Bere Timisoreana - Ursus S.A. (SAB) / Compania de Bere Romania

emerge077

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev +29.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Straw gold, sticky white cap of fluffy foam on top, about a finger's width. First thing I notice is the pungent noble hop aroma. Grassy and green. The foam manages to stick around for the duration of the glass, after a deliberate pour down the center of the pint glass. Thick ring of foam adheres to the inside rim. Bright clarity, no visible yeast sediment.

Crackery, dry, crisp feel. Pilsner malt, dried apple, with a very dry saltine cracker taste. Snappy carbonation gives it some bite, but seems a little watery in the aftertaste. Very subtle euro lager with a clean, simple flavor that is very quenching. Would be great in hot summer weather. Simplicity is underrated.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 21:01:21 | More by emerge077

Ciocanelu

Romania

1.75/5  rDev -34.2%

05-13-2013 20:34:10 | More by Ciocanelu

djura

Serbia

2.78/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A - Big white foam,lasting till the end one cm high. Pale golden color,medium carbonation.

S - Skunky,with some citrus notes and some unpleasant acid aroma.

T/M - Cereals,bitter taste from bad hops. It is drinkable,but not so pleasant taste in the mouth.

O - A bit different EPL,but not in the good way. On the other hand,it is not that bad.

Serving type: can

04-02-2013 17:13:18 | More by djura

Chadhowie

California

3.25/5  rDev +22.2%

01-18-2013 00:06:21 | More by Chadhowie

daliandragon

North Carolina

2.2/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Man does this beer look boring. Dull yellow color with almost no head or lace and crystal clarity. Nose is sweet and at least slightly more interesting.

The taste is not good but not quite terrible. A touch of early hops balances the caramel malt but then everything breaks down. Medicine and sawdust are the notes I get in the finish. Not much going on here but another eastern European country I can mark off my list.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 02:38:03 | More by daliandragon

MattSweatshirt

Texas

2.5/5  rDev -6%

10-08-2012 14:25:40 | More by MattSweatshirt

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

2.15/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

500 mL bottle, with best by date of July 7 2012 clearly printed out. why can't every brewery do this?

golden in color, crystal clear. big bright white head. good head retention. smells not so good, like an adjunct lager. tastes clean, mildly sweet. as bit of cooked corn flavor. thin, medium carbonation. easy to drink.

overall- a bit disappointed. but at least I can say I've had a beer from Romania!

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 03:09:17 | More by jmdrpi

arkanu

Romania

2.5/5  rDev -6%

07-05-2012 18:53:36 | More by arkanu

DCon

Missouri

2.7/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Bought a 1 PINT bottle of this @ Ava Sofia in St. Louis, MO for $6. Poured from the Blue/Red/Tan labeled bottle into a 16oz Pint Glass. Has Best before: DEC 04TH-2012 on the back label of the bottle.

Aroma- Very clean, malty and toasted grain is all included in this aroma. Expected as a lager and the slightest noble hop aroma.

Appearance- Pours a 1.5 finger head that dies almost immediately. Has a light copper, crystal clear body. Leaves no sign of lacing afterwards.

Flavor- Very soft characteristics including malt and grain make up the entire taste. Very light bitterness and a tad on the sweet side.
Mouthfeel- Light Bodied, Medium-High Carbonation, Crisp, Smooth, but then watered down on the finish. Needs a bit more character.

Overall Impression- I ordered this purely to enjoy a new brew I’ve never had from Romania. Even while visiting Romania for a whole month, I didn’t go after anything special while abroad so its catch up time! This particular lager wasn’t anything special but suited the style. Wouldn’t go out of my way to enjoy this again but will check this off my list of “refreshing lagers”.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 02:34:49 | More by DCon

Forb

Nebraska

2.98/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a pint bottle...

Appearance: Pours a clear crystal yellow with a strong 3 finger fluffy head; quickly dissipating. Fluff lacing all around the glass. Beautiful carbonation rushing to the head.

Smell: Grain, corn, malt, mild hops.

Taste: Simple - heavily grained with a mild hop balance.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and refreshing. A standard European beer here with not much motivation outside of century old tradition.

Overall: Basic by all means. Solid quality beer but nothing enthusiastic about it.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 23:06:14 | More by Forb

dbrauneis

New Jersey

2.6/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a crystal clear pale yellow with moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall foamy white head that exhibits good retention (with over 50% of the head remaining throughout drinking). Significant lacing is observed.

