A terrific red that highlights the ongoing improvement in quality of wines from Portugal’s Dão

A terrific red that highlights the ongoing improvement in quality of wines from Portugal’s Dão

Fonte do Ouro Tinto Dão (DOC) 2020, 13.5% ABV, €17.25 

Like many Portuguese wines, this is a blend. All three grapes used are popular in the region. The Alfrocheiro adds depth of colour, Touriga Nacional (with its expressive violet scent) is considered to be the country’s finest, while Jaen is the local name for the what the Spanish call Mencía. By the way, Touriga Nacional probably started “life” in the Dão.

A government study in 2017 listed no fewer than 230 indigenous varieties and, according to the marvellous book Foot Trodden, there are many many more yet to be identified. No wonder there are so many blends in the country.

Portuguese wines can often be a hard sell because of the unfamiliar names of the grapes but don’t let that put you off. I like the neat way Boas Quintas (the producers) sum it up on the label: ruby colour, blackcurrant and cherry aromas, fresh, smooth with elegant tannins, 

It indeed has a dark ruby colour. Fairly rich aromas of blackberry, dark cherry and plum. There’s a great mix of the fruit flavours on the palate, with a touch of spice, smooth with elegant tannins and a very satisfying and persistent finish. This supple and fresh wine, full of vitality, has spent six months in oak and should be served at 16 to 18 degrees and will go well with red meats. Full of Dão character and Very Highly Recommended.

Importers and distributors O’Brien’s: A delicious red, showcasing the quality of winemaking in the Dão region of Portugal. Aged for 6 months in French oak it is a blend of indigenous grapes: primarily Touriga Nacional. 

And the region, for so long shackled by the dictator Salazar imposed cooperative system, that rewarded quantity over quality, certainly needed the improvement in quality which has taken place in the last 20 years or so. There have been setbacks of course, most notably the devastating fires of 2017. Casa de Mouraz, some of whose wines are imported to Ireland by Mary Pawle, was one vineyard that suffered badly as the flames raged in the  Dão.

The top Dão wines are now some of the most highly rated in Europe, winning consistent praise on both sides of the Atlantic, says wine-searcher.com. “It is in the north of the country. It takes its name from the Dão river, along which the majority of the region's vineyards are located.”

Boas Quintas also produce a white blend under their Fonte do Ouro brand and that too is worth looking out for.

* Current price of my 2020 red is €17.25 (I got it on offer, before Christmas, at 13.95. 

 

Where's the Beef? Ten of the best in Cork City

Where's the Beef?

Ten of the best in Cork City

(beef round-up for 2022/23)

Brown's Brasserie at BT Jan 2023 €15.50
French Dip: Rotisserie North Cork Sirloin, Emmental Cheese,
Caramelized Onion Emulsion, Red Wine Jus, ODB Sourdough

Impressive steak salad at Liberty Grill Aug 22

Cork City has had a long, and continuing, history in beef. Such was the scale of the trade here in the 18th century that it was known as the slaughterhouse of Ireland. 

And it wasn’t just Ireland. In 1756, France and Britain were at each other’s throats in the Seven Years War and “the Great Ox-slaying city of Cork” emerged as the Royal Navy’s preferred supplier for beef, pork and butter.

So where’s the beef now? Let me take you on a lunch-time tour of the city and check out what is on offer. Some terrific beef-based dishes in Liberty Grill, Market Lane, Nua Asador, Oliver Plunkett, On The Pig's Back, Sketch at The Imperial and Woodside Farm, Bella Napoli and L'Atitude 51and all were enjoyed over the past few months.

We’re starting with a beauty at Liberty Grill on Washington Street: a seared beef salad (vodka and chilli marinated fillet strips, chargrilled on leaves with balsamic onions, rustic potatoes, red peppers and toasted pecans) was outstanding, a highlight being the palate pleasing combination of the meat and balsamic onions. A terrific dish for €15.50.

Market Lane: Korean bulgogi steak sandwich
Dec 2022

Now (a different day, of course!), it is the turn of Market Lane and their superb Korean bulgogi steak sandwich on sourdough baguette, chilli, sesame and soy marinade, carrots, spring onions, lime mayo and with a helping of excellent house chips (€16.90). The marinade is key here and the kitchen certainly did it well and the meat was top quality; the sourdough was moistened as well and they all worked so well together, enhanced by the crunch of carrot strips and the onions, the salad leaves and those very tasty fries. A terrific dish and well priced.

