Staropramen Lager - Pivovary Staropramen

lacqueredmouse

Australia

2.83/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Gold amber body, with a minimal fimly head. No head retention or lacing. Quite a thin body to it. Good amount of carbonation.

Some Saaz on the nose, but not as piquantly hoppy as I'd expect from a good Czech pilsener. A fair amount of honey-like sweetness dulls the fragrance of the hops. It's not a bad smelling beer, but a little tame for a true pils.

The balance on the palate is as I would expect from the nose. There's a strong honey-like malt sweetness which permeates throughout, and only a hint of the zingy, zesty hops. Bitterness is lower than expected. Mouthfeel is crispt but a little flat.

However, this one drinks pretty smoothly, and there's few actual flaws in the flavour. It does end up tasting rather dull though...

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2006 05:37:53 | More by lacqueredmouse

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

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

3.2/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Since my last pint of this beer on-tap I have been literally scared to ever buy it again. After checking the beer is genuinely made in Prague, I bought it again at the Tesco supermarket, expecting to resume my confidence in this supposedly nice Pilsner. BB date: 24/08/06

A: it pours a dark golden, nearly pale amber, hue, with a thick, paper-white foamy head which settles to a thin layer of foam to sustain throughout the drink; moderately-carbonated body.
S: slightly grassy, lemony, and faintly apple-peel-ish hops upfront, on a bed of mild grainy note and buttery+molasses aroma~~ overall softly aromatic and slightly spicy hoppy, typical Saaz aroma, albeit slightly restrained compared to many other Czech products.
T&M: very light-bodied and refreshing flow of lager malts (with restrained sweetness) hit the palate upfront; hop bitterness follows immediately, along with a melting, grainy bitter-sweetness left on the sides of the tongue. Not much else aftertaste though, while the advantage is leaving behind a clean finish and mouthfeel, making this beer a very light-weight and thirst-quenching beer.
D: much better than my last experience of this beer on tap in St. Albans, nr. London, where I encountered the worst Staropramen I'd ever experienced. (Perhaps because that one was brewed under license and this one authentic?) Yet for my taste this beer is not so pronounced as many Pils or Pilsners I tried on tap during my trip in the Czech Republic; it's rather like a more vaguely-defined/generic Euro Pale Lager, as the characters are not as focused as a Pils should be. Having said that, nothing's wrong with it being a easy-drinking lager.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2005 17:22:51 | More by wl0307

beerthulhu

New Jersey

2.65/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A: Poured a clear, medium orange with a ½ finger creamy, eggshell white colored head that settled to a thin, whispy, and sudsy covering leaving a visible rim lacing behind. Visible carbonation was very soft.

S: faint, some fresh grains and oranges. You really have to dig deep here to detect anything.

T: musky oranges for flavor. there was some green plant stalk hints as well. The initial sip was a turn off but the flavor faired better after that. A touch of metallic nature was evident while the finish found some sharp, sour citric tones to it.

M: light, a little rough. Some sour oranges and a dry lacing on the tongue with a green plant stalk lingering taste.

D: Not impressed overall here, at times was a turnoff and at others though it had some good crispness to it but still I struggled to find a reason to finish this and have to give this a pass and don't bother.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2008 22:55:56 | More by beerthulhu

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very clear golden yellow colour topped by bright white rocky head. Decent head retention and lacing on the glass. Spicy and floral noble hop aroma with some graininess and DMS. Balance is on the sweet side, but with a definite soft bitterness. Malt and hop flavours are both present at the mid-point. The finish is medium length with plenty of hop flavour and just a bit of bitterness. Mouthfeel is a little slick, high carbonation, medium/light body. Overall, I enjoyed this one.

500 mL green bottle, best before date printed on the rear label.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2005 02:31:33 | More by DrJay

plaid75

New York

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

Poured a medium to dark straw hue with a two finger foamy white head. There was decent retention and good sticky lacing.

The smell featured an upfront spicy saaz hop with a light husky grain.

The taste consisted of a sharp biting hop spice and a grainy malt. There was an uncomfortable chemical element toward the finish.

The mouthfeel was of average fullness with a bit of harshness and astringency.

Overall not a top tier Czech Pils. A servicable beer for sure, but there are much better out there.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2007 02:56:35 | More by plaid75

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Melted butter with eggshell frothing at its top. Its complexion is magnificently clear and causes not even a slight blur to my finger on the other side. The surface is dotted with plenty of well profiled bubbles. It appears tenacious enough that the pasty rings which it's etched around the glass should last. As far as pilsners go I don't suppose I could ask for much more.