S: The smell is very similar to an American Adjunct, lots of corn and grain as well as sweet. There was a slight hint of skunkiness with this beer.

T: Very light flavor but it is highlighted by corn, grain, and skunk. There is absolutely no bitterness.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: While the appearance of the beer is good, the smell and taste are not as good. Not real easy to drink or enjoyable because of the skunk-like flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 14:36:31 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

2.6/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: The beer is crystal clear yellow in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a massive two finger high bright white head that has excellent retention properties and left lots of lacing running down the sides of the glass.
S: There are light to moderately strong aromas of adjunct malts in the nose—corn and grain seem to stand out in particular—along with some hints of skunkiness.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and has flavors of corn and grainy malts.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a low to moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This smell and taste of this beer seem to be very similar to other American Adjunct Lagers and aren’t very notable.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 22:46:45 | More by metter98

nandika

Romania

3/5  rDev +12.8%

02-08-2012 14:08:51 | More by nandika

phaedrusovchaos

Romania

3/5  rDev +12.8%

01-16-2012 12:46:34 | More by phaedrusovchaos

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.63/5  rDev +36.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Look – golden color, clear, with about two or two-and-a-half fingers’ worth of frothy, almost khaki-colored foam that dissipates somewhat slowly.

Smell – strongly malty, like a pilsener. In fact, it smells like a lot of the Bavarian pale lagers that I’ve had before.

Taste – the taste is much like the smell. It’s malty, sweet, and with just a tinge of bitterness that starts in the middle and persists through to the finish.

Mouthfeel – pretty well balanced, but it does lean more toward the watery side.

Overall – not a bad brew at all, but not very interesting to think about.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 02:29:13 | More by Nerudamann

ThaCreep

Belgium

2.55/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Nose pretty cool, recalling the Czech pilseners. The mouth is slightly stronger than the models of their kind, including the first entry. The key is also more alcohol - which is strange for a beer of this ABV - but hops are also dirtier. Body midway between sweet and grassy. Finish still pretty weak and bland but always with the presence of grass.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-06-2011 09:41:32 | More by ThaCreep

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.43/5  rDev +28.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A recent find at Barbur World Foods, this is a '1 pint' brown bottle with a 'Best before: DEC 17th-2011' date on the back label. Poured to a pint glass on a warm early summer afternoon.

A: Very clear, straw/pale gold pour. Steady carbonation rises to a short but pillowy half-finger of white cream. Head drops abruptly but never really fades, holding as a skim that adheres to the sides in a jagged ring. A few flecks of lace and goopy stalagmites circle the glass

S: Bready and hay-like aroma (think oyster crackers or saltines), with a drifting fruitiness that's 'apple' and borderline 'tropical'. A cautious floral sweetness, honeysuckle maybe?

T: Upfront dry and spicy hops catch my palate off-guard - their grassiness and dry pepper finish are both pretty nice after growing more accustomed. As with aroma, the crackery malts develop and round this one into shape. Mild apple and sourdough offer a little tang. Dry finish, a hint 'brassy'.

M: Crisp, biting feel from start to finish. Not over-carbonated, just a strong and lively feel; light-bodied. Dry finish that plays a pronounced role in flavor fades a little given time, growing mellower, softer.

O: Mediocre in terms of all beers, but in terms of the style I liked this quite a bit. Simple, refreshing, with subtle complexities. Timişoreana was a pleasant surprise that I wouldn't mind having again.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 06:40:43 | More by msubulldog25

zeff80

Missouri

2.53/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

A - Poured out a pale, straw-yellow color with a huge, bubbly white head of foam. It left little to no lacing.

S - It smelled of grains and corn.

T - It was grassy, grainy and had some sweet caramel.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light bodied lager with a fairly dry finish.

O - This is my first Romanian beer. It was much like most Eastern European beers - bland and uninspired.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2011 03:06:14 | More by zeff80

DaveFL1976

Florida

3.3/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Check it out! The Romanians can make the same, decent tasting, yet uninteresting pale lager as everyone else! It's not bad. It's not great.

Actually, I think it'd go great with sushi, although I don't believe that's native to Romania. A crisp, clean, drinkable, boring lager.

