I just couldn’t start my beer reviews from other beer than Atak Chmielu (which can be translated as Hop Attack) from Pinta Brewery, because tasting that particular beer for the first time in 2011 was, in fact, the start of my adventure with Polish craft beers.
Furthermore, this beer simply deserves to be the subject of my first review, because its creation was the epoch-making event for the Polish craft beer scene. Why? Because it was the first beer brewed in the craft brewery, first which used American hops and the first commercially brewed India Pale Ale in Poland. This beer basically started the beer revolution in my country.
Let’s see what Atak Chmielu represents now, nearly 7 years after its first release.
First, let’s take a look at the ingredients and the beer parameters.
Style: American IPA
BLG: 15,1°
ABV: 6,1%
IBU: 58
Malts: Pale Ale Weyermann®, Melanoidynowy Weyermann, Carahell®, Carapils®
Hops: Citra (USA), Simcoe (USA), Cascade (USA), Amarillo (USA)
Yeast: Safale US-05
The label is neat and transparent, it contains all needed information. Personally, I like the original primary one better, but it’s only my opinion.
The cap is rather modest instead - it only shows the brewery logo.
When poured into a glass, the beer presents absolutely sensationally. It has copper-amber color (which is kind of outside the American IPA definition), it’s very clear and the head is thick, plentiful and it leaves a beautiful lacing in the glass.
The aroma of this beer couldn’t be mistaken with any other. It’s very intense, characterized by a large dosage of citrus fruits and resin. Absolutely beautiful.
However, when it comes to taste, Atak Chmielu surprised me with something I can describe as… smoothness. The strong malt base can be tasted, but it’s also filled with the notes known from the aroma. I must admit that in my opinion, everything interacts with each other in a very balanced way. Moreover, and this is really surprising I found this beer very refreshing. The bitterness is quite pleasant, it doesn’t stay long on the palate, but personally, I would prefer a little bit more of it in this beer. All I can say about the saturation is that it is rather low.
To sum up, Atak Chmielu is, in my opinion, a very cool beer. Perhaps it doesn’t taste as good as its 2011 version for me, but I have to take the sentiment into consideration, so I think it is very good. As I said before, I would like it to have some more bitterness, but it is my individual preference, nothing more. I guess for most of you, the bitterness level in this beer will be sufficient. I strongly encourage you to taste this beer if you only have a chance.
See how the www.ratebeer.com evaluates this beer
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Sounds awesome. That's a great combination of hops as well. It's good to see that Poland has good craft beer available!
Oh, this is only the tip of the iceberg, my friend ;) There is much more to be reviewed. In fact so much, that I will never be able to taste them all, unfortunately.
Do you have any stats on the number of independent breweries in Poland?
According to my best knowledge, there are more than 150 craft breweries currently operating in Poland, releasing more than 1500 new beers a year, therefore statistically, 5 new beers a day. Craft beer kicked off well in Poland, however, consistency in quality of the brewed product is still an issue. There is no glory in brewing a great beer once, but indeed there is one for brewing it for the hundredth time!
Not directly from my mind, but I will check that and get back to you. But let me point one thing out - in 2016 there were more craft beer premieres in Poland than the days of the year. Is that telling us something? And remember, it is "only" five years after the beer revolution starts in Poland. The future is still unknown...
Sounds like a nice beer. Need to get one here in Germany
I think it may be possible to buy it in Germany, especially if you are living somewhere near to the border with Poland. Give it a shot - trust me, you won't be disappointed.