Asking a little more from the aroma, however, should be considered rather reasonable. I don't know how macro breweries ever think they can entice anyone to drink their products when they smell like this (granted, I suppose most of their consumers drink straight from the can or bottle). Still, I can't find any way of imagining that this smell of flavourless malt could possibly be considered enticing. Neutral - sure, maybe; enticing - definitely not.

One consistent, invariable trend I've noticed in regard to my tastes in beer is as follows: the beers that taste good, I like; those that do not, I tend not to. This doesn't really taste bad enough for me to dislike it but it doesn't have enough flavour for me to find anything appealing about it. Therefore, following my own logic, this is a beer I neither like nor dislike.

Which seems a fair way of summing it up. For you see, this doesn't have so much of the stale, cloying, off-putting chemical adjunct taste of most mass produced (especially exported) beers. That said, it has none of the lightly toasted breads, sweet malts, and zestfully spicy hops that a true Czech Pilsner should have. Normally I would punish the beer on account of the latter but I've had so many beers guilty of the former that I'll call it even.

From my very limited brewing experience I would say that two of the most difficult styles to reproduce effectively are British milds and German/Czech Pilsners. These are very delicate styles that require quality ingredients. They hide little room for error and really demand experience and craftsmanship to capture their subtlety and balance. It's no easy feet to brew (let alone export) a tasty, quenching, balanced pilsner - not by a long shot.

My experience having lagers in Poland, Weißbier in Germany, and fresh hop Harvest ales in California has also taught me that beers can be unfathomably better when served as fresh and as close to the source as possible. By my own admission, I've yet to have a *real* Czech Pilsner at its best. I'll have to stop wasting money on these crappy cans and start saving up!

Serving type: can

02-21-2009 00:24:33 | More by biegaman

kojevergas

California

3.85/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Poured from a bottle into a Hoegaarden pint glass in low altitude Galway, Ireland, on October 28th, 2010. Pours a pleasant clear gould with a three finger, relatively thick head that retains well and has some cream. So far, so good.

Smell: A light aroma but a pleasant one. Barley, maybe some malt, a hint of roast, just a little hint of hops.

Taste: A mellow and balanced beer with notes of light cream, sweet barley, and honey. A subtle finish but a nice one. Well built for a pilsener, but the Czech breweries know how to do it like no one else does.

Mouthfeel: I'd like a little more cream on the open. It's a little too wet, but the finish dries up nicely, making me want another sip. The mouthfeel, despite its flaws, matches the taste, and for that I applaud the brewer. There's a nice bit of chewy goodness in the aftertaste.

Drinkability: I'd certainly have it again. I've seen some pubs here in Galway (The Cellar) that have it on tap; I'm going to give it a try. I've always enjoyed pilseners, and this one is a treat especially at this price range.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 19:11:53 | More by kojevergas

Cyberkedi

Georgia

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

Aroma is crisp, fairly strong, and malty, typical of a lager. Color is a nice orangy-gold amber with a very thick but none too persistent white head. Flavor is typically lagerish, mainly malty with a little hop bitterness and just a hint of fruit. Texture is smooth and thick, almost syrupy, happily different from so many lagers that come across as thin and watery.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2008 20:43:32 | More by Cyberkedi

RoyalT

Ohio

2.38/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Appearance – Light yellow in color with a tinge of orange and a smallish head.

Smell – Light citrusy hops with some sweetish malts that felt off-style.

Taste – The big citrus and sweet, orangish malt made this one off-style.

Mouthfeel – This was light-bodied, which is OK, but the nice, fluffy mouthfeel was absent.

Sinkability – This one didn’t cut the mustard.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2004 01:11:20 | More by RoyalT

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Light amber and strong hay colored brew. Great column of bubling. Just lacking in th head and foam department. Crisp grass and pilsner malt aroma. Super crisp hops and super dry pilsner malts make this Czech beers. Crisp and somewhat bitter palate, make this one sessionable beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2008 22:32:39 | More by scruffwhor

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

I picked this up as a part of a mix-a-six at Giant in Linglestown PA, poured chilled into a mug.

The color is deep amber with tranparent clarity and off white cream with tight bead and no lace. The smell is not very impressive, it has a slight skunky hop nose probably from the green glass bottle and it overpowers the mildly bready undertones. The feel is malty with highly carbonated and semi-slick diacetyl texture with dry finish and semi spicy feel.

