Hello, beer lovers! 🍻

It was a sunny Saturday, full of fun activities.
We were invited to a friend’s birthday party, where nothing was missing. Since I was driving, I refrained from drinking (it was hard, I must admit), because #beersaturday awaits me tonight - number 467 in the series - and two beers in the fridge :)

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I now have two beers in front of me, one Czech and one Italian; I’ll happily taste them and share the beer experience with you.

🍻 😎 🍻

Budweiser Budvar Lager

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Brewed by Budějovický Budvar, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
Bottle, 0.33 l, alcohol 5.0% ABV, IBU 22. Bohemian pilsner style.

What do the Master Brewers say?

A 750-year-long tradition of brewing the original Beer from Budweis and a unique 90-day maturing period amplify the beer’s exceptionality even more. Budweiser Budvar Premium Pale Lager can thus be savored with all the senses. Firstly, your eye can see its beautiful golden colour and rich thick head, then you can smell its mild hop aroma and feel the misted glass in your palm, and finally use your taste buds to savour its mild medium-strong bitterness. Our premium pale lager will forever impress you.

I've had it before. I think it's a true classic, a Bohemian-style lager.

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The beer is a clear, bright golden color; the head is average and fades quickly. It has a malty aroma. It goes down smoothly; on the palate, I first detect a slight malt sweetness, which gives way to hop bitterness and herbal notes.
In the aftertaste, everything fades away except for a mild bitterness.

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A drinkable and refreshing beer!
Not too sweet, not too bitter - very well-balanced. Long maturation (7 times longer than average beer) gives it a clean, full-bodied, and balanced flavor. They say it’s great for drinking in larger quantities. I don’t know about that, but I’ll have to try it sometime; it’s available at all local stores here.

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And one more thing: It has nothing to do with American Budweiser. Budvar is the real deal, while American Bud is a light, rice-based, almost watery lager.

🍻 😎 🍻

Gran Riserva Doppio Malto

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Brewed by Birra Peroni, Roma, Italy.
Bottle, 0.33 l, alcohol 6.6%, IBU 25. Strong lager.

What do the Master Brewers say?

A prestigious clear double malt beer with an alcohol content of 6.6%: this beer is the result of a careful, scrupulous selection of the most noble qualities of aromatic hops, yeast and a spring variety of distichous barley named "cherie". Ingredients are chosen with great attention and the experience of long-standing brewers.

🍺

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The beer is clear golden, and the head is average. It has a subtle aroma of caramelized malt. It goes down smoothly, and at first I taste sweetness, caramel, and bread, which develop into a subtle bitterness in the finish that lingers for a while.

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Drinkable and refreshing.
Sweet, but not overly so; thanks to the double malt, it’s slightly caramel-like and well-balanced. Full-bodied and more “premium” than regular lagers.
It’s not available in local stores here. Since I often pop over to Italy, I might bring back a bottle or two next time.

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If I compare the two (since they’re both lagers): Budvar is a cleaner, more herbal-hoppy Czech pilsner, while Gran Riserva is sweeter, fuller-bodied, and malt-forward.

🍻 😎 🍻

And what am I listening to as I write this and taste beer? Tundra Rock, a blend of desert stoner riffs and Norwegian cold energy.

Slomosa - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)