Okocim Mocne

Mocne is a uniquely Polish beer, essentially a Polish Strong Lager. Okocim's Mocne weighs in at 7% abv so it fits the description of strong pretty well. My Polish heritage attracted me to this beer when I saw it in the liquor store. It poured a medium golden color with a fluffy white creamy head, which left a nice lacy coating on the glass. The beer has a fuller body than most lagers. The nose is flowery and buttery, with a hint of the alcohol to come. The beer is sweeter than most lagers, probably due to the higher malt content, and again, the alcohol shows itself in the taste. It has a lingering floral hop character. My first sip was a bit underwhelming, but the beer improved as I worked my way down the glass. Okocim also makes a wonderful Baltic Porter, so check that one out too.

Kasztelanski Polish Mead

I found an interesting Mead at the local liquor store, and decided to try it. It's particularly interesting to me because it's from Poland, which is a big part of my heritage. When my great grandfather came over from Poland, he Anglicized our last name to keep it from being obviously Polish.

This particular Mead is brewed by Kasztelanski, and it is very different from the mead brewed here in the US. This mead is very similar to a Port wine, or a brandy in texture. It's quite sweet and has a wine-like character. It also tastes like it may have aged in wood at some point. This is definitely not a dinner mead. It makes a great nightcap, and has a very warming finish. I guess the Poles know how to make mead!