Strahov Monastery - Klasterni Pivovar (Brewery) - Prague, Czech Republic

While Shantel was researching things to do in Prague she found that according to trip advisor the number 14 thing to do was the Strahov Monastery Brewery known in Czech as Klasterni Pivovar. If you are of a more religious or historical bent check out the monastery itself which dates to 1143 and has a library of around 16,000 volumes including several latin codices that date to 1143 or older.  But if it's good beer and food you are after you have to visit the Pivovar and it's restaurant. 
We skipped the monastery and instead had lunchat the Pivovar and sampled the beer.  Every thing was outstanding and definitely worth a stop if you are ever in Prague.  Enjoy my thoughts on the beer and the pictures below.  

This was our last stop in Prague so Shantel wasn't letting me have more than two small beers here, even though we had tram and subway rides before I would be driving anywhere.  So I selected the Amber and Dark Lagers, but I brought home bottles of the India Pale Ale and the in season Weissen(Wheat) beer.  The beer is branded St Norbert after the saint that founded the monastery's order.

St Norbert's Amber Ale - This is definitely an Amber ale with the color reflected throughout the creamy head that left light tracings on the side, continuing to the deep copper with hints of amber inthe body.  The aroma is one of lightly roasted malts.  The taste is slightly caramally sweet with just a hint of hops in the after taste.  This was the first St Norbert beer I had and if it was the only one had I would of still been singing it's praises.  But next up was......

St Norbert's Dark Lager - A dark latte colored head.  The body is so dark black that you can't see through it.  The aroma is of chocolaty roasted malts and the taste lacks bitterness and has just a hint of sweet chocolate in it.  I'm not normally a fan of dark lagers or beers, but this was a really good beer and had me trying to convince Shantel that she might have to drive us out of Prague since the first two beers were so good I would just have to try the other two current offerings then and there.  Of course Shantel one and I ended up taking a bottle of the IPA and the Weissen home with me.

St Norbert's India Pale Ale - This beer pours with a head that appears slightly browned and it quickly dissipated.  The body is deep copper and the aroma is one of aromatic spices with clove perhaps predominating.  The taste is surprisingly only has an undercurrent of ever so subtle hops with roasted malts dominating.  Another excellent offering.

St Norbert's Special Beer Weissen - This beer has a classic wheat beer's frothy head  and the color is a cloudy copper gold.  The aroma of honey, citrus, cloves, and fresh cut grass assails even my notoriously finicky sniffer. It goes down smooth, sweet, and with a burst of citrus.  I was wishing I  was drinking this beer on day when the temps were in the high 90s instead of the low 60s.  A perfect summer beer.

Another addition to my growing collection of stone ware mugs from central Europe.

Now that you've read what I thought of St Norbert's beer see what they think here.  The off season beers that I didn't get to try include a pilsner, a bock and a doppelbock.  For those of you who visit us in the short time that we have left in Germany and there is time in your trip for a run to Prague, you can count on going on here, I just wonder if I can get the beer in racks to go instead of the single bottles.