The Bernard Brewery, situated at Humpolec in the Czech Republic, was founded only 20 years ago, but its roots go much further back.

The buildings it occupies date back to the 16th century and were formerly a brewery which became redundant in the early 20th century.

In its brief life, it has established an enviable reputation in a country where quality beer seems to be brewed in almost every town.

It has its own malthouse, and its spring is fed by water from the nearby Moravian highlands. The Belgian brewer Moortgat has taken a substantial shareholding, providing a solid financial base and allowing Bernard to expand into markets outside its home country.

This week’s feature is Bernard’s unfiltered lager, Svatecni in Czech, Celebration in English, presented in a handsome, embossed, swing-top bottle, which opens with an inviting pop!

The colour is honey gold and slightly hazy, and the head is deep and lively, but fairly brief. There is a bright, fresh, sweet aroma of biscuity malt, some corn and green pepper, and notes of apple skin and vanilla in the background.

In the mouth, it is quite fizzy, and the flavour is sweetish with buttery malt, hints of honey and almonds, and a little citrus edge.

This is balanced by a sharp, zingy, slightly metallic hoppiness that gives a grassy, herbal aftertaste, finishing crisp and very dry. There aren’t too many bottle-conditioned lagers on the market, so give this one a try… it’s worth it.