Staropramen Lager - Pivovary Staropramen

mdfb79

New York

2.65/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

From 08/30/12 notes. Had this on tap at Amity Hall in my quest to try 101 different beers there. #6/101, knew nothing about it other than it was a pilsner going into it. Served in a pint glass.

a - Pours a clear golden-amber color with one inch of bright white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells corn, floral hops, sweet grains, bread. Not bad, and the floral notes help, but a bit average.

t - Tastes of sweet corn, vegetables, sweet grains, bready malts. Taste is a little sweeter than the nose and a step down for me.

m - Light, watery body and moderate carbonation. Body is a bit too thin.

o - Overall a below average pilsner. Not a lot going on here and has some of that sweet corn and vegetable notes that reminds me of an adjunct lager. Body is thin; you could have a few of them but I wouldn't want to. Wouldn't seek it out again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2012 18:43:39 | More by mdfb79

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.38/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from tap into Staropramen pilsner glass at a chinese restaurant in Stockholm...yes, a whole bunch of culture clashing going on here...
Pours avery run of th emill golden pilsner color, with nice head, and typical pilsner aromas...nothing special here. Taste is very nice, crisp, maybe even slight sweetness going on here. But its a czech pils...a good one, but still lack luster in personality. Nice brew with some noodles, and worth the $5 relatively "low" cost for a Stockholm restaurant.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2012 14:08:22 | More by DrinkSlurm

barczar

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours into the pint glass a clear golden straw color with a solid white one finger head that lingers. The dense head is creamy foam.

Subtle floral hop and cracker-like malt lead the aroma. There's a bit of grainy sweetness present.

Flavor is pilsner malt heavy, bready in the aftertaste. There's a hint of lemon and a slightly peppery, bitter finish batting cleanup. There is a bit of a metallic flavor as it warms.

Body is light to moderate, with moderate carbonation providing a refreshing mouthfeel.

A fairly non-descript brew, but easily drinkable and sessionable. Would be refreshing on a hot day.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2012 02:20:57 | More by barczar

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

nothing special here, a slightly sweet malty aroma after a golden flat color with almost no head. flavor is straw, grassy hop and a wole bunch of czech malt flavors. mouthfeel is smooth and clean, not as crisp as some, and totally sucks when it warms. this beer doesnt do it for me, easy drinking, but enexciting. weak as the czechs go. i dont know, better than a heineken, but thats about all i can say here

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2012 06:45:05 | More by StonedTrippin

Hojaminbag

Colorado

2.23/5  rDev -34%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Starapromen lager is a pale shade of yellow that is completely clear. The white head has good retention and OK lacing.

The aroma has some lemongrass, pale malt and butter.

I could certainly be wrong, but there are a lots of buttery flavors that make me think there is a dicetyl problem with this beer. Underneath the butter a light bitterness and lemongrass from the hops come through, as well as pale malts.

No complaints about the mouthfeel; smooth with fairly active carbonation.

I love a good Czech pils, and when I see them on-tap I almost always order them. This one, however, had something wrong with it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2012 20:38:37 | More by Hojaminbag

jsprain1

Minnesota

2.48/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A- Clear golden, head retention is kinda subpar. Little lacing.
S- The smell is of stale bread dough, a light papperyness, and a bit of noble hops.
T- It's got the right idea for a pilsner. It's sweet and lightly earthy. Slightly grassy. But there is just a lingering staleness that rings it down.
M- Medium-light body, too low on the carb.
O- This was underwhelming. I didn't particularly care for this beer. The staleness and low carbonation just don't do it for me.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2011 03:02:24 | More by jsprain1

nozza

Australia

4.72/5  rDev +39.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Brilliant Brilliant Beer! I had the pleasure of having this on tap in Prague and absolutely fell in love!

The beer pours a dark gold colour, with a nice white head, which disipates quite quickly to leave a ring.

Really fresh hops and malt aromas, fill the nose. It's quite sweet as well.

The taste doesn't disappoint. The malt and hops are really well balanced with a hint of sweetness and bitterness in perfect harmony.

It feels beautifully light and crisp in the mouth. Couldn't ask for a more refreshing pilsner.

Overall this is an unbelievable beer. Yes it is much better on tap but the 500ml bottle is also excellent. I reckon this is the best of the three main Czech pilsners.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2011 11:59:05 | More by nozza

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Volunteer pub in London, poured into a half-pint.

A: Clear straw body with a steady stream of bubbles rising to the pillowy white head. Great retention and lacing. Excellent looking Pils.

S: Very soft, lightly sweet, and only slightly lagery. Some faint grassy hops are there, but this is more about the delicately nutty pilsner malt. Ok.