The only reason I'm reviewing it is because this is the first Romanian beer under my belt.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 20:48:34 | More by DaveFL1976

DoubleJ

California

2.83/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

While I don't expect this national lager to turn my head, but soon, I can say that I tried a beer from Romania. From a pint sized bottle, on to the beer:

That flute glass I'm using must be helping the head on this one. It's thick, soapy looking, and retention well. The color is watered down gold... dull lookin' color. The aroma brings things back to reality. It smells of cooked corn, DMS, and some chemical agent.

I'm glad this isn't spit out awful, so Timisoreana gains a moral victory just from that. That said, the malt level is low in this one. Smallish sourdough characteristics are present. Then I get the sensation of licking a wooden popsickle. Light in the mouth, moderately crisp, and the popsickle sensation lingers in the aftertaste. Fortunately, you don't need to hold your nose while drinking this.

Not as bad as I thought it would be. This is surprisingly decent beer from Romania. I'm not going to confuse this with a Hofbrau, but a cold bottle at hand during the summmer on a Constanța beach sounds refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 05:53:58 | More by DoubleJ

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.13/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle, best before 05/02/11.

It pours a clear, pale gold with a foamy bright white head.

The nose is light and subtle, there is a hint of white table sugar and also some bread.

The flavor is standard Euro Pale LAger, not a pilsener. It is balanced with a bready, papery malt bill and a smidge of noble hops in the finish.

It is ok, pretty run of the mill.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 00:17:04 | More by crossovert

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.23/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Served in a Gale Sayers shaker pint glass.

Finally, I've made it to Romania. (It's like Risk...I just beat down those pesky white dice!) It pours a clear sallow topped by a healthy white froth. The nose comprises soap, flowers, wet wheat, hay, corn, and rice husks. The taste doesn't bring much difference to the table, though a light splash of lemon zest and rind finds its way in. It does not help matters much at all. The body is pretty light, with a moderate carbonation and a watery feel. Overall, a sad excuse for a pils, this thing seems more closely related to an AAL in all its patheticity. At least it looks okay...

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 08:02:50 | More by TMoney2591

SolomonGrundy

California

2.3/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I didn't see the "miller" in the label...uh oh...Pours a BMC clear golden yellow. Sprtizy carbonation and about a hlaf-finger of soapy head. Good lacing, actually. Aroma is mostly malt and alcohol, with some barnyard straw in the background. Flavor is exactly what you'd expect - very light flavored up front. Has some maltiness, almost no hops at all. Very thin flavored and not very tasty at all. Very much like a BMC beer. No real length to the finish, and the flavor profile doesn't change or evolve at all. Very boring. Super-easy drinking and, at $2.19/pint bottle it's relatively cheap, but not worth it.

What I like Most: The price.

What I like Least: Pretty much everything else.

Verdict: Not worth trying, avoid like the Plague.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2010 21:20:52 | More by SolomonGrundy

mactrail

California

2.25/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Tasted from a half-litre can bought in Bucharest. I like to see American craft beers in a can, and I don't believe the taste is compromised whatsoever. However, in eastern Europe, the ubiquitous tall colorful can seems to indicate "cheap swill."

Can says ingredients are: "apa, malt, porumb, hamei, drojdie." Water, malt, corn, hops, yeast. Faint flavors, watery, bland. No hint of hop flavors but a possible bitter twang. Altogether uninspired and gives the impression of a true industrial product It is actually worse than American Miller or Coors. Can also notes that Ursus Breweries S.A. is "subsidiara a SABMiller." Another reason to drink wine in Romania, which is cheaper, and at least the concept of flavor is still part of the program.

Serving type: can

04-27-2010 16:04:19 | More by mactrail

flagmantho

Washington

2.55/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from 500mL bottle into a pint glass. Printing on the back says best by June 10, 2010.

Appearance: clear, light golden-straw color with several fingers of frothy white head. Not bad.

Smell: a little sweet malt and a lot of grain; not much in the way of hops at all. This smells rather more like an American macro lager than a German pilsner.

Taste: a little malt and a little grain; there's not a whole lot of flavor here but it's not particularly bad. Bringing it down, though, is a bit of a tartness which is really out of place here. It also doesn't have any hop flavor at all.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with very low carbonation. It does have a little weight to it, but not much, and there's no excitement or crispness yielded by the carbonation.

Drinkability: mildly refreshing, but mostly boring. It's not offensive at all, but it's not a good representation of the style and I wouldn't recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2010 04:11:40 | More by flagmantho