Staropramen Lager - Pivovary Staropramen

madvoice

Australia

4.1/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a golden colour with a small head that disappeared almost instantaneously. It smelled very hoppy, sweet and fruity. Has a sweet citrussy flavour with a bit of bite at the end. Mouthfeel is light and fizzy. Very drinkable especially on a hot summer day. I should have bought more!

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2009 09:24:51 | More by madvoice

katan

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz into a pint

A - Pours a clean and clear golden color. Very pils. Lots of carbonation with significant bubbling. head formation is strong, then laces down to a film. Light white in color.

S - Pilsner malts - very strong malty notes with the spicy funk of the pils. No hopping. A pils is distinct, and i would say this beer fits.

T - Starts off with a light malt sweetness, which immediately brings in the heavy bready notes of the pils malts. Mid-stream gets bitter, light floral hops. Finishes with a renewed pils malt zing and some yeast spice.

M - Good beer body - bolstered by good carbonation bite. Leaves behind a light sugar coating. Overall the carbonation is very potent, stinging.

D - Easy drinking. ABV is on target with easy sessioning. Flavors are well integrated. "Less Filling". Good overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2009 19:13:28 | More by katan

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a deep golden color with imprerssive white puffy head. Virtually no lacing. Smell is sweet and citrus-like with some strong lemon notes Taste is extremely crisp and almost austerely dry, yet very thirst-quenching. Finishes with a strong dryness that beckons for another taste. Very drinkable. Nice example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2006 00:03:59 | More by tgbljb

tai4ji2x

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz green bottle, with best-by date of 08.01.2010. taken directly from a new case so as to avoid light exposure and skunking. tasted in early/mid may 2009.

clear, deep honey straw color. moderate head is creamy, bubbly and foamy. recedes to thin wispy layer. decent lacing of splotchy rings.

aroma: gentle sulfur (but not skunk) upfront, gives way to sweet bready malts and notes of white grape, gently balanced by the light noble saaz hopping - grassy, floral and herbal, although slightly weaker than hoped.

taste: hops come forward more in the flavor, matching with the crisp carbonation. followed by bready malt, with toasted notes, and a trace acidity that seems to balance the moderate bitterness. noble hops are otherwise gentle, but with a very noticeable saaz character.

medium body, surprisingly more substance than expected. smooth, with touch of acidity and resins in the finish. crisp, moderate carbonation upfront, later evolving to smooth creaminess.

very drinkable. easy but flavorful quaffing.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2009 17:51:58 | More by tai4ji2x

Kulrak

Australia

4.05/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep golden color with a decent amount of white creamy head that fades away pretty quickly. Smells floral and a little citrusy, not bad. Tastes a little light struck (damn you, green bottles!) and sweet with a lot of hop bitterness that I can't place, possibly saaz. It's a bit grassy and a bit citrusy. It's really tasty. Finishes a little sour. Mouthfeel is heavy with some tingling from the carbonation, but not much. Not really creamy, just heavy. Overall, it's a very drinkable beer, I just wish it was cheaper or didn't come in green bottles, as I can't afford a case of the stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2007 08:11:25 | More by Kulrak

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Compared to others I must have not bought a old or skunked bottle. Mine was actually quite fresh tasting. Wonderful fresh and clear Saaz-type hop aroma that faded some with time. Bright, clear and dark gold with full head, good retention and nice lacing. Nicely balanced beer with a little less bitterness that other Czech beers of similar ilk, but enough to make presence known. Hop bite lasts throughout with medium long finish. Good malt backing, providing nice body and some richness. Light to medium body, flatter feel, but adequate carbonation. Good all around and balanced beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2003 19:54:45 | More by garymuchow

rowew

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 11.2 oz green bottle, best by date of Nov 08 on the back. Label has a skyline of Prague in the background.

Appearance: Pours with a bit more color than I expected, towards gold rather than just yellow. Thin head and bubbly.

Smell: Clean malt, floral hops, just a hint of sulphur .. exactly what I would expect from a Czech Pilsner.

Taste: Nice combination of malt flavors and the mineral taste common in beers from the region. Good amount of hops in the finish.

Overall impression: Drinkable and interesting, a nice example of an often overlooked style.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2008 21:10:40 | More by rowew

Cs1987

Australia

4.03/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance - Gold, 1 finger of head which reduced.

Smell - The usual Saaz hop smeel, but quite weak.

Taste - Excellent balance of hops and grains, but a little too weak.