The Pils has a taste that is mineral and toasted with slight creamy element from yeast and possibly carbonation with subtle yeast dryness after the swallow with some spiciness from the hops in the finish. Overall I was bit underwhelmed as the beer was overwhelmed by the skunkiness it suffers a lot as a result of this and is marginally drinkable as a result. I would pass unless I saw it on tap somewhere.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 14:02:41 | More by Slatetank

bark

Sweden

3.3/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The colour is yellow; the foam is at first big, bit it sinks down to a thin white lid quite fast.

The smell is rather strong with some bread-like malt and lots of sweet hops (Saaz?). Fresh - just like you would expect from a Czech Pilsner.

The carbonation is quite strong, a good thing.

The taste got notes of white bread from the malt and a balanced dry hoppy note. The bitterness grows into a fine, very pleasing aftertaste.

I found this Pilsner OK, it does it job but not much more. Can I have some more bitter hops, please?

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2005 17:05:26 | More by bark

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

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

alexgash

Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Imported green bottle in Utah = increased skunk potential.
Pale-golden straw. Very clear. Big, fluffy, white head.
Smells of honey malt and light biscuit, accented with a perfumey, floral hop aroma. Saaz? A touch of the skunk, but not bad. Wheww.
Sweet honey up front, turning to lightly toasted malt. Wave of floral, sea air, spicy hops crests. Adequately bitter into the finish. Refreshing, spritzy carbonation. Light to medium body. A little bit more of a hop bite would do this brew some good.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2004 18:21:01 | More by alexgash

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

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This is (or was) one of my fav Czech, nay, ALL pilseners. But I'm having a little difficulty in pinning down exactly which one it is due to varying label styles and info. A certain other beer review site has what I think I have as a different beer. eh. Usually I drink it, when they have it, at Bodega Brew Pub in
La Crosse, Wis. USA. This .5 l can I got here at the nearby Supermercado Carrefour in Recoleta, Buenos Aires. Poured with a nice head and some lace. Clear gold color. Beery, malty, slightly sweet yet a bit hoppy nose. Flavor is very similar to aroma but with the good texture. Just right carbonation. Not too bitter, not too sweet. Quaffable. Decent finish. Session beer. I likes it!

uh, PS.- The label is much cooler than the one shown here!

Serving type: can

03-28-2009 22:52:40 | More by drpimento

merlin48

Kentucky

2.83/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

My green bottle looks slightly different than the one pictured. It pours a clear pale yellow with a two inch offwhite head. Head collapses quickly into patchy lacing. Aroma has some Euro skunked cardboard which masks some hints of lemon. Mouthfeel is light bodied and fizzy with carbonation. Taste is mostly hop bitterness, just a hint of sweet malt. Very one dimensional with this lack of malt balance. Finishes bitter, and astringency detracts greatly from drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2004 03:20:40 | More by merlin48

Vancer

Illinois

3/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Classic golden straw yellow pour, pretty damn fine white head and sheets of island lace in the ol’ Bitburger pilsner glass.

Tons of the ol’ euro skunk when I popped the top and poured this bad boy. Somewhat of a mellow veggie quaff, of course influenced by the euro yeast.

Decent lager, nuttin outstanding, but still quite quaffable, except the import costs puts this out of the “everyday” drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2007 21:51:58 | More by Vancer

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

flagmantho

Washington

3.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 500mL bottle into a pint glass Best before 3/26/13.

Appearance: medium golden hue with a clear body and a moderate effervescence. Head is a finger of chunky ivory foam which leaves a nice lace. Good for the style.

Smell: sweet, grainy malt aroma with a hint of noble hops. Not too bad.

Taste: very much like the aroma. Sweetness is the first thing that hits me, followed by the grainy character and finally a pretty clean bitterness. Not bad.

Mouthfeel: light body with a decent carbonation and a light, airy mouthfeel. Refreshing.

Overall: a decent if unremarkable Pilsner. I bet this would taste great on vacation in Prague.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 19:32:28 | More by flagmantho

Gmann

New York

3.38/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear golden color, about 2 shades darker than a macro. The head was average and not much lacing was detected. The smell is faint, some bready malt was picked up. The taste is of biscuit like malt with some honey flavor. Servicable grassy peppery hops to round out the flavor. The feel is light with some tight carbonation, finishes a bit peppery on the palate. My first impression of this beer was that it wasn't a Czech Pils. It is a bit more malty and not as dry as the others. Definitely worth a try, just not what I expected.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2007 03:04:43 | More by Gmann

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a green 11.2 oz. bottle. Has a golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is a bit skunky. Taste is crisp, some sweetness, finishing a tad bitter. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and has decent drinkability. Overall this is a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2010 18:10:35 | More by tone77

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