STYLE

ALC.

DESCRIPTION

Světlé Výčepní Pivo

3-4%

(8-10° plato)

Pale, low-strength lager. In German the name translates as "Helles Schankbier". Usually highly-attenuated and fairly hoppy. Not lagered for any great time, such beers are sold 3-4 weeks after mashing. The most popular style of beer in the Czech Republic.

Polomavé Výčepní Pivo

3-4% (8-10° plato)

Amber, low-gravity lager. Some breweries call it Řizek or "cut", meaning a mix of pale and dark. A type of beer which is virtually unknown outside the Czech Republic.

Tmavé (Černé) Výčepní Pivo

3-4% (8-10° plato)

Dark, low-gravity lager - "Dunkles Schankbier". Can be either sweet and malty or quite dry, with an amount of malt bitterness. Pretty much exclusively a Czech style.

Světlý Ležák

4.4-5%

(11-12° plato)

The classic Czech pale lager style. The name means the same as "Helles Lagerbier" in German. Individual beers vary greatly, from sweetish and malty (like Pilsner Urquell) to dry and hoppy (Budvar). One thing they all have in common is being heavily hopped with good quality aroma hops (such as Saaz). Beers in this style should be lagered for 2-3 months before sale.

Polotmavý ležák

4.4-5%

(11-12° plato)

An amber lager, roughly in the Vienna style. Full-bodied, malty and with those lovely Czech hops much in evidence.

Tmavý (Černý) Ležák

4.4-5%

(11-12° plato)

A term that covers a wide range of darker lagers, that vary in colour from pale brown to jet black. The name translates as "Dunkles Lagerbier" in German. They vary in taste from sweeter than a Münchner to quite dry. The Czech Republic is very unusual in that pale lagers preceeded dark ones. Czech dark beers remained top-fermenting until the 1890's. Beers in this style should be lagered for 2-3 months before sale.

Světlé Speciální Pivo

5-5.8% (13-14° Plato)

A heavily-hopped pale lager. Approximates to a South German "Helles Export" or "Spezial" - a full-bodied beer with a good dose of quality aroma hops.

Polotmavé Speciální Pivo

5.3-6% (13-14° plato)

An amber lager, roughly in the Märzen style (some breweries still use that term, or at least the Czech translation "Březnové pivo"). Full-bodied, malty and with those lovely Czech hops much in evidence.

Tmavé (Černé) Speciální Pivo

5-5.8% (13-14° plato)

Strong dark lagers, which don't have many equivalents elsewhere. A Dunkles Märzen or Dunkles Export, related to Franconian beers of this name. A style usually only attempted by full-on artisan lager brewers. Full-bodied, malty and sometimes quite bitter. The U Fleků Ležák is a beautiful example of this style.

Světlé Speciální Pivo

6 - 7% (15-17° plato)

Roughly equivalent to a pale bock - powerful and bittersweet.

Polotmavé Speciální Pivo

8 - 9% (18-21° plato)

Amber doppelbock. Another amber style rarely seen outside the Czech Republic.

Tmavé (Černé) Speciální Pivo

6 - 7% (15-17° plato)

Dark bock - big, chewy lagers.