Smocza Glowa Amber Ale

Formerly brewed at Browar Relakspol
Style: Amber Ale
Kraków, Poland

Draught at Szynk, Kraków. Clear amber colour, brief head. Richly hoppy with grapefruit and flowers upfront. Medium sweet with evident crystal mat character. The amount of aromatic hops is really surprising me, and throughout it’s a really well made beer. A well made, hoppy amber ale is a standout thing in Poland, and I’m really enjoying this one.
A big thanks to the top guy who runs the Szynk Ale House who opened earlier and served me the Relakspol beers.

Draught, The Alehouse, Crakow. Fresh hop floweriness on snout. Rose, citrus, elderflower. Tangy, orange-accented fruitiness with a hint of soap. Perfumey, smooth and (by local standards), chewy. Very impressive, and sneaking towards authentic cask English hop goodness. you’ll need an oxygen tank to sample it at source, though. Be warned.

Bottle from rickgordon. Hazy brown with very low head. Low carbonation due to the host brewery. Fruity, maybe a roasted malt aroma in there. A bit on the thin side with short aftertaste

Bottle (50 cl) from rickgordon. Cloudy brownish amber with no head but just some foamy bubbles. Fruity and slightly roasted aroma with spicy (ginger) and earthy hops. Light to medium bodied and no carbonation, the latter appearantly due to poor bottling by the host brewery. Good balance with a moderate bitterness.

Biggish offwhite head. Amber body. Caramelly papery aroma with hoppy notes. Dry harmonic burnt caramel taste with papery notes. Clean, smooth, faintly watery mouthfeel. Dry resiny papery aftertaste with bitter grassy notes. Very nice. (0.33l draft at Szynk, Krakow.)

0.5 l bottle. Pours dark copper, slight head with lacing. Caramel aroma, vinious, sweetish smells of berries, citric hops and sugar. Taste is herbal, mediciney hops, with very light smokiness. Some resinous bitterness. Mouthfeel is a little watery, oily. Lightly bitter finish. Very good.

From tap in "Szynk" at Kazimierz in Cracow and also 0,5 bottle. I think it’s the most complex aroma I’ve tasted in Polish beer. Creamy with vanilla and hints of some fruits. Lightly carbonated.

best hopped aroma I’ve smelt in polish beer, creamy head and large bitternes like in english bitters tasted in unique polish ale house "Szynk" at Kazimierz.