The Czech Republic takes its beer seriously. Not only do the people consume more beer per capita than any other country, but they’ve spent hundreds of years building their beer tradition. For Sunday Road, that’s a great reason to draw inspiration and bring that tradition to their Kirrawee brewery.
Their SR 12° Czech Style Lager may look simple, but it’s all understated: there’s a lot going on under the surface.
The style? It’s a Polotmavý, which roughly translates to half-dark – what we’d generally call an amber lager.
The name? The labels of Czech beers often display the starting gravity of the beer (that is, the density of the wort before the sugars are fermented); in the case of this amber, the starting gravity was 12° Plato.
The ingredients? A blend of Bohemian malts, all floor-malted in the Czech Republic, and Saaz hops from – you guessed it – the Czech Republic.
The can design? Well. A quick image search for "budejovicky budvar" will answer that question.
The beer itself? In both colour and taste, it’s deeper than a pils but lighter than a Vienna: a sunset orange with both the malt and hops playing their part in the flavour profile. Think Melba toast with just the tiiiiiiniest scraping of golden syrup, alongside a dusting of a herbal dukkah that would go well sprinkled over roast vegies. But for all this nuance, it’s easygoing - dry and crisp, balanced and sessionable.
Head to Sunday Road’s Kirrawee taproom and you can even get the traditional Czech bar experience - they’ll give you the perfectly-foamed pour from a Lukr side-pull tap into a dimpled mug.
Or you can grab a four-pack of tinnies to knock back with a pie while you binge Netflix. Less traditional, but equally acceptable.
Mick Wüst
NB Their Coffee Lager has been updated and rereleased at the same time too. Read about that here.
Published May 15, 2024 2024-05-15 00:00:00
