Stratford Pilsner
Stratford Brewing Company

Stratford PilsnerStratford Pilsner
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From:
Stratford Brewing Company
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
American Lager
ABV:
4.9%
Score:
73
Avg:
2.88 | pDev: 17.71%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
23
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 15, 2019
Added:
Oct 19, 2004
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
Brewed in traditional style using all-natural ingredients, Stratford Pilsner is as smooth and graceful as the swans floating down the Avon River. Golden amber, crisp, and always fresh, it's a beer that you'll enjoy anytime, any season.
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Rated: 2.67 by heimdall from California

Mar 15, 2019
 
Rated: 2.83 by sirsteve42 from New York

Aug 26, 2015
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

3.24/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Bottle from the Stratford LCBO. Served in a pint glass and consumed on the cottage porch.

A - Generous white foam settles to a thin cap, leaving behind splotches of lace. Transparent pale golden body with lots of rising bubbles.

S - Standard generic pilsner, with biscuity pils malt, a kiss of honey and light floral hopping. To style, but pretty dull.

T - Taste reveals more grain and less sweetness, with a surprisingly moderate level of hop bitterness. Nothing bad here, just kind of ho-hum.

M - Crisp, clean, medium-light body that is a tad watery. Dry finish, pleasant carbonation, and no alcohol.

D - It is a generic lager, through and through. I'd be hard pressed to pick it out of a lineup. That said, it's cheap, local, and offends no one at parties. I think it's better than the 2.88 it currently has, but not by much.
Nov 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by MayonakaStout from Canada (ON)

Aug 11, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by GoHabsGo from Canada (ON)

Jun 14, 2014
 
Rated: 2.25 by DaPan from Canada (ON)

Feb 13, 2013
 
Rated: 2.75 by beerhunter13 from Canada (ON)

Jun 17, 2012
 
Rated: 2.25 by dipso123 from Oregon

Mar 28, 2012
Photo of hopsolutely
Reviewed by hopsolutely from Canada (ON)

2.43/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
The only word I have to describe this beer is "insipid".

Lacking in taste, hops & character - it truly has none of the beauty of a Czech pilsner, with all of the taste baggage of a macro beer. "Cold" is not a flavour, but it might help this pint.

A crying shame, as the Stratford Brewing "Common Ale" is a complex and robust thing of beauty, meaning the brewmaster is very capable of creating beer greatness and aware of how beer can (should?) taste. Clearly this Pilsner profile is a choice, and I'd love to learn why such a profile was chosen at some point in the future...
Dec 28, 2010
Photo of JohnnyBarman
Reviewed by JohnnyBarman from Canada (ON)

2.7/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Had this on tap in Stratford recently, picked up a few bottles of it on the way home.

Poured into a pilsner glass. Light golden, a slight haze to it, with a thin head. No lacing, poor retention. Looks like a typical pilsner.

Nose is funky. Nuts, grain straight from the thresher, strange hops - not really floral, nor bitter. Hrrm.

A strange blending of flavors that don't work together well for me. Sweetness and honey to the fore, but finishes with that same funky hop bitterness. A nutty, grainy character in the middle. Neither quick nor clean. Lingering bitter finish.

Decent carbonation, slightly watery.

Trouble finishing this. Something felt very off here, whether it was the sweetness or the hoppage. Won't be back for this again.
Aug 26, 2010
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

2.73/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
When I look at this off-yellowish beer I do see something I'd like to drink, but nothing that I'm all too excited about. While I'm not at all adverse to a little haze - the less filtered the better, if anything - the style guidelines do generally frown upon it. The total lack of head also gives good reason to be, if not skeptical, certainly a little less enthusiastic.

The aroma murmurs nothing but a very quiet, almost muted note of pale malt. I struggle to define it as being anything but plain; it is nearly entirely featureless, less maybe a faint breadiness and some graininess. It's not exactly all that enticing. I can't help but think what a dab of floral or spicy hops could do to liven this thing up.

And I'd recommend them for the flavour, too. This taste is monstrously grainy and feels as though it's leaving scratch marks on the tongue. It's like dragging your palate through a field of thistles. It's like your chewing on the raw grains themselves; the aftertaste is reminiscent of husks and unprocessed grain, not smooth, sweet, toasted malts.

The bitterness, curiously enough, is sufficiently high (if only the brewer would use the same dosage of bittering hops as aromatic ones). Between this abrupt, clipping bitterness, the somewhat disagreeable flavour and the coarse graininess, the beer isn't exactly the crisp and clean lager it ought to be. A little re-tweaking of the recipe wouldn't be a bad idea.

Stratford, Ontario is a hotbed of Canada's performing and culinary arts - too bad the hometown beer doesn't exactly live up to the area's esteemed reputation for talent and craftship. Not to say this brewery doesn't have the ability to make delicious beers - they certainly do and have proven so - but their flagship pilsner could definitely use a rewrite.
Jul 21, 2010
Photo of biboergosum
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

3.82/5  rDev +32.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
$2 Single at the LCBO - gotta love how cheap these things are here - I'm used to facing close to 4 bucks a bottle, even from broken cases, at home...

