Budweiser Budvar B:The Original

Budweiser Budvar B:Original

Brewed by Budějovický Budvar
Style: Czech Pilsner
České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Budweiser Budvar, the golden original, is the world famous beer produced by the renowned brewery Budweiser Budvar Brewery (Budějovický Budvarin) in the city of České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Known as Czechvar in North and South America so as not to be confused with AB-InBev’s popular Budweiser. The 700 years of brewing tradition guarantees the best quality of Budweis Beer as they brew in accordance with the 1516 Reinheitsgebot law, using water, barley and hops.

The history of brewing in České Budějovice started in 1265, when the town was founded by Ottokar II, the King of Bohemia, who granted the town with important privileges, the brewing right being one of them. The original Budweiser Bier was founded here in 1785.

With millions of people travelling from the old continent of Europe to America hoping to find a better life they also brought with them their beers and tastes for the good stuff. Budweiser Budvar began exporting to the United States in 1871, but in the U.S. itself, C.Conrad (Anheuser-Busch) started using a Budweiser trademark and registered his version of Budweiser with the American Patent Office in 1878. Obviously this set up all sorts of legal disputes and rows over the naming of both beers, that has gone on for centuries, but some sort of compromise was reached when it was decided that the American Anheuser-Busch could use the brand “Budweiser” only in North America, while elsewhere the Czech Budweiser Budvar could use their name as a trademark. Also, Czech Budweiser is sold in North America under the label Czechvar and American Budweiser is labelled as Bud in all European Union markets, except for Ireland and the United Kingdom. In 1994 The European Commission granted Budweiser Budvar N.C. with the right to use a Protected Geographical Indication status “Budějovické pivo” and “Českobudějovické pivo”. This decision became effective on the 1st of May, 2004, and further strengthened the rights of the original Budweiser brand in their their effort to stave off, what must be said, some aggressive American opportunism.

Budweiser Budvar is one of the biggest selling beers in the Czech Republic and exports into more than 60 countries worldwide, with Germany representing the largest market at this moment in time.

Review: 0.51CL Bottle of Budweiser Budvar B:Original Czech imported lager : ABV: 5%

The iconic beer, the original, totally different to that American namesake, coming in a large 0.51CL bottle.

On pour get a nice clear golden colour that produces a decent looking white head, that is big and frothy. Head maintains. Some nice carbonation, actively bubbling away.

It is a nice and clear looking beer that’s for sure, what a beer should look like. Promising.

Lovely beery smell of grains and malted barley. Nice aroma.

On taste a very beery taste, clean and crisp, strong in alcohol content, can definitely feel the alcohol and yeast in the beer and very smooth to drink.

Perhaps a little too malty for me though.

There is a lot of carbonation and I do wonder if the green bottles have something to do with the overall taste, as it tastes ok but a little skunky, and considering its reputation it is nothing amazing.
Very smooth, definitely a session beer as its very drinkable, despite not having an amazing array of tastes. Light in hops, no aftertaste to speak of.

As mentioned, a lot of Malt, it is really malty!

But overall, it is a good session beer, wouldn’t mind downing a few of these, and one I would like to try again for the future, preferably in downtown Prague…..(or Budějovice!) with a fresh version.