Kontynuacja

Sessions in Kontynuacja have always been right up in the highlights of previous trips to Wrocław, it’s a cracking bar and home to some vastly drinkable beers. The surprise during this month’s visits was the way that the beer list has changed: in the past there were four or five beers, priced in the twenties or thirties, from international big-name breweries, the likes of Four Pure, Anchor and The Kernel. But this time there were only two imported beers and the most expensive option was 20zl (which was a Polish-German Grodziskie/Lichtenhainer hybrid and so was given a swerve). Not that there’s anything wrong with Polish beer, I’m a huge fan of the stuff, but it’s always nice to at least have the option of trying something from a brewery with an awesome reputation that you didn’t really expect to find on tap in Poland. Is it a bit strange that a bar with 23 taps can’t find room for even one such beer?
Towards the end of the visit, they were all finished, eventually
First up was a new beer the ever excellent Artezan brewery which was brewed to celebrate their fourth birthday, a session IPA called 4 Latka. It’s brilliant, utterly brilliant. Tropical fruit and a bit of citrus on the nose. More citrus on the mouth and a fairly long finish. Masses of lovely flavours and aromas but not at all overwhelming in the way that more than a few Polish IPAs have been lately. And all despite it being only 4.5%; there are beers that have half as much again alcohol in them but far less to flavours to savour. 4 Latka really is the kind of beer Poland needs more of. Hopefully this is another case of Artezan being ahead of the game, as they usually are, and they’re moving in a direction that other breweries will follow.
4 Latka: awesome
Bison Grass Peppermint Saison, wrong glass, right beer 
Alongside it was a Bison Grass Peppermint Sweet Saison from Piwojad, which was not quite as good as the one I loved in Czesc. Somehow less bison grass and less peppermint but more classic saison notes and more sweetness. It was still very drinkable, and pretty interesting but not enjoyable as the previous ones.
Rounding out the first round was Camarillo, an American Blonde Ale from Browar Roch, a fairly newish brewery near Jelenia Gora; I’d not heard of them before but the barman rated them highly. The beer was rather hoppy for a blonde, and more bitter than you’d expect for the style; it was closer to an American pale ale really. A decent drop, but very much put into the shade by something as excellent as 4 Latka and something as interesting as Bison Grass Peppermint Saison.
Arcobräu  Pilsener
Next up was Pilsener from Arcobräu Gräfliches Brauhaus in Bavaria. It was an honest pils, nothing fancy, nothing very memorable, perhaps slightly sweeter than you’d want a German pils to be. But it was also very drinkable, so much so that I had another one later. Alongside it was a fascinating beer from Kingpin called Phantom, a white IPA with kaffir lime. Masses of lime and lemon on the nose but also distinct strawberry notes and more than a hint of coriander. The lemon carried on into the flavour too, nicely balancing the bitterness and the caramel malt notes. I can’t remember having this one before but will certainly be keeping an eye out for it in future.

WRCLW Roggenbier: stunning
The last of this round was WRCLW Roggenbier from Browar Stu Mostów. Last, but most certainly not least: it was probably the best beer of the visit. The glorious bready banana aroma begged you to take a good gulp and the gulp rewarded you with excellent malty rye flavours and a mild bitterness. Brilliant stuff.


We finished off with an old friend and a new one: Space Sheep APA from Browar Podgórz and Noc Na Tarnogaju stout from Warsztat Piwowarski. The Space Sheep was as superb as ever, it’s such a cracking beer and always well worth ordering. The Noc Na Tarnogaju had a wonderfully rich aroma, you could really smell the roasted grain, but the mouth was even better, smooth and creamy. Most of that was due to it coming from a hand pump, and a hand pump which the staff knew how to use (pulling it slowly and steadily rather than the frantic yanking seen all too often in other places). It’s a crying shame that so few craft beer places in Poland don’t have hand pumps or even nitro taps, those things really do transform stouts to an entirely different level. I had a Noc Na Tarnogaju the next day in the same bar from a regular tap and it was a mere shadow of the one from the hand pump.
Left to right: stout, pils, saison and your guess is as good as mine

One note of warning about Kontynuacja: the sign on the door might claim that they’re open until 01.00 on Sundays, but you may find that they actually have last orders as early as 23.15, which is a bit of a shame.
Kontynuacja
Ofiar Oświęcimskich 17
Wrocław
0792 400 084
www.facebook.com/kontynuacja/ 
Opens 16.00


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