Mouthfeel - Very good texture and carbonation

Drinkability - Hard to beat. Perfect bitterness level for sessioning.

Overall - An excellent introduction to the world of Czech pilseners, which might encourage drinkers to try Pilsner Urquell and other strong pilseners. I find it hard to imagine how anyone could not like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2009 12:41:11 | More by Cs1987

rfabian

Texas

4.03/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tumbler it forms a 1 inch head that leaves fair lacing. The appearance is crystal clear and light amber. The aroma is of light malts and hops. The taste is moderately malty with some hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation and a bit of a yeasty finish. This is a very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2009 23:42:50 | More by rfabian

BBP

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Very nice dark golden colour with little head. Looks quite good.

S- Typical Czech pilsner aroma with a bit heavier grain/wheat smell.

T- Grain and wheat tastes in the front leading to a great bitter and sweet aftertaste, almost like honey. I found that I enjoyed every sip more than the last. Really started to enjoy it when I knew which flavours to look for.

M- Medium body and carbonation. Very crisp.

D- Quite good. All around good beer. I expect to purchase it again.

Reminds me of Pilsner Urquell, but seemed a little less smooth to me, although it had more interesting flavors. Left me with an exceptional aftertaste which made me want another sip after I finished my last.

Serving type: can

08-24-2010 02:34:56 | More by BBP

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz green bottle. Freshness date on back label.
Pils serving glass.
Pale golden in color with a foamy white on top and loads of sticky and trailing lacing. A clean fresh-mowed lawn smell mingles with dried spicy Saaz hops. A mild malt aroma is in the background throughout. A very lightly roasted slightly sweet maltiness gives way to sharp, edgy metallic and resinous hop bitterness. Very drinkable brew!

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 16:29:01 | More by BeerResearcher

rvdoorn

Netherlands

4.03/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Look: the beer pours a clear golden-yellow color with a nice fluffy white head.
Smell: Malty, citrus, yeast and some herbal hops
Taste: Sweet malts, grain and a soft bitter saazhop.
Mouthfeel: medium-high carbonation and a medium body
Overall: Nice balanced pilsner

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 21:15:14 | More by rvdoorn

Samljer

4.03/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had it in a can, poured down the side into a lager glass,
I Like it, better then a lot of other beers available comerically.
The foam head pretty much sat there till consumed.
then left thick lacing all over the glass, and as it was consumed
the lacing went farther and farther down the glass, till it was
finished, lacing to the bottom.
The color is a perfect gold, with medium average carbonation.
The smell is like wet grain which some like, some dont.
The taste is good, cant detect adjuncts but there is a hint of "metal". could be b'cuz my serving is from a 500ml can.

I would buy again.

Serving type: can

07-09-2012 05:54:58 | More by Samljer

Brent

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very clean and crisp, with moderate hops. Not bad from the bottle, but on tap is vastly superior. In the tap version, I sometimes get just the barest hint of spearmint in the finish. Of course, the pink elephants show up a little while after that.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2001 23:24:02 | More by Brent

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

i really like it, soft maltiness, with a icely bitter finish, very elegant, subtle and just plain good, very good for session drinking aswell.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2002 19:36:52 | More by rastaman

daliandragon

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is an old favorite. I've walked past the brewery on the other side of the river in Prague a bunch of times.

Pours a beautiful clean straw color. Head is frothy and full. Nose is malty and a little sweet.

Taste is clean and crisp with a balanced base with a hoppy, slightly metallic finish. Texture is dry and satisfying.

This is a classic Czech pilsner with a good taste and finish that doesn't leave your throat tasting like sawdust after multiple drafts, as you occassionally get with the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2006 05:03:43 | More by daliandragon

alexskovan

New York

4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured clear deep gold with a fine white head that stuck around for the whole draught. Aroma is understated; mostly malt with some sazz in the background. Taste is solid, a lot bigger than the aroma would suggest; well-rounded, toasty malt with just the right amount of hops complimenting it.

I love old-school Pilseners, and I don't care who knows it. This is a fine example of the breed. Clear, clean, crisp, light and drinkable, but bearing no resemblance whatsoever either to American Macro "Pilsener" -- that watery bastardized abomination -- or to American Micro "Pilsener" -- that cloudy, grossly-over-hopped and basically trying-too-hard pretension that obstinately misses the point of what a Pilsener is all about.