This beer pours a clear medium straw colour, with lots of thin, bulbous white head, which has some pretty stellar retention, and leaves a bit of thin streaky lace around the glass. It smells of crisp white cracker grain, and spicy, earthy hops. The taste is somewhat nutty, biscuity barley grain, a bit of warm butter, and grassy hops. The carbonation is soft, the body fairly full, round, and smooth, and it finishes off-dry, the grain offset only a little by a wee bit of skunky weediness.

Not overly intense or crisp, but easy and pleasant enough to quaff - I'd like to try this on draft on a spring patio in T.O. some time.
Feb 12, 2010
Photo of allergictomacros
Reviewed by allergictomacros from Canada (ON)

2.26/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
A - Pours a hazy gold color, with a decent head with some staying power.

S - Floral, light citrus, soap, and light malt.

T - Watery, unexpectedly fruity with again soap and some nuttiness.

M - S'alright. A bit on the fizzy side.

D - Hops are overwhelmed by odd flavours. Not nearly clean enough.
Aug 30, 2008
Photo of Antilochus
Reviewed by Antilochus from Canada (ON)

2.91/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Bottle from a London, ON LCBO. 4.90% abv, 341mL. No freshness date. Fridge temp into a wine tumbler.

Straw with a nice billowy white head. Sudsy.

Notes of candy corn, sugar, diacetyl.

Diacetyl, popcorn on the palate. A touch of grassiness. Very simple. Mouthfeel is great though!

I'd prefer if this were less sweet. Like to try more Stratford stuff in the future though.
Jun 06, 2008
Photo of TerryW
Reviewed by TerryW from Canada (ON)

3.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Hazy golden yellow colour with a good head that settles to a heavy film and gives up moderate lace.

Agree with the concensus that the nose is lemony-soapy with some malt in behind. Similar flavour profile, sharp and somewhat tart on the tongue with a lingering citrus bitterness. Better than your average macro, but not really remarkable in any way.
Feb 25, 2007
Photo of Mindsquall
Reviewed by Mindsquall from Canada (ON)

3.65/5  rDev +26.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Got a 6 of this the other night, thought I'd give it a try.

This poured a pretty standard yellow with a thin but present head, also this poured a little cloudy which I found strange. Smell is clean, barley malt is quite present in the nose. This stuff actually tastes decent, a tad watery initially but finishes with a nice hop bite. Very clean and drinkable.

I found this to be a decent beer, keeping much in the style of other European Pilseners. I'd have another.
Jan 26, 2007
Photo of mrmanning
Reviewed by mrmanning from Canada (ON)

3.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
On tap at Smokeless Joe. Straw colour body. thin, white head. Aroma is sweet, candy, hops, grassy. Taste is sweet, hops, slightly watery. Seems like other elements of sweetness are trying to come through, but just aren’t making the appearance. Watery mouthfeel, with a sweet aftertaste.
Dec 02, 2006
Photo of fisherman34
Reviewed by fisherman34 from Canada (MB)

3/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bottled sample. Gold in colour with a bit of haze. Medium carbonation. Interesting aromas of bready pilsner malts and a bit of sour lemon and spice. Retains its citric character in the mouth, and picks up some grassy Saaz hop notes as well. Thin but fairly clean malt profile too. Medium bitterness. Not as rich or as complex as some of its European counterparts (it’s still a bit too fat/sweet in the malt department), but this is some pretty easy drinking stuff. There is a very faint echo of Christoffel Blond in this beer.
Sep 01, 2006
Photo of Derek
Reviewed by Derek from Canada (BC)

4.01/5  rDev +39.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A: Clear, golden yellow with a fluffy white head. Not as much retention as some Continental Pils, but it left plenty of wonderful lace.

S: Mild hops (mostly grassy, with a little spice & floral aroma), somewhat bready.

T: Predominantly grassy, with a little spice, earth & floral hop flavours as well. The hops are up front, but they're not too assertive. There's a light breadyness from the malt, balanced by a light bitterness. Crisp, clean finish. It's certainly not the most flavourful pils, but I really like what's there... it works well.

M: Moderate body is pleasantly creamy, carbonation is moderate.

D: Very drinkable.

Quality brew.
Aug 12, 2006
Photo of pootz
Reviewed by pootz from Canada (ON)

3.53/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Well the much awaited appearence of this beer in bottles for home consumption has been, to say the least, not anti-climactic...then I see the white box at the LCBO...I suppose the bland understated packaging was a tease and certainly not indicative of product inside that package.

Poured a decent pale gold with a respectable frothy sticky cap with good retention and lacing. Moderate carbonation. Clear and brite appearence.

Aroma gives light floral tones from fresh saaz hops and the signature German carapils biscuit smells...promising

Moderate malt spine, silky mouthfeel...sweet biscuit malts up front turn dry with the sharp saaz hopping, middle gives bready-lemony impressions... finish is clean and drying with a big whack of cedar hops overpowering the malts...tinny after taste...great finish...decent micro pils.

Has a chracter similar to Budvar or Staropramen with better hopping and malts...a good dry pilsner in the Czech style.
May 31, 2006
Stratford Pilsner from Stratford Brewing Company
Beer rating: 73 out of 100 with 23 ratings