Budvar

Ok I managed to have a few beers at the Kings Arms and the second one on the list was Budvar, which is the original Budweiser from Budějovický in the Czech Republic. Unlike its other Budweiser namesake this is an excellent example of what a proper Czech Pilsner should be. The beer is a deep amber colour with mild carbonation, it is very bitter which is balanced by a strong malt profile and is finished with saaz hops. This beer is best on a hot summer’s day but didn’t disappoint in the January cold. The beer is 5% abv which sees pretty standard for a lager these days. I don’t know why there isn’t a larger variation in alcohol percentages 5%but it seems to be the norm. Here is a bit of history about the brewery;

According to the brewery, King Otakar II of Bohemia granted independent brewers in the city of Budweis the right to produce beer as early as 1265. They did so in a style that became known as "Budweiser," much as beers brewed in the fashion of another Czech city, Plzeň (German: Pilsen), are referred to as "Pilsner". In 2002, Budějovický Budvar set up a subsidiary company in the UK, Budweiser Budvar UK Limited, and saw a dramatic rise in sales for Budweiser Budvar in the UK, where the brand gained far wider distribution. In early 2007, Anheuser-Busch and Budvar reached an agreement that stated that A-B would market Budvar/Czechvar in the United States and several other countries for an undisclosed fee. However, both sides stated that this did not affect their lawsuits.

Ruddles County

Ruddles County (4.7% abv) is a premium bitter found in some pubs and just about every supermarket in the UK. I had the pleasure of my pint at a gastro pub called “The Kings Arms” just around the corner from Tower Bridge in SE1. The pub itself sold excellent burgers but the beer options were a little lacking. Ruddles Ales is an independent brewery that is now part of the Greene King Empire, and I think the Kings Arms may be a Greene King tied house as the ales were Greene king IPA and Ruddles County. The beer is dry and bitter with a unique hoppy taste. I am going to be bold and claim that its hopped with Brambling Cross? The beer also has some roasting notes, but more on the caramel end of the spectrum than the roast barley end. Overall it was a decent pint but just not anything special.