For some reason I always thought this beer was from Germany, Denmark, or the Netherlands. With a name like Golden Pheasant I would have never guessed it was from Slovakia. I stand corrected. Apparently, they are about the business of making a “premium quality lager beer.” I enjoyed the bottle design and labeling and thought I’d give it a try. The back label reads, “a golden pheasant in a field of ripen barley has always been a sign of a rich and bountiful harvest.” I always thought it meant a good hunting season, but heck, what do I know. I went to their website (which was in Slovakian) and apparently it’s called Zlaty Bazant. I did notice the name Heineken which tells me either they help brew or own this Slovakian company. Maybe that explains the green bottles, but unfortunately I do not read or speak the language so my research ends there.
On to the beer itself which was again a standard European lager. It was remarkably better than the Stiegl I had early which was a relief. There is nothing worse than choking down a beer that is of poor quality. I could tell Heineken had there hand in this brew as it tasted very similar. I did smell a sweeter pils malt aroma and it also had a freshness about it. The head was white and fluffy and the carbonation is low, but consistent. There was a soft touch of lager yeast giving it a bready flavor and I was pleased to find it only had a minimal sulfur/skunky aroma and taste, which is standard in most Euro lagers. It is very light on the tongue with good carbonation resulting in a clean and slightly dry finish. You do get a good mixture of malt and hops in every sip and I found that it grew on me as I drank it.
Overall I enjoyed this beer and give a hearty “well done” to its Slovakian brewers.
ABV: 5.0%
Grade: B
Hi,
I am glad you liked our beer! It’s a sister company of Heineken International.
Greetings from Slovakia.
Ps: Its Zlaty Bazant, which literally means golden pheasant 🙂
Best tasting beer in the World.
I agree that this is perfectly balanced full flavor beer. This is a must try beer ,loved it from the first sip! I found it at the german bar in Des Moines , Iowa. Its a must see bar with many european varieties of beer . This is my new favorite!!
We took a boat trip down the Danube last June and had a fabulous time visiting Prague, Vienna, Budapest and many other places in between. Stopped in rainy Bratislava and enjoyed it as well. Not sure we tried any Slovakian beers along with the many German, Czech, and Hungarian brews we sampled. Then I discovered Golden Pheasant recently at a market in Wilmington, NC and found it to be excellent. I actually went back today and bought out all they had!
Great brew, from a wonderful people. I adored the time I spent in Slovakia. I really liked
the Kofola as well.
Where can this Golden Pheasant in Michigan
Greetings, and I hope you are in good stead. I recently noticed that Zlaty Bazant was now on sale in the Chicagoland area, and also that is was brewed in Wisconsin at the Minhas Brewery. Upon tasting the pivo, I was sadly disappointed and found the beer un-drinkable! I was the Marketing Director for Stanley Stawski Imports for 8 years back in the 80’s and 90’s treasure the visits I had to Hurbanova, Slovakia where I was blessed to enjoy the fine bier on tap! This new version is so bad, I swear a crime has been committed! Regards
Hi I found this beer in one of the stores in chicago IL but it says it was produced in Wisconsin and honestly taste disgusting. I tried this beer during my visit in Europe and it’s totally different beer but same name. Weird