T: Again, light and inoffensive. Sweeter than I'd like, but very clean. More hops would make this a great example of its style.

M: Light and highly carbonated. Full of soft, lively effervescence. Enjoyable.

O: For a light, crisp lager in a pub, this is a pretty darn good option. There are a ton of beers I'd rather be drinking, but for the style this one does a pretty good job.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2011 01:18:04 | More by woosterbill

fullsweep

United Kingdom (England)

3.63/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I was stoked to find this on tap at an international-themed bar and grill in Lambeth, London.

A: great clear, deep-amber beer with nice foaming white bubbles at the top. And they keep coming up--is this evidence of a nitro-keg?

S: sweet, grainy, smooth

T: this is probably my favorite lager so far, and the reason I like Czech pilseners. Having said that, I fear it might have been slightly better from the bottle . . .

M: smooth and carbonation, very fizzy but nice

D: very drinkable beer. At 5% a pint was a bit much for lunch. Made me sleepy walking around the museum afterwards, hehe.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2010 22:42:14 | More by fullsweep

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

3.83/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Exceptionally picturesque, brilliant, frosty pale pilsner gold with a surge bubbles coalescing into a perfect, puffy, ivory-white head. Mild aroma of sweet bread and aromatic, strikingly basil-like herbal hops with a touch of pine. Crisp, citric hops clench the dry, balanced flavor, full of honey, lemon, and wet grains. Carbonation is spritzy and light, appropriately fizzy but not rough. Very refreshing and robust - I like this one.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2009 21:53:13 | More by soulgrowl

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

CampusCrew

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I loved in Czech for 6 months and I would have to say this was one of my favorites.I worked in a bar and we served it. Great example of a fine Pilsner. I tried back in the US and I would have to say it's not the same. But, still a great beer. It's my favorite of all the czech pilsners.

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2008 18:31:36 | More by CampusCrew

BobQ

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +28.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I first enjoyed this beer in Prague in 1992. I purchase it only occasionally in bottles because it seems invariably skunky when not on tap. Therefore, obviously, this beer is best enjoyed on tap. That being said, I understand the disappointment voiced by other reviewers whose only unfortunate experience with this wonderful beer has been from the bottle.

This is a good, solid, easy drinking beer. The flavors of hops and malt are in good balance. A slightly darker golden color than one expects from a pils. Pours with a finger or two of head and leaves a farily delicate lace. The mouthfeel is smooth and very drinkable. Staropramen is a great choice for beer that can be enjoyed by those who appreciate quality beer and those who are happy with whatever is cold.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2008 22:20:58 | More by BobQ

velkyal

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Of the major lager producers in the Czech Republic, I think Staropramen is the only one to have benefitted from being bought out by outsiders - in this case InBev.

A properly poured Staropramen is a thing of beauty, golden in colour and with a volumous head - best enjoyed as a "tuplak" or 1 litre serving.

With a nice clean flavour which is not overly malty, and a good level of bitterness, Staropramen is as good a standard lager as it is possible to get from the mass-producing brewers.

While it is not a beer to hunt down feavourishly in expectation of lager revelation, it is a decent pint with the lads on a Friday afternoon.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2008 13:03:12 | More by velkyal

DoubleJ

California

3.78/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Just came back from Heroe's after I had one of these on-tap there. On to the beer:

Simple, clean, and refreshing. No skunk to worry about here knowing it's from a keg. Sweeter than I was expecting. Much of the taste was like bittersweet (more sweet than bitter) honey and a light dose of hops. On-tap, it makes a grrr-eeeat session beer at a restaurant while chatting with friends.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2008 06:30:11 | More by DoubleJ

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Clear golden with a thick white head which lasts before leaving some traces behind

S: Floral hops and some grassy grains... soft and subtle but varied

T: Continental floral hops kick you in to start and citrus quickly follows before giving way to a standard malt base

M: Light body with a big carbonation profile this is refreshing and perhaps better on a warmer day

D: Not bad at all... but the carbonation kind of gets in the way of prolonged consumption

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2008 19:08:29 | More by callmemickey

cyrenaica

Ontario (Canada)

2.58/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I tried this beer on August 10, 2007 at the Esplanade Biermarket in Toronto. The beer was a deep translucent gold in colour with a very white small head that lasted mere seconds. The aroma on the other was quite foul with some soapy hints. The mouthfeel was thin-bodied and very crisp with a high level of carbonation. The taste was slightly malty with a strong presence of wheat.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2007 02:35:43 | More by cyrenaica

Suds

Pennsylvania

2.7/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

I had this one on tap, during a recent trip to Italy. It was served during a a nice dinner. I was a little dissapointed. The brew is unremarkably ordinary. It's a light yellow color with a slight white head. Nice and soapy lace, but not much else. The aroma is faint, with a hint of grain and a touch of malt. It's a very fleeting and light smell. It's not a good characteristic to have to search for an aroma. The taste is a little sweeter than an American lager, but it's very subdued. The beer is light, lightly carbonated, and simple. The finish is a little watery. It's an everyday drinking beer...a worthy lawnmower beer, but nothing more.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2007 18:03:13 | More by Suds

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.9/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap served in staropramen pint glass, bought in local italian.

