Czechvar at Smokeless Joe's

[Uncle Bobby]

Speaking of which...All this typing has made me thirsty. I'm picking up a couple of Czechvar's tonight. I can share them with a buddy who is coming over. Pootz has made a nice point -- it goes with a lots of foods. Mine will accompany a Thai green curry of beef.

BTW, when did the Czechs begin calling their beer "Czechvar" instead of "Budweiser Budvar"? Are these two different products? Or are they different brand names for different markets?

Thanks,

Uncle Bobby

[Philip1]

BTW, when did the Czechs begin calling their beer "Czechvar" instead of "Budweiser Budvar"? Are these two different products? Or are they different brand names for different markets?

Thanks,

Uncle Bobby

It's still called Budvar in most of the world. Anheuser-Busch (AB) Budweiser has used its muscle to try to get exclusive use of the word "Budweiser" but has been unsuccessful in most parts of the world. But here in North America and one or two other places it's called Czechvar - possibly because AB's Budweiser was already known here before Budvar became available. A-B is trying to purchase the Czech company that brews it, probably with the intention of renaming the product everywhere so AB's product will have exclusive use of the Budweiser name. Last I heard the Czechs weren't budging.

[old faithful]

The products are, I understand, the same. The Czechvar name is used in markets where Anheuser-Busch's trade mark rights for Budweiser prevent the name Budweiser Budvar from being used. The Czechvar name was devised a few years ago, before that the brewery did not sell in markets where it faced that trade mark issue.

If you have a choice, I suggest you buy the Czechvar which has a best-by date in November '05 - I think it states, in light type right on the glass, 11/28 - and not the one dated into December '05. Yes, one would think the later-dated beer is as good or better than the older one. In my view, it is not, it is slightly drier and less rich. Both are very good but the November '05 one is better. I find this happens with Urquel too sometimes, sometimes the later-dated one is not as good as an older one. Probably this reflects minor differences in production characteristics, not anything to do with shipping or handling. (Nor can aging be a factor affecting - positively - quality with such lager beers, i.e., it is not like some bottle-conditioned ales that can improve over a year or more).

Gary

[the.brewer]

Ever thought that the later code-dated batch, probably produced in Dec '04, could have been badly stored, i.e. up high in a warehouse right beside a unit heater? *Whereas the older batch may actually have remained at room temperature or below, since it was shipped; in other words, it's not so much that there are variations in production, but rather shipping/storage conditions that have diminished the quality of the later batch.

* I'm starting a sentence with a "Whereas" because lawyers seem to be allowed to do so.
MH

[old faithful]

Maybe, but experience has shown me that packaged beer can be variable in this way and I wonder if handling can always explain it. Of course, all things being equal, fresher is best. I still like almost any beer as new as possible (i.e. once past the green stage and fit for sale). Those port-like flavors in older bottles of strong ale (a form of oxidation) generally do not taste right to me, but that is a personal preference. I also find that the newer the beer is, the more digestible it is. But I do like the odd well-aged barley wine or Russian Stout, oh yes.

Gary

[pootz]

Ever thought that the later code-dated batch, probably produced in Dec '04, could have been badly stored, i.e. up high in a warehouse right beside a unit heater? *Whereas the older batch may actually have remained at room temperature or below, since it was shipped; in other words, it's not so much that there are variations in production, but rather shipping/storage conditions that have diminished the quality of the later batch.

* I'm starting a sentence with a "Whereas" because lawyers seem to be allowed to do so.
MH

I just laid in a dozen and the (expirery) date coded: 04/10/05 tastes realatively fresh malty and fragrant. The label says serve cold ...but here's something I learned about this Budvar....you will get a different impression with the serving temp....if you want the crisp, citrusy tastes searve very cold...if you want a balanced taste; serve at 40-36deg.F....if you want to enjoy the wonderful malting in this beer and see a good frothy white cap serve in the 50-40 deg. F range. Personally I like this beer warmer than most Pilsners to get the benefts of the great malt mix.

I got some fresh King Pilsner, and some steam whistle I intend to taste with the Budvar tonight for comparison.

