Stella Artois - Stella Artois

Trombone69

New Jersey

2.65/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I opened my 1 liter bottle and it smelled like a skunky Heineken.
"Best Before 02-2013"
I poured it into a brandy snifter and got a small frothy head that dissipated quickly. Minimal Lacing. Light in color, clear, with a slight orange or peach color.

Taste & mouthfeel: Not bad, light carbonation, mild hoppiness. Good drinkability / session beer, refreshing on a humid day. A liitle skunkiness.

Overall, I think my money would be better spent elsewhere.

I have friends who think that this is the greatest...but I just don't see it.

Serving type: growler

07-15-2012 03:06:39 | More by Trombone69

da_beers

New Jersey

3.14/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Bored to tears are at Tampa intl airport and the Beer list is dreadful. Special is dollar off Stella's so here we go.

A - clean light straw with no head to speak of. Decent lacing. Budlight kinda look

S - crisp and tart. Has a bit of a zest. Nothing jumps out at the nose.

T - has a nice crisp bite. As far as draughts at a run of the mill place, you can't go too wrong with a Stella. A little citrus hidden in there. Hard to believe this was originally a holiday beer... I think stouts and porters for Christmas!

M - light body that finishes clean. No aftertaste. Just simple and clean

O - overall it is what it is. It's a great beer when nothing else is available.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2013 01:00:38 | More by da_beers

mcb1987

Georgia

4/5  rDev +30.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

There's not much not to like about Stella Artois.

A: A very thin head with little carbonation going on.

S: Very settle, a small about of malts can be detected.

T: A very mild taste, you almost forget its beer.

M: Very smooth!!!

O: This is one of those beers you get for someone that doesn't like the taste of beer. Very mild but very good.

Must try.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 02:13:09 | More by mcb1987

Beric

Michigan

3.56/5  rDev +16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Serving: Bottle, from the bottle
Served: 8 Jun 13

Appearance: I had this one from the bottle, so it would be unfair to bullshit a bunch about the appearance. So I'll comment on the bottle- green bottle (eh) but really great labels give it a nice old-worldy feeling. The little label along the neck is a little annoying because it comes up all the way to the edge of the cap and you need to rip it off. Minus functionality points.

Smell: Smells kind of skunky, but only for a little while, and then just smells 'beer-y'. Nothing too notable going on in the nose.

Taste: Compared to other beers of this style, this one is actually a step above the rest. No, it's not a DIPA or RIS that's going to blow your brains apart with ABV and flavor, but FOR the style, this is pretty good. There's a little metallic funk in there that's a little off-putting, but beyond that, you can taste the malt backbone and some weird spicy notes from the yeast. I actually thought I tasted the Hefeweizen banana taste at some point, but I may have just been imagining things.

Mouthfeel: Light and spritzy, effervescent. Simple.

Overall: This is a very simple beer (again, representative of the style), but you do get some of the weird spice notes from the Belgian yeasts. I probably would not search this beer out all the time, but if it were served at a party or there were not better options on tap I would not mind getting it. One of the best euro pales, in my opinion, and a significant cut above the rest (in terms of style/other macro lagers). It might not get love here, but honestly, it is not as bad as half the people on this site make it out to be. Just got to compare it to its own kind. I'll do a taste test between Heineken and Stella and maybe some other euro pale to see which comes out on top, but based on memory alone, this is the best euro pale I've had.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 12:26:04 | More by Beric

blindnil

Oregon

2.38/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.25

Poured into flute.

A-Pale with light head. Best aspect of the beer.

S-Like I ran over a skunk and then covered it with rotten flowers and grass clippings.

T-Thin, slight bitterness and skunk that fades into adjunct territory.

MF-Thin with a slight noble hop slickness that coats the palette and leaves it skunked.

Overall- There's a reason why Belgians don't drink Stella Artois lager in Belgium and prefer to drink Maes Pils or Jupiler. The latter two are only slightly better than the former.

Save your money unless its free and you're at the pool, beach or playing golf. Its better out of the bottle because that skunk aroma stays where it belongs and not in your nose.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 03:51:14 | More by blindnil

BeerAficionadoMCMXC

California

3.83/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

God this beer is so good. It's a crisp, refreshing lager and can be drank like water. Flavor is all there, appearance, taste and mouthfeel are all accurate, but the smell could be improved. I've had many in my ife but this one is the one I will review. It has never disappointed me in the bar.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 07:01:07 | More by BeerAficionadoMCMXC

RaphaelSC

Brazil

2.99/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: gold yellow, with with head, that vanish in seconds.

S: Some malts very weak, almost imperceptibly.