This is a fine Pilsener, from the very Land that gave us this golden joy.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2007 21:14:49 | More by alexskovan

StoutandBitter

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A nice golden brown colour with a small head, minimal lacing.

S - Hoppy and yeasty, very pleasant.

T - Slightly metallic, hoppy, yeasty aftertaste. Minimal alcohol taste.

M and D - Slight carbonation, which I like. Too much carbonation spoils the experience for me. Not too much of an alcohol taste, a nice smooth lager. Very drinkable, especially at backyard BBQ's.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2009 00:01:25 | More by StoutandBitter

Mosstrooper

California

4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 500ml bottle into nonic pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a deep straw color with the characteristic white, bubbly head that seems prevalent with the style. A nice lace is left behind as the head slowly dissipates.

Smell: Grainy, sweet malt with floral hops.

Taste: Starts off with a fruity, apple like sweetness and finishes with a nutty, somewhat toasty hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Pretty thin bodied, crisp, and refreshing. A nice, balanced, carbonation bite.

Drinkability: A good, highly drinkable and sessionable beer. Being in central Europe right now, I'm a little worn out on this style, but this is still a beer I would go for if it wasn't the only style readily available as things are going right now in Slovakia.

Fours across the board, overall good.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2009 10:15:53 | More by Mosstrooper

NODAK

Tennessee

3.98/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aroma here is a little skunky...some sweet grassiness and Noble hops.

Body of the beer has an obvious sweet, cereal grain maltiness to it....not cheaply done with adjunct tastes; very pleasant. Finishes with a good crisp bitterness from the Noble hops which wraps up the beer pretty cleanly. It's pretty simple like many pilseners are, but well done.

A very drinkable, simple beer here. Hops are well done in this pils. Pretty cheap for an imported, quality brew as well.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2010 04:17:56 | More by NODAK

plaztikjezuz

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

pours a brillient translucent golden with a lacy white head.
the smell of saaz hops followed by malt and yeast.
the flavor is spicy,bitter, hopsack, malty, minerially, dropping off in to slight spicy hopsack.
the mouthfeel is full for a light beer.
very drinkable and kind of weather but hot days they would go down fast.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2005 03:41:02 | More by plaztikjezuz

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.95/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: It pours golden, with a large off-white, creamy head that leaves some nice lacings.

S: A typical Czech Pilsener - lots of malt, floral hops and citric notes.

T: A great mix of both bitter and floral hops, there is also nice malt and some citric notes.

M: Somewhat sweetness from the malt, but in the aftertaste the bitterness dominates. It's creamy, fullbodied and powerfull.

D: A very nice Czech Pilsener - this is a must!

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2009 18:19:38 | More by Sunnanek

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.93/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bumping up my score based on the draft I had today 1-17-2012 at a German Joint down in Tulsa. This had a much better nose, loads of soapy & floral hops. Nice crackery & bready notes as well.

Review based on notes

Pours golden/pear with 1 finger of eggshell white head. Average lacing & below average head retention

S: Grassy, lemony & perfumy hops, no malt to balance this out...

T: Breadyness, grassy & lemony hops, plus honey malt up front. Metallic hops & grainyness dominate this as this warms. Finishes with a mix of lemony hops & grainyness

MF: Medium bodied with too much carbonation, okay balance

Drank alright, would only try again if I knew it was FRESH, I had my doubts about this one

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2008 04:21:24 | More by russpowell

steveh

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Man -- lots of different Staropramen labels to choose from.

Grabbed a sixer of this at a local grocer where it was on closeout. Best before August 25, 2012... but green bottles.

A -- Pours a clear, deep gold color with a dense, very sticky & long-lasting head that leaves great lacing.

S -- Skunky up front, but it dissipates with some time given. Typical Pils bready malt and Saaz hop nose.

T -- Has that grainy to bready malt character up front balanced out with spicy Saaz hops at the finish and hop bitterness in the aftertaste. Very reminiscent of Budvar. There's also a light, vague fruitiness in the aftertaste that reminds me of Urquell too.

M -- Mouthfeel is soft to crisp and has a light creaminess in-between. Body is light to light-medium.

O -- Everything you could want in a Czech Pils, aside from the green bottle curse.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 22:01:33 | More by steveh

grdahl

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The largest brewer in The Czech Republic..why can't A-B or Miller make beer this good...Only average for Czech Rep. but much better than the swill we're used to here...I'm not sure where exactly the old spring that gives the beer its name is.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2001 12:30:51 | More by grdahl