Slovenia has an underrated food, wine and craft beer scene. I tried several Slovenian beers on my two day trip, big brands, Lasko, to Jezernik summer ale, from a small local brewery near lake Bled called Lintvern. There were several craft beer bars and factories in the capital city but this was the only reachable brewery. When I started craving beer I did a quick search and it just happened to be one of the most famous breweries in Slovenia! After my visit I started seeing it on every menu! Union resides in a large building. There is a section for outside seating that stays open through the fall despite colder weather. Inside, I found a large bar in the middle and many small tables around it. Head up a couple steps and you'll find additional seating. I went to the front and asked if they had a flight. They offered two different types; the specialty and the regular. I started with the specialty but with every intention to do both. Each flight came with three beers. The specialty included an amber, a bock and their strong lager, at 9%. The flights came with mini bowls of meats and cheese. At first, I thought they paired them with each beer. I was even writing notes on it! Then I realized they gave the same three for the second flight, but in a different order. It was just bar snacks. Starting with the amber, I got a whiff of biscuit. I took a sip and it was full bodied and flavorsome yet not heavy. At my second sip, I noticed traces of caramel adding a sweetness to it. I sipped it with the smoked jerky, which I thought complimented it well due to differing flavors. The bock had a malty brown sugar aroma but in taste it was more bitter than expected, balancing the sugar coated flavor for a more mild bock. I had the cheese with that one, which interestingly brought out an earthy taste. The last beer to try, in flight number 1, was the high percentage lager. In scent, I found a sweet honeyed aroma with traces of lemon. In the second whiff, I caught some grain. Not too alcoholic in taste for it's high percentage or overtly sweet. And, the meat I paired with it was some type of Kielbasa, balancing salty with sweet. With the last sip, I got up and ordered the second set; the originals. Within it, I had the pale, the dark and the unfiltered. The bartender told me the the unfiltered is the their top seller. A light beer, I was sure it wouldn't be the top seller to me, but it was! In the end, I liked the sampler of originals more! I had the dark first. He told me it would be like the bock but I found it very different. It had espresso overtones in aroma. In body, it was similar to a stout or porter. There was a roasted taste and subtle sweetness. The classic lager was bready and mild overall. The unfiltered was great, with crisp citrus notes. It was a nice environment to hang out in for a bit. The pricing was great, and the beer satisfying for the classics that rarely blow me away. While in the area:
Check out Tivoli park and Hot Horse, right across the street! Or, venture further to try any of these 15 Things To Do in Ljubljana.
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