Zlatorog - Pivovarna Laško

mwrseeley

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I enjoyed this Slovenian beer more and more with each consecutive sip. It is a very light beer with a pleasant taste that goes down easily, especially on a hot day or with a barbecue dinner. Of course my enjoyment could be attributed to the novelty of drinking something from the small alpine country in which it was brewed.

It brought back memories of the Korea/Japan FIFA World Cup 2002 game I saw in Daegu between Slovenia and the victorious South African squad.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2006 22:01:49 | More by mwrseeley

mariobbr

Serbia

2.5/5  rDev -20.9%

05-07-2013 12:41:26 | More by mariobbr

Iztok

Slovenia

2.5/5  rDev -20.9%

10-23-2012 18:42:23 | More by Iztok

irrgalaxy

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +26.6%

08-30-2012 16:35:11 | More by irrgalaxy

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

2.45/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Light looking and clear pale amber to straw colour with plenty of bubbles. It is quite a light looking beer, even for a pale lager although the head retention isn't the worst at least.

Very light grassy hops to begin with, along with some skunk and grain. There is some vegetable adjuncts and a touch of cheap lager malts but overall the aroma is on the poor side.

Light on taste to begin with, however there is some corn, grain and cheap adjuncts along with some sweetness. It's not a great taste at all and is rounded off with some bread and lager hops.

Light, thin and cheap on the palate with some grain but other than that a mainly smooth feel. There is a touch of skunk and it comes across as being quite bland and watered down meaning it wasn't all that refreshing either.

A very poor offering and not how I wanted my introduction to Slovenian beer to go. It was at least somewhat drinkable but not great or refreshing really, which is all you want from a cheap pale lager in a foreign country. Cheap, unexciting and not worth trying, give this one a miss.

1001 Beers Blog:
http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 16:03:01 | More by flyingpig

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

when i first had this it was ice cold on a 100 degree day, and i thought it was sensational. every subsequent drinking ive thought less and less of it. now im to the point where i cant really stomach more than one. call it beer fatigue, but this doesnt really work for me anymore. smells like a standard euro adjunct, with a crispy hop presence in the nose that doesnt quite make it to the flavor. it also has a decent malt profile in both aroma and flavor, not at all heavy, but not watered down either. flavor is pretty standard, a little mineral rich, but quite drinkable at a cold temperature. feel is way too carbonated, but the body is fine for a hot day. its the after taste that i think is the nasty part, i try to ignore it by drinking another sip before it sets in. im sure ill have this again, but i likely wont be too enthused.

Serving type: can

07-16-2012 17:48:01 | More by StonedTrippin

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Continuing my goal of reviewing all the random import cans at the local LCBO comes this brew...

A - Pours a pale golden colour, thumb of head with little retention and a little sporadic lacing.

S - Mild on the nose, grassy hop notes, musty cardboard, paper mache and a metallic finish.

T - Mild again, musty grassy notes, hints of sweet corn, buttered bread and wet cardboard.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and wet.

O - A mild and unadventurous pilz. I have a feeling I will continue to be underwhelmed by these import cans, but here's to hoping I will discover a hidden gem. This unfortunately, is not it.

Serving type: can

05-07-2012 17:01:42 | More by andrenaline

djura

Serbia

2.58/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A-Golden color,nice white foam,staying for couple of seconds,but stay with one finger till the end. Medium carbonation.

S-Extremely awful,very unpleasant smell,don't know what it is,like bad brandy.

T/M- Taste is below average for lagers. At the first,it is refreshing,but as you drink it,it tastes sorrow. Some bitter aftertaste.

O-Expected much more from this,Lasko produce nice beers,but this one is above their standards.

Serving type: can

01-20-2012 19:11:19 | More by djura

stevoj

Germany

3/5  rDev -5.1%

11-21-2011 18:25:50 | More by stevoj

BierBliss

New Hampshire

3/5  rDev -5.1%

11-16-2011 02:49:42 | More by BierBliss

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a familiar golden-yellow colour, topped with a thin white head that lasts a few minutes before fading into wisps upon the surface. A thin collar follows the edge of the glass, but there is little-to-no-lacing. Carbonation level looks appropriate. The aroma is nice but highly generic; grainy cracker malts and grass.

Clean, crisp taste, but nothing especially interesting as far as flavour goes - those same doughy, grainy malts provide a bit of sweetness, with some light hay-like hops rounding out the profile. Light-bodied, with moderate carbonation. Feels a little slippery on the tongue.

I can't really work up much enthusiasm for this, but it's a perfectly drinkable lager. I bought this mostly because I've never had Slovenian beer before, and I doubt I'll get it again.

Serving type: can

09-04-2011 07:27:52 | More by thehyperduck

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

500ml Can

Appearance - Clear gold/yellow colour with an average size fizzy white coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation showing and there is a fair amount of lacing. The head lasted for around 3 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Grains, hops, floral notes, lemon, corn

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an average amount of carbonation. I can taste grains mixed with light hops and some lemons. There is also a little bit of a metallic flavour mixed with corn. As well I picked up on a bit of a fruit sweetness.. perhaps pears or apples. The beer finishes with a grainy aftertaste with a fair amount of a spicy bitterness.

