Nektar Svijetlo Pivo (Original Lager)
Banjalučka Pivara

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Heavy skunking on opening. Pours a light to medium golden amber with a three finger white head with good retention and respectable solid lacing. Aroma dominated by skunking notes, with some light lager malt and grassy hops in there somewhere; lightly grainy. Flavor is light lager malt, corn adjunct, mild grainiess and skunked grassy hops. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Well, I just can't resist trying something from a small country even after seeing the green bottle. Bosnia and Herzegovina are not on my immediate travel plans (although I'd love to see the Balkans) and this was one of the few beers I've ever seen from the region. Opening the bottle supported my fears and had the classic light struck hop aroma quite noticeably. The flavor depth wasn't bad, and the flavor was not overwhelmed as it was in the aroma. A bit sweeter with corn-like adjunct than typical, but with some nice grain flavors lingering around the edges. Oddly, after my palette adjusted to the skunkiness, I found this drinkable enough and had no problem finishing the bottle, which I had not expected. I would guess I'd score this one higher at the source, but the skunkiness was a noticeable flaw, alas. Verging on decent without the green bottle, but not quite the nectar of the gods as presented.

 

 

Well I can say the usual euro pale lager flavors are present, with some herbal and grassy tones, some adjuncts, especially sweet corn and grain, but the urine smell is missing and the body actually has a hint of refinement in the texture. Still has plenty of flaws, but one of the better epl's I have come across.

 

Appearance: clear and golden.
Smell: clean, allowing the malt and hop subtleties to pull through
Taste: Light
Feel: Tasty, no bitterness.
Overall: Not for enjoying in one bottle, great companion in rough nights.

This time, I had it at "Banjalucka pivara" brewery own pub called "Zlatna krigla".

"BP" brewery is notoriusly known for inconsistency in brewing quality and beer style, when it comes to their "original" beer.
My evaluations have clasified this brand as euro pale lager, german pilsner, munich helles, german export, just to name a few.
What you get on tap at their pub in Banja Luka is most often a pale lager.
Most of the time, it's only filtered,not pasteurized, so you get most of the flavour intact and to be enjoyed.
It was served in 0.5L mug, a bit to cold.
It's color is "old gold" with little foam that goes away quickly. It smells like pale,pilsner malt, roses and a touch of lager yeast.Very fresh tasting with medium carbonation that is followed by noble hop bitternes and flavor.The body is lighter medium, semi sweet, that is well balanced with hops.Taste is malty and some field honey.Finish is clean with malt notes and light bitternes, that is provoking next sip.
This beer is very good.Not top, but better than anything else in the Balkans.

I'v also rated their "original" from 1.5 to 4.5, depending on package and market, where is it going to be sold.
Their best selling "original" in green botles is not worth buying, as most beers in Balkans, that are made for local consumers.
With bottle version, you have to endure most of the flaws, that come with "cheap" brews.Some of them are:skunky aroma(lightstruck),diacetyl, acetaldechyd, fusel alcohols etc. Not to mention hangovers....

Very poor taste, almost as vomit. Drowning in hop. Smell on corn ethanol. Give strong headacke.

 

 

I am really working to eradicate the bottle backlog here at Chez Woody! This one came to me as part of a recent drop-off/drop-by from/with my local, in-person trader, tone77. I just hope that I enjoy it as much as he did!

From the bottle: "Brewed with Pride Since 1873"; "Quality Tradition".

Upon Pop!ping the cap, I really let fly with my pour since, according to tone77, it can't hurt. I got a massive amount of foaming that settled into two fingers of dense, rocky, foamy, eggshell-white head with good retention. Sofa! So fa, so good. Color was a slightly hazy Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9). Nose smelled more like that cheaply made Euro Pale Lager that comes in a close third to AALs & AMLs! Sharp, fusel, acetaldehyde, all earmarks of some fine brewing ... not! It usually means stressed or overworked yeast & I would not put this outside of the realm of possibility here. Mouthfeel was medium, but soft on the tongue. That was the only thing soft about it, though! The taste was really sharp, very much of green apple and not at all like a GER Pils. Allowing it to warm, I also got notes of honey & a light breadiness, reinforcing my idea that it is a EPL. Still, it was not very tasty. Finish was semi-sweet and left me with a slight honey-apple flavor that just seemed to linger. Woof! In all good conscience, I cannot review/rate this as a German Pilsener. It barely passes muster as a Euro Pale Lager, which would be a better style identification for it.

My eastern Europe beer night continues, with my first ever from this country. Hell yeah. Poured from a green 11.2 oz. bottle. Has a dark golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of green apples, some grains. Taste is green apples, grains, malts, hints of vinegar. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall not a beer I would want to drink again.

Bottle share courtesy of Jeremy. As expected for a euro lager, mostly adjunct grains, a little cooked vegetables. Pale golden body with small airy head. A bit too funky/musty.