T:To drink Stella Artois is like to drink another belgian beers, but with a lot of water in it. It is better than most macro-brewery beers, but isn't great. A little above the average beer nothing more than this.

M: A little bitterness, some malts, but nothing remarkable.

O: Another beer to serving in low temperatures without much flavour, still better than the common American Adjunct Lager.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 05:43:56 | More by RaphaelSC

keith_wayne

Ohio

2.2/5  rDev -28.3%
look: 4 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25

12oz bottle poured into a regular pint glass

A: pour a nicegold/yellow color with a good 3 finger head. Lacing was excellent.

S: light yeasty bread notes, and skunk. Lots of skunk.

T: some bread, yeast and floral notes. Some of the skunk is coming through, but not overpowering. Not much taste overall

O: Looked great when I poured but smells like skunk. Not a lot of taste.

Don't plan on trying again. The store i buy from is very good so I don't think this was a bad bottle. It reminds me of the average large scale generic Euro or US beers. I don't understand why any beer is in clear or green bottles. Are those bottles cheaper to make? Considering the price, I'll take a PBR or Miller Lite over this.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 01:06:49 | More by keith_wayne

NiceTaps

New Jersey

2.98/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a pilsner glass.

A- It poured a light gold color with a billowy white head, 2-plus finger. The three pours that I base this review on all left plenty of lacing on the glass, and all had lively carbonation. Clean and clear, nice looking pours.

S-Some grass, yeast, and very light note of fruit. Skunkiness and litter box odor dominate this beer's aroma.

T-Bready, yeast, some light fruitiness, some adjunct. Not much flavor.

M- Light bodied with a dry finish and unpleasant aftertaste. It's crisp and refreshing in an odd manner, so 3.25.

O-Euro Adjunct Lager? Belgian imposter? It looked good then went downhill - fast.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 10:35:01 | More by NiceTaps

spoony

Colorado

3.36/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

From a 330 ml bottle (best before February 2014) into a globe.

A-This brew is light and mostly yellow in color. There is some carbonation visible, but it is otherwise clear. The head is clean and white. The foam drops from a finger to a thick ring pretty quickly.

S-The smell is a surprisingly strong, but simple, thing. I detect a vague, fruity sweetness, some skunk, some grass, and a touch of butter.

T-The taste is simple and non-offensive. There is some pale malty fruit up front, a corn-like mid-palate, and a slightly grassy, spicy hop note on the finish. This won't be winning any taste contest, but for the style, it fits the bill.

M-This beer is surprisingly heavy feeling and lacking in carbonation. It is a touch watery, but not effervescent like I would have thought.

O-Sure, Stella is the poster child for deceptive "Belgian" marketing, but for a pale, macro lager, one could do worse. I was pleasantly surprised by the aroma, which is intense (all things being relative). If you are looking for a brew to throw down on the golf course or while lounging pool-side on a hot summer day, this might be an option.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 00:29:25 | More by spoony

CBurtonHannum

Connecticut

2.9/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Probably the best of the on tap Belgian lagers. No surprises either way, but even poor Canadian lagers kill this beer. A bit pricey for what your getting and if there's a choice, I'd pick Dos Equis Amber over The pale girl.
I found it more popular the farther south I traveled and if served ice cold is very refreshing on a hot summer's day.
Frankly, this beer isn't worth any more than one hundred words.

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2013 20:58:20 | More by CBurtonHannum

estlinska

Arkansas

3.4/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

I have had this beer multiple times in my life, usually from the bottle. I usually order it when the choices are fairly slim. This review is from a draft pour as I feel reviewing out of the bottle can be problematic given that it is a green bottle. Perhaps that alone calls for major negatives, but I try to be unbiased.

Pours a deep golden color a little like mildly tarnished gold jewelry. There is a pile of thick frothy head on the top and leaves delicate lacing to the glass. Both the head and the lacing is quick to dissipate. There is lots of good light penetration and just the ever-so-slight chill haze to it. This is the best attribute of the beer. The nose, however, is just average. There is sweet corn smell to it, processed white bread smell reminiscent to when I lived next to the Merita bread factory in downtown Birmingham. I'm not sure if they actually use corn adjunts, but I definitely get that whiff. There is the ever so slight smell of a spicy or herbal hop to the beer that comes and goes. The sulfur smell is slightly more prominent than I would like, and borders on skunkiness, but not quite. Just when I think it smells skunky, it goes away. The taste, like the smell, is just average, but the sulfur notes are much less prominent. The white bread dominates with a tight acerbic bite from the carbonation. Hops are very subdued and slightly spicy; I would assume they are of Noble origin. The mouthfeel is crisp, dry, carbonated and rather refreshing overall, like a premium lager should be. Overall, this beer is average. On tap it is a fairly good lager when the options are limited, but it certainly isn't a world-class lager.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2013 14:44:12 | More by estlinska

wedge

North Carolina

3.09/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Best Before End: 07/12/13