Picanha Steak by Nua Asador May 2022

We make a visit to the Marina Market and the Nua Asador stall where Chef Victor Franca, in partnership with Tom Durcan Meats, serves up, without gas or electricity, just fire, the best of Irish beef in a Brazilian style. You’ll really enjoy the Picanha Steak with sourdough bread, grilled baby potatoes, chargrilled onions, Farofa, and Chimichurri Sauce (13.00).

Oliver Plunkett's Seared Steak Sandwich July 2022

It was a visit to the Oliver Plunkett that started me on this beef trail. Here’s why: Seared Steak Sandwich was worth every cent of the €18.95. Four generous slices of beef wrapped in Garlic Ciabatta, with a red onion and Smoky Bacon Jam, Pepper Jack Chips, Brandy Pepper Sauce and a Little Salad.

I wasn’t letting go of this, clinging on until the last bite. It was sensual, an enthralling mix of textures and flavours. The steak was ace,  cooked to perfection and so easy to slice. And then the enhancement, that garlic ciabatta, the onion and the bacon jam. The Brandy Pepper Sauce was another major player on the palate, deeply enticingly enhancing everything else. The salad too was perfect and then those Pepper Jack Chips, cheesy, tasty, delicious.

On the pig's back with Bourguignon Beef Baguette Oct 2022

Next stop is Douglas to visit On the Pig’s Back and enjoy their Bourguignon Beef Baguette: Braised Beef Brisket, Mushrooms, Bacon and Pearl Onions on Toasted Arbutus Baguette with Red Wine Jus. Just five-star lunch-ing, spot-on for the cool day, quite a warming ensemble, robed deliciously in the red wine jus. Love the French touch!

Delicious steak at Sketch Oct 2022

Here we are in Sketch, the bright and airy dining room in the lovely Imperial Hotel, a room where new executive chef Ali Honour is making her mark. There was a group of us and the Steak Sandwich (6oz Sirloin, Onions, Garlic Butter, Focaccia, Lettuce, Tomato, Fries) for  €19.00 proved very popular, ordered by three of the seven adults. The meat and the Focaccia were absolute top notch and all three were well satisfied.

Beautiful! Beef Burger by Woodside Farm Oct 2022

Alphabetically, Woodside Farm is our final destination and they are found every Thursday in Mahon Point Farmers Market (and at other markets on other days). They are perhaps best known for their magnificent free range pork but they also do a highly rated Beef Burger and serve it with relish and salad in a lovely bun, for 8 euro  (if I remember rightly). Superb meat and great value.

All their offerings are cooked and filled in front of you, and there's a chat as well, as the salads and relishes are added. And, if necessary, they even provide a tailor-made insulated envelope to take your purchases back to the office or home.

Bella Napoli Dec 2022

Bella Napoli came up Rigatoni with Ragu Napoletano with six-hour braised beef in an onion and tomato sauce served with rigatoni pasta and bruschetta (17 euro). I hit the jackpot here. This was beautifully cooked, the quality of the beef was top class and plenty of it as was also the case with the ragu. Very happy with this one.

L'Atitude pic Dec 2022

Slow-Braised Beef Cheeks, Celeriac Mash, Spiced Pickled Cranberries (a cool inclusion) was one of the highlights of a recent visit to L'Atitude, a superb dish in an impressively expanded menu and well worthy of inclusion here. More details at https://www.corkbilly.com/2022/12/wine-and-dine-at-latitude-huge-choice.html

* All these dishes enjoyed relatively recently but remember that menus and chefs change.

Eating Across Asia At Carrigaline’s Aroi

Eating Across Asia 

At Carrigaline’s Aroi

Gyoza (Aroi pic)

I had visited the new Aroi Restaurant in Carrigaline when it opened a few weeks before Christmas and had promised myself I’d go back to continue eating my way across Asia. 

Nasi Goreng (Aroi pic)

Not too difficult to do that here in this impressive space as the wide-ranging menu features dishes from Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Menu headings include nibbles, starters, soups, and salads. Mains include Signature, Rice, Curry, Stir Fried, Grilled, Wok Noodles. Sides of course and yes they do desserts as well! Full bar and a long cocktail list as well.