[old faithful]

I reached a point about 10-15 years ago where I realised good beer could be drunk room temperature. Doing this brings out flavours you don't find in the same beer when it is colder. (But this also brings out more any faults the beer has, especially oxidation). Of course, this only applies to good beer, a poorly flavored beer needs some chill to off-set the lack of character. The Budvar drinks very well at room temperature, so would, I am sure, King's or Steam Whistle's pilsener. The only time I will chill good beer today is if it is warm outside or in the room or if I want to bring out a certain accent, e.g., a light chill to Fuller 1845 brings out its plum-like taste.

Gary

[pootz]

Well. I thought I'd post some impressions from my mid winter pilsner taste comparison (done for fun to rank some top pilsners I buy in my taste perspectives only).

On deck were:
(1) The aforementioned Czechvar (10/05 expirery)
(2) Steam whistle (package date 12/21/04) ,
(3) King brewey Pils ( bottled 18/11/04) and....
(4) suprise entry- Brick anniversary pils (bottled 12/04)

Serving condition:

(1) 45 Deg. F in a room temp 1/2 pint Pisner flute
(2) 36 " " " " " " " " " "
(3) 38 " " " " " " " " "
(4) 35 " " " " " " 1/2 liter weizen glass

( all temp's confirmed with my brewer's thermo placed in the bottle prior to decanting)


Impressions by rank:

Appearance: 3, 1, 2, 4

Nose: 1, 3, 4, 2

Taste: 1, 4, 2, 3

Overall rating: 1, 4, 3, 2

Steam whistle came off really well made and stacked up well against the Budvar...it is now a tastey little light craft pilsner ( it is now devoid of the smutty yeast tastes)

The Brick was a surprise to me I never realised how well it was crafted until I compared it to other good Pils at a common tasting.

The Czechvar/Budvar is now a favorite pils of mine (it has edged out Urquell with me) as my tastes have changed and I now appreciate a well malted beer that shows off its malts in relative balance to hops that are picked to be more herbal and complimentary that stark and bittering/crisp.

King came off the worst and I really didn't expect it to after all the hype...it was a good stab at the Urquell style pils but it didn't deliver...the hops were there but I think over boiled...went from crist tartness to deep bittering in this beer.

Just MHO for what it's worth.

[pootz]

I reached a point about 10-15 years ago where I realised good beer could be drunk room temperature. Doing this brings out flavours you don't find in the same beer when it is colder. (But this also brings out more any faults the beer has, especially oxidation). Of course, this only applies to good beer, a poorly flavored beer needs some chill to off-set the lack of character. The Budvar drinks very well at room temperature, so would, I am sure, King's or Steam Whistle's pilsener. The only time I will chill good beer today is if it is warm outside or in the room or if I want to bring out a certain accent, e.g., a light chill to Fuller 1845 brings out its plum-like taste.

Gary

I've found this as well...if it's really made well with the things I like in a beer( balance, character, drinkability) ..it drinks well at room temp or slightly chilled.

[Belgian]

I used to pine for Budvar when I couldn't get it here. Funny how when the "rare factor" dissappears you stop coveting something as much. Staropramen (from Prague) is also a beer I bought by the case initially, fearing it would dissappear like Radegast did.

If Rochefort 8 were sold at LCBO, well, I'd still want to drink it often. But the LCBO must make a lot more cash off the Eastern European brewers than the well-off Belgians. Look at the beers they sell - all the good Polish beers, and the awful Russian / former soviet ones you try once and drain-pour.

Can anyone else explain it?

[SteelbackGuy]

I had no idea that chezvar was so popular.

Isn't it always available at the LCBO? It is for me on a daily basis.

Maybe I've missed the point of this thread entirely......

i thought chezvar was just average, but maybe I am all alone on that one!

[GregClow]

I had no idea that chezvar was so popular.

Isn't it always available at the LCBO? It is for me on a daily basis.

Maybe I've missed the point of this thread entirely......

This thread was originally started back in Oct 2001 when Czechvar wasn't available at the LCBO, but was instead a rarity available at Smokeless Joe. For some reason, someone revived the thread recently to chat about Czechvar again.

Personally, I prefer Urquell, but Czechvar is still quite a good pilsener.

[esprit]

LCBO beer mark-ups are based upon volume so they don't make any more off an Eastern European brewery than a Belgian, unless of course the Belgian is a very small brewery as the LCBO does apply 6 different levels of mark-up depending upon brewery size. A very small brewery would have a mark-up which is 1/10th that of a large brewery.