Bohemia Imperial Review

“The Lost Empire”

Country: Brazil 

Brand: Bohemia Imperial

Bottler: Cervejaria Bohemia, Petropolis (RJ) 
Package: Bottle (550 ml) 

Type: Premium Lager (American Adjunct Lager Style)

Age: NAS

ABV: 4.7 %

Ingredients, Water, Malt, Unmalted Grains, Hops
Antioxidant: INS 316 
Stabiliser: INS 405

Colour: Golden Amber

Foam: Slightly Off-White Foam that dissipates very quickly. Although it's Creamy, it only leaves a thin head while you're enjoying your glass. Very few Laces remain in the glass once finished.

Nose: Light and Clean. There's not much going on in this department. It's mainly Biscuits, Bread, Malt and Toast with light Grassy Hop notes. It's not overly Sweet so I suspect a low Corn content. I also find some Citrus notes, basically Lemon. 

Palate: Medium-Light Body with adequate Carbonation. It's very Malty and slightly Sour. Again it's not overly Sweet and it does not possess that awkward Corn Syrup flavour. It does have a bit of Caramel and Butterscotch. I also find Light Floral Hops, Lemon and light Mineral tones.  

Finish: Short, Malty, slightly Herbal and Dry but with increasing Sweetness. It could do with a little more Bitterness here to get more balance. 

Rating: ******  (Six out of Ten)

The Home of Bohemia Imperial in Petropolis (RJ)

General Remarks: The Bohemia Brewery was founded in 1853 by Henrique Kremer, a German immigrant. Bohemia was the first Pilsen type of beer produced in Brazil. In the beginning, Bohemia brewed strong and bitter beers following the German traditions. But over time the recipe was gradually adapted to the local market that prefers Lighter and Sweeter beers. In 1960 Bohemia was bought by Antarctica Paulista and today it is part of the Anheuser-Inbev Group. Their main products include Pilsen, Weiss, Escura (Dark) and Confraria. Imperial is a special Expression that was launched to celebrate the fact that the Brewery in Petropolis was re-opened for the public. Its recipe was inspired by the special Beers brewed in the days of the Brazilian Empire but adjusted by Bohemia's Master Brewer to match today's demands.

Drinking Experience: Okay 

Conclusion: I suspect that this Bohemia expression is a far cry from the original Bohemia that was brewed in 1853. To me, today's Imperial is just another common Brazilian Adjunct Lager, produced to accommodate the Sweet palate of most Brazilian beer consumers. It only differs in the Mash-Bill where less Corn and, probably, more Rice and/or Wheat is used. The Imperial comes in a very neat bottle that somehow suggests something special. But that's not the case. In fact I prefer the regular Bohemia that I will review later this year.

Jan van den Ende                                                                      May 17, 2015