Ciuc Premium - Miercurea Ciuc (Brau Union Romania)

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

3.45/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A man at the shop said this is a good beer, so I bought it. Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops. Off to a good start.

The beer pours a very nice, crystal-clear golden color. The head is there, but a bit sad, and it soon dissipates into a rather ugly, frothy white scum. Mineral and slightly sulfuric aroma, but not in a skunky way... more in, like, a rusty pipe way. It smells not good. In the flavor, it is still way too metallic, but it also has a surprisingly rich, sweet, fresh malt flavor and a good smack of floral, resinous hops that lingers on for a moreish finish. Not bad at all, really. A pleasant surprise.

Serving type: can

10-07-2011 17:07:30 | More by soulgrowl

TheBeeraholic

Ontario (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -11.3%

06-16-2013 13:50:13 | More by TheBeeraholic

Ciocanelu

Romania

2.25/5  rDev -20.2%

05-13-2013 20:37:37 | More by Ciocanelu

Fatehunter

Oregon

1.6/5  rDev -43.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

A half finger of head on a clear, yellow colored body. Poor head retention.
The aroma is grain and a stale clover honey. Weird.
The taste is quite bitter with a high level of dryness and pucker factor. Not good.
The texture is crisp with a ton of carbonation and light body.
There's too much going against this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 20:47:13 | More by Fatehunter

Vyronian

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +50.7%

01-20-2013 15:56:22 | More by Vyronian

Chadhowie

California

2.25/5  rDev -20.2%

01-18-2013 00:06:49 | More by Chadhowie

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev +6.4%

11-11-2012 00:50:42 | More by cfalovo97

Molson2000

Ontario (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -11.3%

09-10-2012 21:52:10 | More by Molson2000

arkanu

Romania

2.25/5  rDev -20.2%

07-05-2012 18:53:20 | More by arkanu

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

2.55/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Half-litre can from the LCBO; best before January 2013. Another day, another European country to scratch off the list - with yet another pale lager, of course. But I am a little picky with Czech pilseners, so we'll see how this goes.

Pours a pale golden yellow, completely translucent, topped with two fingers of frothy, soapy, sparkling white head. It sticks around for a few minutes, leaving in its wake some smears of lacing on the side of the glass. It certainly looks the part, although the aroma doesn't. It's mildly grainy with some grassy hay-like qualities, but much too faint to make out anything much more specific than that. At least it smells fairly clean.

Acceptable flavour, but pretty bland for a pilsener. The flavour is mostly grainy malt sweetness and white bread, with some grassy, vaguely floral hop notes toward the end of the sip. A little metallicity (especially in the aftertaste) is not really appreciated, but not a serious detraction either. It has no real noble hop presence - no lemony zest, no crisp/spicy goodness like in real Czech pilseners. Relatively creamy mouthfeel for a pale lager, with noticeably mild carbonation. Light-bodied and highly watery.

Final Grade: 2.55, a forgettable C-. Call it whatever you want - a rather lame pilsener, or a decent-to-mediocre Euro pale lager - Ciuc Premium isn't anything special, and there aren't many reasons to bother drinking it beyond the low price (or in my case, the fact that it is from Romania, and thus a rarity here). BAs with no interest in pale lagers might as well skip this, because it's mediocre at best.

Serving type: can

06-20-2012 07:05:43 | More by thehyperduck

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

2.8/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A random single I procured at the local LCBO. Part of my new mission to sample all the random imported cans they get.

A - Pours a very pale golden colour, thumb of light fluffy head with decent retention and some sporadic lacing.

S - Very mild, light grassy hop notes, biscuit and bready malt.

T - Much like the nose with the grassy hops, and bready biscuit malt. The finish is almost non-existent with little flavour lingering, though a unique citrus hop bitterness does come through.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and wet.

O - A decent pils, easy drinking, though could use a bit more on the flavour profile. Worthy in a pinch, but there's better options available.

Serving type: can

05-06-2012 20:29:52 | More by andrenaline

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

3.28/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured a two finger fluffy white head upon a uric hued body, little retention but nice sticky patchy lacing.

Smell and taste is Grassy hops, hay, mineral water,cardboard. Faint lemon note.

Light bodied, some carbonation, very smooth creamy mouthfeel for the style. Slightly bitter without too much sweetness.

Much better than I expected. Always the risk of that pale euro trash lager taste when it comes from a can at the lcbo, however this brew was a pleasant surprise although it is not spectacular by any means.

Serving type: can

03-02-2012 20:33:44 | More by Stocean1

emerge077

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Green 12 oz. from a wraparound cardboard six pack. Best by 04/05/12, so it's still in code.

Served in a narrow fluted stange glass.

High clarity pale gold, languidly rising champagne streams of carbonation, dense layer of creamy whipped foam that lasts for a good five minutes, and leaves webs of lacing in the glass.

Lightly sweet biscuit and dry hay aroma, spring water minerals.

Crisp and light, a vague noble hop grassiness lending a flash of bitterness in the aftertaste. Fairly smooth and supple in the middle, barely there flavors of cracker, honey, and dried field grasses. It's crisp cleanliness is the best thing going for it, the flavor is just average with no flaws for the style.

First Romanian beer I think... nope, Timisoreana was.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 21:36:31 | More by emerge077

nandika

Romania

2.5/5  rDev -11.3%

02-08-2012 14:09:14 | More by nandika

phaedrusovchaos

Romania

3/5  rDev +6.4%

01-16-2012 12:50:37 | More by phaedrusovchaos

oldp0rt

Quebec (Canada)

2/5  rDev -29.1%

11-24-2011 02:35:31 | More by oldp0rt

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

2.28/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Can from the LCBO, 500ml into a stange. Best before July 27, 2012.