Clear yellow with a compact, frothy white head. Dusty grain, a little corn, and some grass. Flavors of fairly clean graininess, light sweetness, and mild floral notes. Bland and harmless...no off flavors like many macros. Crisp and well-carbonated. Refreshing, poundable, and instantly forgettable.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 22:57:20 | More by wedge

cjnuxoll

California

4.65/5  rDev +51.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

another light, crisp refreshing beer. one thing i hate about stella is the 11 oz bottles, so when you buy a case you spend more for the import and are already two beers light. that rant out of the way, stella is smooth with that hint of burnt after flavor that reminds you it's an import. there's a reason why this is one of the most popular beers in the world - good, smooth-drinking flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2013 03:26:48 | More by cjnuxoll

Damian

Massachusetts

3.06/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Drank from an 11.2 fl.oz. bottle
Best before end: 03.2013
Served in a pilsner glass
Thanks to my dad for this single.

A tight, creamy, three-finger, bright white crop of foam topped the crystal clear, pale, golden beverage. Good lasting strength on the head. An attractive, steady stream of bubbles ascended the liquid. Sheets of sticky lacing coated the upper few inches of the glass, but the lacing disappeared rather quickly.

The nose was super skunky initially. Grainy and husky. Strong sulfur notes. Overall, really unpleasant. As the beer opened up, the skunky notes mellowed a bit and a slight sweetness appeared. A touch honey-like.

The flavor profile was far more tolerable than the nose. Pale malts came through on the front end. Grainy. Semi-crisp and bright. Subtle sulfur notes. The beer turned slightly tart on the back end and the finish. Lemon notes were detectible. Some mild, noble hops came through as well.

Decent mouthfeel. The liquid was medium bodied with a crisp yet mellow, finely bubbled effervescence.

I understand why hipsters have adopted PBR as their beer of choice, but why some have moved to Stella is beyond me. Stella's marketing campaigns are corny and their beer is usually a light struck, skunky mess. They are truly the bane of the Belgian beer world.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 03:13:23 | More by Damian

MichaelNickerson

Michigan

3.16/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Light, golden yellow with a thick crystal white head. The head lasts over a minute and leaves a ring around the top.

Smell: Weak, grainy scent. Not pleasant as it doesn't arouse any emotions.

Taste: Extremely smooth and grainy. Some lime acidity on the palate.

Mouthfeel: Strong carbonation, leaves the palate silky and wanting another sip.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 22:42:18 | More by MichaelNickerson

Rast

Maryland

1.84/5  rDev -40.1%
look: 1.75 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.75

Bottle numero dos at Double T Diner in Catonsville, MD. Alleluia!

Concerns from the onset: pours a thin, light amber. Fizzz. Head disappears faster than a flash of light. Can't smell much. "Euro Pale lager" is an apt description. I feel like I should be smoking a long cigarette and wearing a turtle neck. Taste is OK, lightest of barley and some hop bitterness. Feels like Sprite in the mouth. If this is truly "Belgium's original beer," I'm eternally thankful that Belgium has bettered herself over the last 647 years.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 15:28:03 | More by Rast

Roguer

Connecticut

3.88/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Very pale, straw-golden lager. Clear, light head, decent carbonation.
S - Basically no smell, on tap or from the bottle. Nothing bad, certainly, but no noticeable notes.
T - For a mass-market lager, you could do much worse than Stella. It's very drinkable, goes down very easy, and has absolutely no aftertaste. If you like bitter pils, then you won't like Stella; it's a much smoother lager. That, by itself, means it isn't for everyone. There aren't any real subtle notes, but it's got a bright flavor, without overpowering hops.
M - Meh. Look, it isn't bad in the mouth...but it's a lager. It's a little thin, a little light. Certainly nothing bad, but nothing great, either.
O - Again, for a lager - especially a major brewer lager - this is a very drinkable beer. There are only a handful of easily accessible lagers I would opt over this (Spaten comes to mind). If you're looking for complexity...you've grabbed the wrong beer. If you want a decent beer with no real drawbacks, something that pairs well with most food, you could do far worse.

I've had this on tap (pub pint glasses) and bottled (Spiegelau lager and pilsner glasses). It's fine either way. This is often the best lager available on tap for me (locally); not the best BEER, but the best lager. My OA rating is based on that: how good the beer is within its style, or niche.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2013 20:09:01 | More by Roguer

bbluemzbeer

California

3.21/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Had this last night on tap

Appearance; Pours a clear golden yellow , with a minimal thin white head and minimal lacing.