Overall – A highly drinkable beer that was unremarkable. Just another Euro lager..

Serving type: can

05-03-2011 18:34:58 | More by spinrsx

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

2.85/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

330 mL can from a small store in Sarajevo. Can says 4.9% ABV.

A - Pours with a loose, soapy white head of two fingers. Bright gold or yellow colour with alot of carbonation. Bright. Lacing is quite good with chunks around the sides and a retention that is better than it should be.

S - Sweet corny malt. Some hay like hop notes.

T - Sweet malt, less corny. Grassy, hay hop notes. More sweetness than I would like.

M - Medium carbonation and light to medium body. Creamy. Not crisp.

D - Meh. A Euro lager less sweet than your typical stuff but not good by any means. Worth it if the only thing available is less interesting but otherwise a pass.

Serving type: can

04-13-2011 18:09:04 | More by tbeckett

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev +7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I'm on a Euro lager kick, just to see what's out there. After buying a series of bocks to celebrate the upcoming spring weather, I picked up Lasko because it also sported a goat on its label. Though its not a bock, I figured I'd give it a go.

Quick pour yielded a fluffy head that dissipated very quickly. Nice colour to the brew, though, a solid golden hue.

Nose is malts, a bit of bread, floral hops, some sweetness that reminds me of corn syrup. Nothing offensive, nothing great.

Crisp cracker, decent but sparing floral hops, slightly sweet. A good malt profile. Easy to drink, certainly a touch better than most mass-market Euro fare. Still, calling this a czech pilsner is a stretch - its very mild. Finishes slightly bitter and tinny.

Strong carbonation, thin bodied.

Even if knocking another beer country off your list was the aim for drinking this beer, Zlatorog is actually a pretty decent and wasn't a chore to drink. Clearly the formidable brewing heritage of its neighbours has had an influence on this Slovenian brewer. Zlatorog is nothing great, but its certainly better than other Eastern European fare.

Serving type: can

03-14-2011 20:02:00 | More by JohnnyBarman

BucBasil

South Carolina

2.73/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from the 500mL bottle into a pint glass at Pr'Skelet Bar in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

A: Pure gold witha 1.5 finger pure white head with ok retention.

S: After pouring, the skunky smell is evident from pretty far away. Euro lager smell. A lot of must and some grainy sourness. Old grain.

T: Rough and grainy with the taste of whole grain crackers... like triscuits or something. Finishes slightly sour with a lasting impression of skunk and must that is not altogether pleasant.

M: Crisp on the tongue and going down alright.

D: Not a big fan and not looking to drink a bunch of these. Kind of off-ish taste, but I have a feeling it's intentional.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 04:40:21 | More by BucBasil

Swedes21

Ontario (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured in a chilled pint glass...

Appearance - first thing noticed is the nice foamy white head with poured, has a very "airy" appearance. once the head is gone, decent amount of lacing left behind. very clear golden colour with a min amount of carbonation.

Smell - clean smelling beer, unique smelling beer. I would say a malty sweet smell was the one that came across the most.

Taste - nice tasting beer, can really taste the malt of brew. there is a slight kick to the aftertaste, however, very pleasant.

Mouthfeel - carbonation level increase providing a nice mouthfeel.

Drinkability - for a Czech beer, i went in with no expectations. Coming out, i would 100% drink this beer again and enjoy it with friends.

Serving type: can

10-07-2010 01:04:38 | More by Swedes21

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

3.03/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

500ml can poured into a pint glass.
ABV marked as 4.9% on stickers affixed to the can.

A - Poured a clear golden yellow with a 2cm white head. Head reduced to a thin cap and a decent of amount lacing is produced.

S - Grainy, grassy and a hint of butter.

T - Sweet malts hit first followed by the hops. The hop profile is more herbal then typical Lagers/Pilsners. Again I picked up some buttery notes. There's also some unpleasant metallic notes that show up in the finish

M - Average carbonation and some creaminess. Lacks that crispness I expect from a typical Lager/Pilsner.

D - Average. Enjoyed on occasion but not something I regularly drink.

Serving type: can

09-14-2010 02:02:48 | More by decimator

dolzan

Slovenia

2.55/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Pale yellow with a large head.

The second most common lager in the country where I live.

Very light and drinkable with a slightly hoppy and bitter aroma, but without the unpleasant aftertaste of its main rival in the country, Union. It's an adequate lager, but nothing to write home about, though.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2010 20:12:09 | More by dolzan

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

It would be fitting for a country that borders the Alps and produces a ton of basketball talent to have a very tall, tall head on its national brand of beer; inconveniently, this is not the case and I am hence robbed of any easy metaphors. Fortunately, it does have a gloriously clean, glinting gold complexion that allows for some alliteration.