Was in the area last week and decided to call in and do some more “research”. It wasn’t the best of nights outside on the main street but the restaurant was well heated and there was a warm welcome from the staff.

Soon we were seated in one of the comfortable booths and studying the menu, avoiding any dish that we had eaten on the first visit.  No shortage of starters available, all reasonably priced between six and seven euro. 

Yangnyeom Chicken

We had enjoyed Gyoza, Japanese pan-fried dumplings, in Electric a few months ago so I picked the Vegetable Gyoza (Japanese crispy gyoza filled with vegetables, carrots, cabbage). An excellent opener, full of flavour and enhanced by spicy sesame chilli dipping sauce (€6.50). 

Udon Noodles with seafood

We moved on to Korea for our other starter: Yangnyeom Chicken is Korean style crispy (Chicken drumettes, seasoned with sweet and spicy gochujang sauce, spring onion and sesame seed). A more substantial starter (7.00), very tasty indeed and again the sauce, the gochujang sauce, did the business.

By the way, we can recommend the starters from our first visit, the Porpia Bpet Tod (Crispy homemade Duck spring roll served with sweet chilli) and the really excellent Kajang Satay (their authentic recipe from the town of Kajang in Malaysia, Chicken thigh meat skewer marinated with local spice served with peanut sauce).

Kajang Satay (from first visit)

Now, we were up and running and looking forward to our mains. Most of these are under fifteen euro except for the signature dishes which range from 16.50 to 20.00. Previously we loved The Teriyaki Salmon (Baked sesame-crusted Salmon Teriyaki on a bed of wok-fry Asian green vegetables, ginger, garlic garnished with pickled ginger). 

Amazing how they (Asian restaurants in general) always seem to get these green vegetables spot-on. Also the flavourful and aromatic Isaan style Crispy Roast Duck. This was Sliced half Duck cooked to perfection, bedded on top of those marvellous Asian green vegetables with tamarind sauce.

On this occasion, I struck “gold” with the Kuala Lumpur Nasi Goreng (17.00). It is very well presented with the Malaysian spicy fried rice with Prawns, Chicken, chilli paste, mixed vegetables, building quite a dome in the middle and topped with fried egg; it is served with Chicken satay skewer and Prawn crackers.

CL meanwhile took her time as she savoured every little bit of her Seafood Yaki Udon (Wok fried Scallops, Prawns, Mussels, Squids with Japanese Udon noodles, ginger chilli paste, green beans, bamboo shoots, bell peppers, scallions and toasted sesame seeds). A top dish indeed for 20 euro. Total bill, excluding tips, on a no-drink night was fifty two euro. Good food, friendly service and good value we thought. And still more regional Asian dishes left to explore on that menu!

Mitchell & Son In Cork Whiskey Fest "Spot"light. Fercullen Now In USA!

Mitchell & Son 

In Cork Whiskey Fest "Spot"light 

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Fercullen Now In USA!

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The famous Mitchell & Son bottles will be the subject of a masterclass during the Cork Whiskey Fest in March. Details below but first we sample the original Green Spot, the current fill in my Bradley's Hip Flask.

Mitchell & Son Green Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, 40% ABV

Widely available at c. €65.00

Fresh and gentle aromatics, apple and elderflower plus honey notes. Light fruit notes on the mellow palate, exotic such as mango and pineapple, more closer to home like apple, and honey too.  Mellow yes but quite full bodied with a light spicy and lingering finish from this gorgeous pale-gold coloured whiskey, the original Green Spot.

This is now produced in Midleton. That was not always the case: The Green Spot name originated from the Mitchell family’s practice (started around 1900) of marking casks of different ages with a daub of coloured paint. Originally there was a ‘Blue Spot’, ‘Red Spot’ and even a ‘Yellow Spot’, but Green Spot emerged as their most popular whiskey and is one of the few “whiskey bonder brands” to survive to modern day.

Single Pot Still whiskey is unique to Ireland in general and to the Midleton Distillery, Co. Cork, in particular, and is regarded as the quintessential style of Irish whiskey. Made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley and then triple distilled in traditional copper pot stills, Pot Still whiskeys are characterised by full, complex flavours and a wonderful, creamy mouthfeel.

Cork Whiskey Fest. I've reserved my ticket for the Spot Masterclass, details.....

