste heavier pineapple, some acid, overall heaviness, weakness in midpalate, not enough holding it together, completely forgettable.

Zywiec Breweries PLC (Heineken). Oryginalny. 5.6% appears dark gold, bright white head, smell big fruit, grapefruit, oatmeal cookies, quite toasty, mouthfeel has great stringiness to it, taste fruit, grapefruit, fruit cocktail, bit of weeds great balance, light sweetness, delicious corn, good crisp beer, very nice in the simple department.

Browar Górnoslaskie. Slaskie Mocne. 7% - appears brown gold amber, little head, smell acorn and nuts, big pineapple and orange, quite nice, quite fresh, pecan pie, mouthfeel heavy, bit thick, tender acid, foam lurks in, taste sweet caramel, nuts, incredibly tasty, wonderful tippy acidity on tongue, molasses essence but oh-so-drinkable, slight bitterness refreshment lurks, what balance, crisp peach/pear cobbler, so different – reminds me of regionally-brewed ales in the US, delicious and particularly memorable for standing out.

Sounds tasty.

Were these sampled in pubs/bars or purchased from stores and consumed "at home"? As such, did you notice a good selection of beers in pubs/bars, or did you have to make a special effort not to find the same 4/5 brands?

Were these sampled in pubs/bars or purchased from stores and consumed "at home"? As such, did you notice a good selection of beers in pubs/bars, or did you have to make a special effort not to find the same 4/5 brands?

Mostly consumed at home, but a little less than half were consumed in restaurants. I didn't visit a bar, so I can't speak to the selection. The selection in restaurants was concentrated within the top 4 or so brands. Quite frankly, often the widely-distributed (and I assume mass-produced) brands were often tasty so I didn't find this a problem. But whether you can go out and find a good bar for comparative tastings, I don't know--[but, for any Polish entrepreneur who is reading, I would certainly make it a priority to visit such an establishment!].

The selection in restaurants was concentrated within the top 4 or so brands. Quite frankly, often the widely-distributed (and I assume mass-produced) brands were often tasty so I didn't find this a problem..

Aha, sounds good, too bad we can't say this about other countries. And the mass-produced brands gracing the lists were all domestic?

And the mass-produced brands gracing the lists were all domestic?

From my recollection, yes. There was usually one token imported beer on the list along with the domestic selection. But that was just from my limited experience--there were a lot of Brits roaming around Warsaw and I imagine that establishments that cater to them might offer more extensive imported selections--though the domestic stuff is considerably cheaper and I imagine cheaper brews motivates some folks to holiday in Warsaw in the first place, so . . . maybe not?