Smells sweet and grainy

Taste : Stella Artois tastes a lot like Olde English , which isn’t a bad thing at all because I very much enjoy the sweet undertones of the Malt Liquor

Mouthfeel: Light and not overly carbonated and very well balnce

Overall : All in all, it's a decent beer better then bud and miller, I will stick with olde English for price point but this not bad beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2013 15:59:19 | More by bbluemzbeer

Eeroomnhoj

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Hey this was pretty good beer. I'm drinking this real cold and am enjoying it. Tastes a little like Heineken and while it's not going to win any contests, it is still a beer and as Ben Franklin said, it's proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. I'll drink it again and again.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 00:06:13 | More by Eeroomnhoj

dazdave

Ohio

1.48/5  rDev -51.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 1.5

Ordered a stella arskunk. Comes in a pretty green bottle. Served at about 34 degrees the way ab likes. Smells like a rolling rock. Tastes like a Belgian rolling rock. I ordered it hoping it was coming on tap since i was at a decidedly low brow bar. It obviously did not. I believe this beer could be better if it wasn't being abused by the sun and every other mild light source. I guess i should've stepped up to the red stripe(in a brown bottle) knowing this joint. Most beers are some lager macro-variant. The 4 ales in the beer cooler are #9, bass, sierra nevada, and new castle. Glad 1998 is alive and well in this bar.
Reviewed at the flagship Brubakers in lovely downtown Akron, OH.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 03:43:25 | More by dazdave

HarryPotHead

Maryland

3.14/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - From tap into frosted pint glass, this beer looks like any American adjunct, but gets props for the frothy pure white head and lacing you rarely see from BMC. Little to no carbonation.

S - A little skunky but not overpowering like most euro layers. Nothing special....Malts, skunk, meh.

T - Crisp, clean, and sweet with malts dominating the palate. Nothing complex or risky here...a step up from your avg American lager. Easily sessionable, but I'm wondering about the hangover I might have in the am!

M - Not much to say here....dry finish with an avg amount carbonation.

O - Not horrible. LOL. Pretty safe. Reminds me of what beer would taste like if Bud hooked up with Amstel Light for a one night stand and Bud slipped one past the goalie.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2013 21:26:13 | More by HarryPotHead

GeoffTBreashears

3.46/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I had this for the first time out of the bottle upon touring the Budweiser Brewery in Fairfield, CA. Not my first choice of a brewery to tour, but a brewery nonetheless. At any rate this particular beer had always held some curiosity for me as I had seen numerous commercials advertising this beer. And to be honest I wasn't even sure it was a beer from the commercials. At first glance I thought it must be some sort of a champagne or wine. (Clever advertising campaign I must say...especially for something as simple as a Budweiser product). Having just drank this beer for the first time... I was pleasantly surprised. Especially not being a all that much of a fan of Budweiser products.

The appearance was a pleasant golden color, slightly reminiscent of a Bud Light, and yet I didn't turn away. It was served from the bottle into the beautiful Chalice that we've all seen advertised, and that only helped add to the overall experience.

The smell was probably the most offputting part of this whole beer, as it was a slightly bitter/skunky scent. Not entirely unappealing though.

The taste held that yeasty biscuity flavor most heavily. One that Ive come to appreciate in alot of beers.

Overall, although it certainly wont be my first choice of a beer to drink, I can honestly say I dont think that it will be the last time I try this beer. I'll take it over most other products Budweiser has its name stamped on any day.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 19:07:31 | More by GeoffTBreashears

pkalix

California

3/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

straw, no head to speak of. looks like a typical, bland commercial product
smell is straw also, if that is possible.
taste is bland, slightly bitter. typical euro lager, as promised. tasted better on tap when i had it at the reunion.
oh well, i guess i'm just spoiled. most everything sold at 7-11 is just not up my alley. not without a whiskey chaser, at least.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 23:41:38 | More by pkalix

dhannes

Wisconsin

3.28/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a Stella Artois glass (tulip?)

A=Richer gold color; more inviting than other lagers.

S=From memory, some sweetness and some peach?

T=Different than I had imagined, with more sweetness and a "Belgian" backbone to it.

M=Rather light, but more body than BMC light beers.

O=I decided to try this as a complement to Buffalo Wild Wings' "Hot" wings, and it did not pair that well. I am not familiar with the style, so my points are geared more towards traditional lagers...better than average flavor, but not nearly as good as many crafts out there.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2013 02:47:38 | More by dhannes