Pours a crystal clear golden yellow, so clear the I was actually able to read the text from the ingredients list on the can through the beer. Loose and transient white head, leaving a collar and no head. Nose has some weak hop notes, a bit of corn and come assorted cereals. A general sweetness about it. Taste has some run of the mill malt sweetness with some adjunct notes, some odd metallic notes and a weird hop flavour and bitterness in the finish. Feel is pretty light, with a medium low carbonation. Little to no flavour all around, and that which exists is downright boring - yet, this beer avods being truly offensive. On the plus side, this is fairly easy to consume. Fill a funnel or something with this one...

Serving type: can

11-03-2011 14:16:20 | More by liamt07

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

2.68/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

500ml Can

Appearance – Clear yellow colour with an average size fizzy white coloured head. There is an above average amount of carbonation showing and there is almost no lacing. The head lasted for around 4 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Grains, bread, corn, malts, floral notes

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an average amount of carbonation. I can taste malts and very light hops mixed with corn. There are also some floral notes and a bit of a metallic flavour. It ends with a corny yet floral aftertaste.

Overall – I actually found this beer to be kind of harsh tasting. It's got a lot of corn/adjunct taste and it really doesn't taste refreshing.. which is one of the main qualities I look for in a beer like this one. I wouldn't buy it again.

Serving type: can

10-25-2011 16:16:52 | More by spinrsx

JohnW

United Kingdom (England)

2.3/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Had both from bottle and on tap in various bars during a tour of Romania in July 2011. Pours pale gold,lively head, little if no aroma - grassy, dry. Taste is thin, highly carbonated, acid, dry, all the things expected from Euro lager from a big brewery of the area. I guess it seems refreshing if served well chilled on a hot summer day, but would not have it again. Incidently, the name is pronounced CHuish if you really need to know!

JohnW
B'ham UK 2011

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2011 18:03:49 | More by JohnW

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

2.83/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clear golden colour with a soapy white head that leaves a bit of lace and settles as a collared film.

Extremely sweet aroma, but more like a caramel that standard corn syrup. Also very fresh and grainy, quite appealing.

After that nose, the taste falls quite flat. Slight sweet maltiness and a hint of toasted grain, but very little else. No noticeable weird, gross or adjunct tastes though, so that's a plus.

It has a sort of creamy mouthfeel at first, but it literally tastes like water with a can hint on the finish. Fairly crisp and dry though at least.

Well it smells decent and sure is easy drinkin', but rather unsatisfying all around. Would be good ice cold on a hot day, but I won't be going back for more.

Serving type: can

05-02-2011 19:25:32 | More by bryehn

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

500ml can poured into a pint glass.
ABV 5%

A - Poured a clear golden yellow with minimal head. Some lacing.

S - Sweet malts with bready notes and some grass.

T - Sweet malts, hint of citrus, bitter finish with isn't strong but lingers.

M - Average carbonation, smooth, some stickiness, crisp finish.

D - Drinkable but a bit weak for a Pilsner.

Serving type: can

04-22-2011 01:14:31 | More by decimator

tempest

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked up a bottle at EuroMarket in Queens. After noticing on the label that this was a Heineken beer, I had trouble distinguishing the taste of Ciuc from Holland's finest. As this warmed, however, a sharp peppery hop note became apparent. The basic creamy malt was unchanged that kick of Euro hops certainly qualifies this as a legit pilsner. The aroma is uninspired with metallic hints of skunk. It's not a bad beer, but not a great pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 03:34:14 | More by tempest

crossovert

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +46.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

11.2 oz green twist off bottle. It came covered for the most part in paper and it is pretty fresh (best before 16/08/11) and the store was nice and dark.

It pours a pale gold with a foamy right white head, typical of the style. It has above average lacing though.

The smell is thankfully not skunked, it has a nice bready malt presence and some super grassy hops.

The first thing I noticed was it actually started out pretty full bodied for a pilsener, then it mellowed out with a super dry finish. It has enough flavor, it straddles the line between a generic Euro pale lager and a pilsener. But it is well balanced, the malt is bready and almost papery and the hops have a nice tang, pretty much lime zest, and a surprising bitterness right in the finish. This a noble hop bomb and I like that a ton.

I really like the drinkability and mouthfeel, and that will certainly bump this one up.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 03:42:31 | More by crossovert

Reinheitsgebot71

Ontario (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a pale golden colour, very clear and luminous. A massive pure white head crowns this lasting quite well with respectable lacing.

High effervescence pushes grassy hop scents to the for. Wet leaves and sulphurous notes add to the character. Aromas of a grain store come to mind in the malt.

Bitter up front very green hop flavours that are fairly mild. Bready gram cracker malt give good body and rounds out the flavour well. A stale baguette taste mixes with the other malt flavours. A crisp hoppy finish round out the profile.
The body is very light and highly carbonated.

This one is slightly a cut about a lot of the bland euro lagers we are inundated with here. I certainly wouldn't categorize it as a pilsner though.

Serving type: can

12-07-2010 17:57:55 | More by Reinheitsgebot71

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

2.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - Clear straw with a fairly solid head of foam.

S - Not much here at all. Light grass... maybe.

T - Green, raw bitterness and a bit of a husky grain. Moderate sweetness. Bitterness in aftertaste is long-lasting.

M - Significant astringency and overall light body. Carbonation is on the low side.

D - Fairly drinkable, but a bit rough.

Serving type: can

11-04-2010 01:08:07 | More by allergictomacros