Branik 12° Svetlé

Brewed by Staropramen Breweries (InBev)
Style: Bohemian Pilsener
Prague, Czech Republic

Bottle, 5.0% as Branik Lagerbier. Clear dark golden colour. Stable white head. Clean flavour, aromatic hops and quite malty. Some fresh bread, too.

I’m not 100 % sure if this is what I drank. I bought a 5.0 % Branik czech lager bottle from Germany. Quite german taste for a czech lager. Slightly bitter and not very sweet at all. No real hoppy aftertaste either.

On tap at Branicky Sklipek, Novo Mesto, Prague, Pasteurised, 500ml. Gold colour with white head. After failing toget in Novometsky Pivovar we entered this smoky little bar, obtained our beers from the most miserable barman in Prague and squeezed in with the locals. To be fair there was some flavour coming through, there is a green hoppiness and a biscuity maltiness, but its all very thin. A pretty straightforward lager.

Perhaps there was something wrong with my bottle, because there was no real aroma to speak of in this drainpour, and the most prominent flavours I was getting were chemical and metallic.

A great beer. Was very happy when they introduced it this year in bottles. Before it was available on tap infrequently. It is better in bottles than on tap which is unusual. The same great taste as the 10 degree but more flavor and a bit more sweetness. I definitely reccomend it. You can feel the extra alcohol the next day if you drink the 12 degree and are used to the 10 degree since the 12 is just as easy drinking as the 10. Very very tasty!

First rating
Draught at Brinicky Sklipek in Prague.

Golden clear color, big white head. Fresh a bit fruity scent. Medium bitterness. Refreshing a bit malty taste, faint bit of fruitiness as well.
6/4/6/3/12=3.1

Rerate
(Draught in Prague on June 24, 2008)
Clear golden color, nice creamy head that didn’t last very long. Sweet malty clean scent. Malty bready taste, some butterscotch. Medium mouthfeel, low bitterness. Dry and bitter aftertaste.
6/4/6/3/13=3.2

Bottle. Tested 1/7-05. Yellow body, with a medium white foam.Aroma of hops and malty and grain.Medum body short bitter finish.

Big, creamy white head over yellow body. Rated in a very smoky Czech pub, so all I could pick up in the way of aroma was some acidity. Clean, light, faintly malty taste with a refreshing, bitter aftertaste with faint sweetness. A well-made and drinkable lager. (On tap.)