You can learn more, much more, about the Spots and whiskey in general at Cork Whiskey Fest 2023. 

On the Saturday (Mar 25th), Midleton legend Ger Garland and Brand Ambassador Matthew Smith guide you through a selection of Spot whiskey along with their finishing wines, for this stellar masterclass. Mitchell and Sons Wine & Spirits Merchants are the sole remaining licenced bonder with Irish Distillers. Their wine finished single pot still Irish whiskeys are a pillar in Irish Whiskey. 

The festival will take place from 24th – 26th March across Cork City’s historic Victorian Quarter. Centred on MacCurtain St, CWF 2023 will concentrate whiskey fans on 1 street, for 3 days for plenty of craic and fantastic whiskey experiences. You will be hosted by many Festival Friends, in the many bars and rooms of The VQ, that will make Cork the epicentre of Irish Whiskey for one weekend. Come join the many masterclasses and events that CWF 2023 has to offer, on the tickets page.

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Fercullen Now In USA!

 

 Powerscourt Distillery is delighted to announce that the US arm of Zamora Company will import, sell, and market Fercullen in the market, effective immediately.

“We at the Powerscourt Distillery have waited until the right time and crucially finding the right partner before we launched Fercullen Irish Whiskey into the US market and we are in a great position to appoint Zamora Company USA as our national importers,” Ryan Stapleton, Powerscourt Distillery's global head of sales.

Fercullen Falls, Fercullen Single Malt, 15 Year Old Fercullen Whiskey, and limited edition Fercullen 21 Year Old, will be available in the States.

“As we continue to grow our world-class spirits and wines in the US, Irish whiskey has long been at the top of our list of categories to strengthen our portfolio, and Fercullen from the Powerscourt Distillery has always been our top choice,” said Andrew Stewart, global brand manager at Zamora Company USA.

We look forward to bringing our core Fercullen and limited release Irish whiskeys to the US in 2023 and to working closely with the excellent team at Zamora Company USA in the years to come.

An engaging Tempranillo from Toro, "different from its peers". New Zealand Wine Week Returns Jan 30th.

An engaging Tempranillo from Toro, "different from its peers" 

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New Zealand Wine Week Returns Jan 30th. Details below.

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Liberalia “Dos” Toro (DO) 2021, 14% ABV, €15.40 Heart of Spain

Heart of Spain is an online and actual shop in Fota Retail Park in East Cork and specialises in wine (and charcuterie and cheese) from the heart of Spain, mostly from the areas known to wine drinkers as Toro and Rueda. 

This bottle of young red wine (known as joven, though you don’t normally see it on the label) is a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha (20%, according to the producers’ own website).

Here, in the valley of the famous Duero river, over the last two decades or so, Toro has become famous for the quality of its Tempranillo based wines, the grape known locally as Tinto de Toro. Neighbouring Rueda of course is best known for its white wines made from Verdejo (and the shop have some of these on sale as well). 

It looks well and inviting in the glass with its cherry red colour and some violet hues. Aromas have black and red fruits coming through strongly in a wrap of vanilla (it has spent three months in barrel). And, in the mouth, it is loaded with fresh fruit flavours, some sweetness from the light tannins. The finish, with balsamic notes and a little influence from the oak, is lengthy. 

There is a certain Intensity and complexity to this but don’t let that put you off. This is a young juicy and easy-drinking wine, all on a typical Tempranillo base with a nicely judged oak contribution. Don’t think about it too much, just enjoy! Highly Recommended.

With its “large fruit load and pleasant mid palate” it is quite a wine for the price and the producers recommend pairing it with semi-cured cheese, cured cheese, blue cheese, goat cheese, pork, veal meat, chicken, turkey, game, lamb.

Liberalia is a family winery located in the area of the historic and prestigious Toro Denomination of Origin, province of Zamora (Spain). The vineyards are located where traditionally there has been vine cultivation.

When I first saw the English language list of varieties in the area, I also saw Bull’s Ink. It took a while before the penny dropped and I managed to translate that back to Tinta de Toro, which currently enjoys the seal certification as an autochthonous variety, with its own name, with well-defined agronomic and ampelographic characteristics. That means that the Tempranillo in Toro, while related to that in Rioja, is officially regarded here as indigenous.

