North East Beer Review

This review marks finally trying over 1000 different and unique beers. So I bought I would go back to where my love of beer started with a nice cold Budweiser Budvar. This was the first beer I ever bought myself after turning 18 after many years of drinking cheap nasty lagers. This really kick started my love for beer and my passion for exploring different flavours from different countries. Now, I am now 25 and have completely broadened what I like and found what I dislike. So I hope you enjoy this review of what I consider to be the greatest lager ever and my favourite beer of all the many I have tried. Of course, you may disagree and thats fine. Anyways, during the course of this review I will cover the history of this beer, the pour, the flavour profile and finally why I love it so much. Cheers

Roots back to Medieval times

Budweiser Budvar is one of the most historic breweries in the Czech Republic and has roots back to the medieval city of Budweis now known as České Budějovice. Brewing in České Budějovice dates back to 1265, when King Ottokar II of Bohemia granted the town official brewing rights. Over the centuries, this area has been known for high quality Bohemian lager such as Samson.

The modern Budweiser Budvar was founded in 1895 as the Czech Joint Stock Brewery in what was a region of Austria-Hungary at the time. Czech brewers wanted to create a brewery owned and operated by Czech citizens using traditional local ingredients and brewing methods. The brewery began producing “Budweiser” beer using Moravian barley, Saaz hops, soft artesian water, and long maturation periods that became hallmarks of Czech lager brewing.

Budweiser Budvar quickly earned recognition for its quality and just years later was exporting goods across Europe and even over the United States. The brewery won awards for its hop aroma, rich malt character and balance especially in terms of bitterness. Along with other award winning Czech Brewers, they have helped forge the reputation of today.

There is also a pretty famous long running legal dispute with American brewer Anheuser Busch over the “Budweiser” name. “Budweiser” originally referred to beer brewed in Budweis similar to Pilsner being brewed in Plzen. As a result of this dispute, Budweiser Budvar is known as Czechvar in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Philippines and ultimately the United States. Meanwhile Anheuser-Busch Budweiser is known as “Bud” in much of the European Union. In the UK it is known as Budweiser.

During World War 2 and subsequent years under communist rule, the brewery faced many challenges such as the consequences of occupation, state control and export restrictions. However, Budweiser Budvar persevered and still managed to preserve the traditional brewing methods. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the country gained independence and became modernised however the state still owned Budweiser Budvar.

In 1990, the company brewed 450,000 hectalitres which increased in 2015 to 1.6 million hectalitres. This became the best selling foreign beer in Germany and the most popular Czech lager in the UK. Today, it is regarded as one of the finest examples of Czech brewing and is often praised for its clean malt profile, crisp bitterness and Bohemian character. Budweiser Budvar has done a few collaborations with the likes of Omnipollo, Thornbridge and Mikkeller.

There is many iterations of Budweiser Budvar brews, the most popular and flagship lager is the Original 5% (Ležák) which is 90-day matured. The Classic (Výčepní) which is a pale 4% draught beer. Dark 4.7% (Tmavé) which is a dark lager with Munich, caramel and roasted malt plus many more. As well as the Pardál brand. The Original is the topic of this review.

Budweiser Budvar pours a clear golden to amber colour which is bright and lively. A thick white head forms when poured and the creamy form lingers throughout the drinking experience, thus leaving a light ring of lacing. The carbonation is lively but refined, with a steady stream of bubbles visible throughout the beer. Overall, this is a very clean pour which is crisp and inviting.

A floral and malty flavour profile

Aroma

Budweiser Budvar opens with a clean and inviting sweet bready to almost biscuit-like malt aroma. The floral and herbal Saaz hop aromas are instantly noticeable too which is typical of good quality Czech lager. There is subtle grainy and almost spice to the aroma hidden beneath the surface. The aroma of Budweiser Budvar is crisp and balanced.

Taste

The flavour of Budvar is smooth, crisp and well balanced. The Moravian malt first gives notes of bread, caramel and a light biscuit or cracker. This is then met with a herbal hop bitterness from the Saaz hop which is pleasant and not too overpowering. Beneath this, a slight spice is observed. The extended maturation process gives Budvar a clean and crisp finish instead of metallic harshness often encountered with other lagers. The carbonation is lively but the mouthfeel is soft which makes this extremely refreshing. A lingering earthy and grassy note invites you for another sip. Overall, I feel that Budweiser Budvar offers THE Czech lager experience with excellent balance of malt sweetness, hop bitterness and its refreshing and smooth character. Although this is brewed in vast quantities the quality is still there.

Time for my verdict (you probably can already guess the verdict)

In my opinion if you want a lager, you have to go German or Czech with special shoutouts to Poland and Austria. Budweiser Budvar does the simple things and it works, it has done since the late 19th century and will carry on for many more years. The simplicity of Budvar and the craftsmanship that goes into every batch is tremendous. The experience when drinking Budvar is one that is well balanced, refreshing with a pleasant hop bitterness. This is my favourite beer and this was always going to be a 5 out of 5. I drink a lot of great quality IPAs but it’s when you want simplicity I always reach for a Budweiser Budvar.

Where did I purchase this beer?

I bought the cans from Sainsbury’s but it is pretty readily available almost anywhere.

Cheers for reading my beer review. If you enjoyed this review you will love my review of Kutná Hora Zlatá 12 Chmelená Za Studena.