A - Golden pilsner body with a solid creamy 3 finger head that is retained throughout the pint. A classic appearance really, not much else to say

S- A little grainy with some malt sweetness, but a nice dry fresh hoppy aroma is apparent unlike a lot of other mass produced crap.

T- Lots of hop up front and this flavour lingers on. This is balanced well with the subtle malt sweetness, and it does finish well - not overly dry, but doesnt leave your mouth syrupy or sticky like many macro lagers.

M - lively carbonation as expected, not thin on the ground, firm.

D- Not a true genuine classic pilsner to me, but a fantastic alternative to British lagers which many of leave you feeling rather sick, bloated, and give horrible syrupy sweet aftertastes. A nice beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2007 19:35:02 | More by seanyfo

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep gold with a frothy 1/2 inch head. Lots of fine lacing. Smells grassy, hint of skunk, nice level of hops.

Taste is grassy, nice noble hops in the finish. Not very complicated. Just the tiniest hint of skunk. Pretty tasty, just a bit watery. Could be a bit more crisp but overall a decent pilsener. Good fo the Atlanta summer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2006 23:41:32 | More by ViveLaChouffe

hungryghost

District of Columbia

3.73/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark golden color, not quite amber. No head to speak of but some lacing if that seems possible.
Smells faintly of wet grain.
Taste is more powerful than smell, while still remaining slight. I got some malt, some grains, sliver of sweetness but not enough to tell if it is from the malt.
Typical thinish mouthfeel, but clean, crisp and quite refreshing.
Not a problem ordering another one of these.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2006 00:09:23 | More by hungryghost

ernie

Russian Federation

4.63/5  rDev +37%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

It's not easy to add something new to existing reviews. I love Staropramen Lezak - aromatic, earthy, tasty, smooth and drinkable. To those who were somehow disappointed by this Czech classic, here are some observations:
1. The best Staropramen is on-tap, properly kept & served.
2. 500 cl bottles contain very good beer, too.
3. Staropramen from 330 cl bottles should not be different from the above, but it is! More acidity, less complexity.
4. Beer from 500 cl alu cans is the worst. They say it's licensed-brewed in Slovakia. Haven't checked it yet, but even in this form Staropramen has a score above many European lagers.
Recommended!

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2006 16:41:24 | More by ernie

nickss

Texas

2.3/5  rDev -32%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Straw yellow with a 2" ultra-chunky head. Mounds of lacing frolic on the glass.

Light aroma with a touch of malt and hops, neither making a strong presence. Moderately yeasty and grassy.

Light, semi-bitter flavour. DMS/corn makes its presence known. Very macro-esque... bleh.

Ultra thin with moderate carbonation.

Moderately drinkable, but just flat out disappointing. Was hoping for more, being that I'm drinking this here in its home city.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2006 00:37:03 | More by nickss

Dithyramb

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass at Henry Street Ale House for $5.
Appearance – Light yellow in color with a short lived, fluffy white head.
Had light citrusy hops on the nose.
The light citrus hops came back in the flavor, but there was a smooth and creamy malt backbone.

Mouthfeel – Just the right amount of carbonation. This was light-bodied, with a creamy and fluffy mouthfeel.

Very drinkable. After reading the other reviews, I'll keep away from the scary green bottle, though.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2004 14:55:29 | More by Dithyramb

Globetrotter

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this at a hole in the wall in a fancy part of downtown Moscow. It was clearly fresher than the last time I tried it (previous review). Came out a deep solid gold under a substantial white head that showed some staying power and generated excellent lace. The nose was mild, with flowery hops. The mouth was prickly and light. The hops kick in from the start, not overwhelming, but ensuring a mildly bitter experience throughout. Malts are there to provide balance up front, but the overall experience is hoppiness, particularly as the malt fades in the finish leaving the aftertaste completely to the hoppy forces. Good stuff, the dry bitterness only makes you want more. And more. And more...!

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2003 20:00:35 | More by Globetrotter