“Its ampelographic characteristics are very similar to Tempranillo, but which, nestled in the area for several centuries, identifies it with its own name and personality, different from its peers.” .

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New Zealand Wine Week returns in 2023

 

After the success of New Zealand Wine Week events in 2021 and 2022, New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) will be kicking off the third New Zealand Wine Week on 30 January 2023.

 

Themed ‘Altogether Unique’, activities for the event are planned across the USA, UK, Ireland, Canada, and Sweden. New Zealand Wine Week will be a hybrid event this year with both physical and virtual sessions, with a wide-ranging programme spanning tastings, masterclasses and online discussions.

 

“Being able to run hybrid events, with a combination of virtual and physical in-market platforms, is an impactful way to share the New Zealand wine story in our key export markets, broaden our reach, and shine a light on our premium and diverse wines to our trade and media audiences,” says Charlotte Read, General Manager Marketing, New Zealand Winegrowers.

 

“The theme of the week, ‘Altogether Unique’, comes hot off the heels of the launch of New Zealand Winegrowers’ new global brand platform New Zealand Wine, Altogether Unique.  This is underpinned by a significant piece of work to define the essence of the New Zealand Wine brand and its three key pillars of purity, innovation, and care - things that make New Zealand wine, so unique and special.”

 

Throughout the week there will be bite-sized webinars covering research at the forefront of New Zealand wine and New Zealand’s commitment to climate change. In these sessions, local producers and international trade will have conversations about sustainability, site, and Sauvignon Blanc. A longer tasting webinar will see Stephen Wong MW present what puts the ‘new’ in New Zealand.

 

The New Zealand Wine Week 2023 programme will include:

Virtual Events

• ‘NEW New Zealand – Through the Lens of Smaller and Rarer Plantings’ – Stephen Wong MW will present what puts the ‘new’ in New Zealand.
• ‘Beyond Sustainable – Next Steps for a Carbon Neutral Environment’ – Michelle Bouffard of Tasting Climate Change and Belinda Jackson of Lawson's Dry Hills will discuss the strategies wine producers are putting in place to support and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
• ‘Terroir and technology – A Guarantee of Origin’ – Christina Pickard is joined in conversation by Alastair Maling MW from Oritain and Steve Smith MW of Pyramid Valley, to explore how technology can guarantee the origin of a wine down to vineyard parcels that may only be a hundred metres apart.
• ‘Expanding the Scope of Sauvignon Blanc Vine Diversity in New Zealand’ – Dr Jamie Goode, Dr Darrell Lizamore of New Zealand's Bragato Research Institute and Emma Marris of Marisco discuss New Zealand Winegrowers' research into how plants adapt to external stress to produce a collection of diverse Sauvignon Blanc vines.

 

Physical Events

• London Annual Trade Tasting – 50 exhibitors showing more than 200 New Zealand wines.
• Dublin Annual Trade Tasting – 20 exhibitors showing more than 90 New Zealand wines.
• Swedish Embassy New Zealand Wine Reception
• Independent Wine Education Guild Masterclass – ‘Sub-Regional Expressions of New Zealand Pinot Noir’ with John Szabo MS

 

View full programme details and how you can participate in New Zealand Wine Week here.

 

Thanks to Jean Smullen for above info.

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CorkBillyBeers #7. Craft lager with Killarney Brewing, O'Donovan's, 9 White Deer, Kinnegar, Bradleys, Staropramen

CorkBillyBeers #7

Craft lager with Killarney Brewing, O'Donovan's, 9 White Deer, Kinnegar, Bradleys, Staropramen

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Killarney Devil’s Helles Lager, 4.5% ABV, 500 ml bottle O’Donovan’s

Pale gold is the colour of this Kerry lager, a lager that made a good impression when I first came across a few years back in the Cellar Bar of the lovely Cahernane House Hotel in Killarney.

Killarney Brewing say, fairly accurately as it turns out: we brew it with highest quality German ingredients to bring out a delicious malty and honeyed flavour with the perfect touch of noble hop aroma. Refreshing!

The aromas are mild with both the malt and hops sharing the spotlight. And that harmony continues right through the palate to the refreshing finalé, clean and crisp, balanced and subtly sweet (as a scone is sweet). 

