Bohemian Pilsner

I have talked previous about Pilsner beer, but that Pilsner has been the German type, not the original style developed in the town of Plzeň in Bohemia, in what is today the Czech Republic. The town is called Pilsen in German, as that part of the Czech Republic used to be German speaking for many centuries. The original Bohemian Pilsner beers have a darker, more golden colour than their German counterparts and malt flavours that drip a hint of caramel on thoroughly wholesome and nourishing bread tastes. On my visit to Plzeň during the mid-1990s, I much enjoyed my visit to the original Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery, brewer of the famous Pilsner Urquell that is also available in North-America, leaving a trail of saliva on the floor all the way to the tasting room, where we were served a pint fresh from the lager tanks. Plzeň also has a vast network of underground tunnels, which the ingenious people there used to store and transport beer, making sure that none of the good citizens ever stayed thirsty for too long during times of siege.

My featured beers today are intended to equally treat both modern nations of the former Czechoslovakia. Sadly, Pilsner Urquell is no longer available in Quebec, and so the next most famous Bohemian Pilsner had to fill in to represent the Czech Republic. Czechvar is what this beer is nowadays called, but its original name is Budweiser Budvar, brewed in the town of České Budějovice. This is also a town that used to be part of German speaking lands - its German name is Budweis - and Budweiser was a traditional style of brewing beer. The (in-) famous American beer Budweiser brewed by Anheuser-Busch is named after this very style of beer. Over the years, AB have asserted their corporate muscle to prevent the good people of the Budweiser Brewery (Budějovický Pivovar - hence Budvar) to use the Budweiser brand name in North America and other places. The name Czechvar therefore seems like modern tragedy to me. But make no mistake: drinking a Czechvar is like eating Filet Mignon, while drinking American Budweiser is like eating entrails boiled in smelly socks. This beer has all the characteristic of those German malts that I would kill for, bringing in some toffee to balance the raw bread flavours with a light toast character. The hops are assertive, with slight floral aromas and subtly lingering bitterness. The back of the palate is not dry, but mingles sweet and bitter like Romeo and Juliet (and just as tragically).

Our second entry is from Slovakia, the Golden Pheasant lager, which used to be made by the Zlatý Bažant Brewery in Hurbanovo (formerly Stará Ďala). The brand is now part of the Heineken portfolio, and I imagine that it is likely a result of this global acquisition that this beer cannot live up to Czechvar or other Bohemian standards in terms of enjoyment (unlike the Slovakian national soccer team, who qualified at the expense of the Czech Republic surprised with good results at  the 2010 World Cup). While the malt palate of this beer is still quite pleasant and features similar caramel notes, it is nowhere as rich as Czechvar and has less viscosity in its mouthfeel. The hops bitterness is more subtle than Czechvar yet still no-nonsense (especially compared to the North-American Budweiser and its ilk), but there are no floral aromas to speak of. This beer is nothing special, even though I still wanted more after finishing the 500ml bottle.

Bottle detail: