Czech

Beers

Aikman’s Bar~Bistro

The Cellar Bar

Home

Daytime Menu

Music

Outside Catering

Outside Bars

This Week’s Real Ales

European Beers

Budweiser Budvar - not be confused with its American counterpart, Budvar is the original "Bud". Another of the Czech Republic's Pilsener style beers. This is the original Czech lager of this name, with a long history peppered more recently with legal battles against Anheuser-Busch, the American corporation responsible for a lager of a similar name you may have heard of. Let's not beat about the bush: the original Czech version is a lot nicer (for a start, it actually tastes of something). The Saaz hops impart a very delicate aroma, noticeable beneath the more obvious vanilla notes. On the palate, it is soft, smooth and slightly bitter, again with underlying vanilla, plus some grassy Saaz hop character. Aftertaste is subtle, lingering and slightly bitter. Altogether, this makes a refreshing and very drinkable lager.

Pilsener Urquell - the original Pilsener, Urquell is a crisp,

clean tasting beer brewed for over 600 years. historically, Pilseners

were the first clear, golden lagers - before this, all beers were dark and cloudy. In Germany, the name pilsner designates a particular style. However, in the Czech Republic it also designates origin - this beer is claimed to be the original pilsner. It is a little darker than most pilsners (golden yellow rather than pale yellow), has a lightly hoppy, flowery, socky nose, a more intense, dry, bitter hop flavour balanced with a hint of syrupy, malty sweetness and some rounded honey notes. The finish is bitter with a slightly cloying vanilla edge and a subtle bite in the back of the throat. A very pleasant pilsner, which works best as a summer session beer.

Gambrinus - a maltier version of a Pilsener, Gambrinus takes its name from the patron Saint of drinking in Belgium, Jan Primus. The Gambrinus Brewery shares a site with Urquell, and is therefore the only other brewery that can call its beers 'pilsner' as an appellation of origin rather than just a style. The beer has a short-lived head and the nose consists of slightly smoky malt, some aroma hop flowers and, rather more inexplicably, oat bran and quinine (like bitter lemon). On the palate there is more smoky malt and some hoppy bitterness, but the beer is surprisingly light and certainly not as hoppy as many other pilsners. Finish is short, slightly smoky and a little hoppy.

Kozel - this is a characterful Bohemian lager from the town brewery of Velké Popovicke. It's a very attractive light blond colour, with a white head and a hoppy aroma with a waxy, honeyed quality. On the palate there's crisp and very clean malt, a lemony tang and a firm but rounded dryness from the start. In the mouth, the beer reveals a softly honeyed texture, and a very fine bitterness lingers with pollen-like touches and another squeeze of lemon zest. Overall, a fine, dry but generously approachable beer.

Staropramen - one of the more heavily publicised beers in this country, following its takeover by an English brewery. The quality remains, as a bright crisp Pilsener. The name means 'old source' - it is a Czech lager, along the lines of a pilsner. The nose is hoppy and slightly smoky, reminiscent of extremely burnt hop flowers. In the mouth it is equal in hop and vanilla, with some chemical content. There is a slight bitterness, with some sweetness and malt flavour.

Aikman’s Bar and The Cellar Bar are OPEN from 11am until 1.00AM EVERY Night of the Week

Aikman’s Bar~Bistro, 32 Bell Street, St. Andrews 01334 477425