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

RaphaelSC

Brazil

3.18/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

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

GPHarris

Alabama

3.5/5  rDev +14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a - poured a two-fingers thick fluffy white head into a tulip glass that settled into a thin ring. the body was a crystal clear, slightly bubbly, bright golden color.
s - classic clean lager yeast aroma with just the slightest hint of floral hops.
t - grainy with a hint of honey sweetness.
m - slick, slightly thin.
o - first time i've ever had this beer and as far as pale lagers go this one was good. if the selection at a restaurant is lacking then i'll go to this one from now on.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 16:28:13 | More by GPHarris

Haydn-Juby

Quebec (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served from a 330ml bottle into a pilsner glass

A: Extremely pale and clear looking. Minimal weak looking head even after an aggressive pour. Not very good head retention and very little lacing. Honestly doesn't look to appetizing to me.

S: A decently noticeable smell I guess. Perhaps a little spicy at times. I would like to add too that for this beers sake I'm not reviewing a skunky one. Slight bready smell to it as well. Not too much in the scent but its decent I guess.

T: The taste is definitely the best aspect of this beer. Its pretty watery but it still maintains a little bit of a clove like spice to it. Light-Mild hop bitterness but nothing extreme. Its pretty good tasting despite its watery nature. Not too much flavor but its noticeable. I would have rated this like a 3.8 but couldn't. Not quiet good enough for me to round up and give it a full 4 though.

M: Just average. Goes down like any other macro-lager. Maybe somewhat high carbonation but its pretty average feeling on the tongue and on the way down.

Overall: This beer is my choice in sessioning beer, even if I rarely do anymore. Its very over hyped and really doesn't deserve that pouring ritual they have for it. Not worth the money for most people but my store sells it at the same price as Bud or Coors which is strange. My fridge is usually always stocked with it. It does get skunky , maybe like 2-3 per 24, but nothing like a Heineken or a Corona. Above average but not "stellar".

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 16:52:30 | More by Haydn-Juby

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.43/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This poured a gorgeous creamy finger sized head that looked like it was out of a TV commercial. The color was brownish gold and even an orangish in the light.

The scent is weak, a light malt aroma but not much else. The nose is manifested in the taste, light malts but a bready cereal taste in the body.

I find it very nice and very drinkable, a tasty sessionable brew that may not be on BAs Top 100 but ill sit and and drink a few regardless.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2012 00:42:30 | More by KYGunner

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A-golden with a frothy white head. Lots of bubbles

S-smells like a dirty european lager. More like a macro German than any Belgian.

T-comes in with a light creamy taste of German grains an honey. Somewhat bitter. Not much of an after taste.

M-creamy almost watery carbonation with a creamy finish

O-an embarrassment to Belgium. Taste nothing like any other Belgian out there. Tastes much more macro average euro lager.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 03:07:04 | More by AdamBear

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.38/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the corked, caged limited edition 750 ml. green bottle stamped 30/04/13-32-2-15:44. The cork is stamped 8757-DIAM. Sampled on December 23, 2012.

The pour is an incredibly heady golden yellow. The head is foamy and long lasting.

Sadly, the bottle was skunked as so often happens with the green bottle and that made it difficult to identify the aromas. As far as I can tell there are bready malts and the slightest note of hops. Typical for the style.

The body is about medium and creamy.

The taste is a bit better with bready pale malts and an almost tart but also dry hopped finale and lingering bitterness. This is not one that I have frequently but drinking it in a can or on tap would be recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 22:24:33 | More by puboflyons