Zlatorog has the right smell for a Czech Pilsner but unfortunately it's set at a 3 or 4 when where I really need it to be is at, ideally, at least a 7 or 8. I understand, however, that for a (relatively) mass-produced national brand this is asking too much, especially considering it already offers far more hop presence than is customary for beers of this elk.

Furthermore, the maltiness it exudes is infinitely cleaner than that of the worst North American (or European) offenders. The clean, unadulterated taste of barley malt (as oppose to corn or rice) makes for a flavour profile that is eternally more appreciable for its honey-like sweetness and soft bready taste. And it's supremely more pure and elegant.

And it's not without a trace of flowery, earthy hop character! It may be subdued but it's inclusion at all is uncustomary and unexpected; the bitterness it imparts is brittle and faint but for all its temperance it manages to be obtrude that biscuity sweetness and remodels the straw-like dryness of pale malt with a markedly more floral and earthy brand.

This may taste like an uninspired, watered down pilsner but that is enormously better than most countries' national brands which drink like defiled, adulterated sodas. This is not only superlatively more flavourful and drinkable, but it also earns its brewers, and indeed its country and the people who drink it, an immeasurable amount more of respect.

Serving type: can

06-18-2010 16:54:33 | More by biegaman

sfprint

Germany

3.7/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Orangy yellow with a quickly disappating head.
Smell: Malty and sweet, not striking.
Taste: Very sweet, honey, bitter, and herby.
Mouthfeel: Smooth with a near medium body. Very sparkly carbonation.
Overall: Great! Huge contrast to Union, which I'm surprised many people favor.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2010 03:29:25 | More by sfprint

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

500ml, 4.9% ABV, according to the LCBO...

This beer pours a clear light straw colour, with a copious amount of thin foamy white head, which leaves some sparse random lace around the glass upon its remission. It smells of white cracker grain, and somewhat acrid grassy hops. The taste is sweet white grain, a bit bready, and earthy, kind of vegetal, hops. The carbonation is moderate, the body medium weight, a bit slick, and it finishes kind of flat, the white grain and underwhelming hops not exactly showboating.

The lack of any crispness to the hops and grain make me question the Czech Pilsner classification, but overall, not a bad pale Euro-lager, cloyingness being at a minimum. (Maybe the 'love' in the brewing process softened things a bit...)

Serving type: can

02-21-2010 01:15:16 | More by biboergosum

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

1.6/5  rDev -49.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Appearance: A solid two fingers to frothy head that retains and laces decently. The body is a typical Lager gold with perhaps a slight tinge of brown, however not much carbonation going on.

Smell: Really bad earthy skunk, with only the barest touches of grass in the background. It is also quite pronounced which in this case, isn't a good thing.

Taste: It takes just like it smells, as it starts with a sulfuric fizzy taste that turns into an awful earthy swamp taste. Not very complex, and frankly not very good. There are worse things I've put in my mouth, sure but this is not very pleasant.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation is way to fizzy, there is a severe lack of transitioning, the aftertaste tastes like dirt, and the only redeeming quality is that it thankfully moist to drink, washing away much of the unpleasantness.

Drinkability: Well, it does quench the thirst, but not much else. My stomach doesn't quite agree with it as it seems to cause some bloating. It's not easy going down, in fact it is a struggle.

Final Thoughts: Yeah...you will want to pass on this one. There are certainly better imports out there as I can't really see ever wanting to have another one of these ever again. It got drain poured at the half way mark. At least it looked nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2009 01:05:20 | More by TheHammer

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pale golde. Short head, little lacing.

I get apple on the nose. Some hay.

Nice grassy hops up front. Doesn't leap out at you, but they're there, which is better than you can say of most mass euro-lagers. Crisp finish with light fruity malt.

A surprisingly nice lager from Slovenia.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2009 00:08:55 | More by CanuckRover

PEIBeerGuy

Prince Edward Island (Canada)

3/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

golden clear, some head, little lacing, not much sticks around

highly skunky / limey / minty... like a Corona with lime still in it

tastes alright, not much like it smells, kinda like a Heineken

maybe a bit over fizzy, feels pretty good

overall, pretty drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2009 21:24:37 | More by PEIBeerGuy

ecoastman

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drinkability - Better than the average mass market Euro lager with more flavours, this beer is still very drinkable. Probably will be my choice vs. the others on the shelves.

Appearance - clear gold with a head that recedes to leave some good lacing.

Smell - Immediately more interesting than the average Euro lagers on the mass market. This has some buttery spicy hops that are quite noticeable.

Taste - Like the aroma, this beer is more interesting than the average Euro lagers since this has more hops in the finish. Some might describe the aroma and taste as "vegetal" but I like it since it stands out as unique. There's also a nice diactyl butterscotch tone in the after taste.

Mouthfeel - smooth and creamy texture that isn't coarse in the medium-dry finish. There's some nice slickness in the mouth afterwards.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2009 00:30:55 | More by ecoastman