Staropramen Ležák (Premium Lager) 12°

Brewed by Staropramen Breweries (InBev)
Style: Bohemian Pilsener
Prague, Czech Republic

Better than average European lager. Attractive dark colour and a small white head. Very little aroma, a hint of malt perhaps. Flavour was sweet and malty followed by refreshing dryness.

Pours a golden colour with a foamy head and excellent carbonation. A sweet, grassy nose. Well bodied malty cereal flavour with an even bitterness. Not too bad. (500ml bottle)

I used to think this was great stuff, but now it’s just a standard malty lager..has it changed, or have my tastebuds died?

Pours a very clear deep gold with a slight white head that lasts a while. Aroma is earthy and spicy but mellows out and blends well with the smooth pils malt as it warms a bit. Nice malty flavor with a modest hop bitterness. Very delicate overall. Very smooth due to a slightly lower than average carbonation. Nice finish. Im surprised how well this beer has stood up in the bottle. Usually most czech beers come in stale or skunked. I really liked this beer fresh in Prague last year but I forgot to rate it.

Bottle (500ml). Yay - another international lager (they’re all so DIFFERENT, aren’t they?) . Pours a clear, pale, startling orange - slightly off-white rocky head. Looks flat and unnatural. Smells very skunky - like a mash left out in the sun too long - sour malt, sour hops, linseed oil and dirt. Taste is almost non-existant - slightly sour, slightly bitter, sort of grainy, quick-diminishing with a nasty metallic aftertaste that sticks around a while. How does this thing rate 3/5???

On tap, Prague. Yellow with thick white head. A bit malty start but dry overall; a full flavor but generally weak for a 12-degree. Staropramen seems to be the most inconsistent Czech beer when it comes to taps, so try to drink it at a pub that knows how to keep its taps clean and is crowded, so you know it’s fresh.

Couleur dorée, moyenne mousse plutôt diminuante. Arômes de grains, de métal et de houblons floraux et épicés…Saaz et probablement aussi Halertauer. Malt légèrement grillé et houblon herbal, floral. Corps d’épaisseur mince, légèrement sucrée en bouche, finale aqueuse. Filtration et pasteurisation mènent à de grande déception. Bouteille LCBO, Décembre 2004. À consommer avant le 13 Juillet 2005.

Bottle: Poured a golden color pils with a bubbly extra white head with average retention. Aroma of fresh crisp hops with floral malt. Taste is quite refreshing with again the crisp hops and floral malt making a good impression. Carbonation is great for the style and no skunkyness is a bonus for those imported bottles.