It is a German style, often associated with the Munich area where it originated. Try this with a bowl of mussels from Cromane. By the way, if you’d like to try one from the source then the Augustiner Lagerbier Hel is the “textbook-defining Munich Helles” according to Mark Dredge in his Beer: A Tasting Course.

Killarney beers often come with a legend attached and this one concerns a fierce battle between Thor and the Devil. Thor cast down lightning bolt after lightning bolt upon the Devil, who retaliated by tearing up the earth and hurling it back. The resulting basin filled up with water and became known as the Devil’s Punch Bowl.

If you are in Killarney and visit the new premises of the Killarney Brewing and Distillery Company in Fossa, the Devil’s Punch Bowl is just half an hour’s drive away. Indeed, I’m thinking (I haven’t visited yet) that if you are upstairs in the new building you may be able to see it across the lake.

Highly Recommended

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9 White Deer Stag Kolsch, 4.2%, 500 ml bottle O’Donovan’s

Kölsch is a style of beer, of the lager family, originating in Cologne, Germany. In appearance, this 9 White Deer produced example is bright and clear with a yellow/amber colour. And a soft white head.

The Stag Kolsch, with its high carbonation level and gentle hop character, is palate friendly with an almost creamy feel. Easy to quaff and easy to see how this refreshing gluten free and flavoursome beer (more malty than hoppy) has become quite a seller, widely available in both bottle and draught.

The team in 9 White Deer have certainly cracked the style here. They have brewed with German Nobel Hops, Premium Irish and German Malt and German Yeast. Stag Kolsch gets “an extended lagering time where it can develop and mature into a classic premium European style beer”. 

Excellent when quietly sipped in a hotel lounge, or noisily dispatched in the club after a game, or shared while chatting with friends at a barbecue session, this West Cork lager impressively fits the bill.

The Ballyvourney based 9 White Deer Brewery was brought into being by two people, Gordon Lucey and Don O’Leary. They each have a passion for quality beer and, between them, they have a lot of experience in all aspects of beer from growing barley to front of house customer experience and everything in between. More details here.

Highly Recommended

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Kinnegar Brewers at Play #27 Black Lager, 4.7% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

This is the first dark lager from Kinnegar and #27 in their Brewers at Play list. 

The brewers have been hard at it even though this series "is all about letting the brewers have some fun and to keep us drinkers on our toes”, and this release is no exception. Rich and dark, with a hearty roasted malt character, coffee, caramel, and molasses make this a serious tipple with its many similarities to stout and porter.

It doesn’t quite have the body of a stout of course but could well pass for a porter. Forget about style for a while and just enjoy this dark gem from the crafty coiníní in the north west. 

Very Highly Recommended

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Staropramen Lager, 5.00% ABV, 500 ml bottle O’Donovan’s

It’s got a beautiful bright pale gold colour with a pristine white and bubbly head, fountains of little bubbles racing towards the top. Aromas speak of malt, hoppy too with a slightly fruity character. And the malt, now somewhat less intense, is also the major feature of the palate. Softly malty with a gentle refreshing finish, that’s your Staropramen. 

I can see why I got to like it as I, more or less unknowingly, began making the switch from mainstream to craft. Well balanced, quite refreshing and engaging and a good introduction to better beers ahead. It may well again serve that purpose if you are going from mainstream on the way to craft. But, other than being a pleasant beer, it doesn’t have all that much for the more experienced craft drinker. 

The brewery was founded in 1869, according to Wikipedia, “and the brand name Staropramen, literally meaning old spring, was registered in 1911. It is owned by Molson Coors and its products are exported to 37 different countries, mostly in Europe and North America."

They say: Coming from a city of lovable sins that knows everything there is to know about great beer and enjoying life, Staropramen has many stories to tell you – stories about life well spent. Pairings: “Hamburgers are always a great choice for dinner and socialising. A classic is a classic! For an extra touch, add a bit of Emmental and we believe that your friends will be delighted.”

The brewers are quite proud of their barley. “Hordeum vulgare. That’s the Latin name for barley, but there’s nothing vulgar about it. In fact, it is a rather special malting barley we use. We have our own Barley Breeding Group, which works in close contact with our brewmasters. The group selects the barley with the best traits and grows it in our research fields, using only traditional breeding methods.  So considering that Staropramen is made from 100% pure malt—i.e. no adjuncts- it could take some years before we breed the necessary amount of barley. Probably worth the effort.”