Pokojný Medved'
Pivovar Steiger

 

 

 

Part of a 10 pack 16.9oz cans Costco $29.99
279 days before best by date
Light smell of malts
Clear golden color
Medium mouthfeel
Medium carbonation
Taste skunky. Maybe I just got a bad one.
Overall not a beer I would buy again.

 

A: Pours a crystal clear medium golden yellow in color with light amounts of active visible carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass and moderate bright yellow + brassy + amber colored highlights. The beer has as two finger tall sudsy foamy white head that reduces to a couple of medium to large sized patches of thin film surrounded by a large patch of mottled very thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Slightly stronger than moderate aromas of bready + caramel + pale + honey malt with a moderate amount of honey + caramel sweetness. Light aromas of lager yeast with a light amount of light fruit (apple + pear) sweetness. Light aromas of citrus/lemon + herbal + floral hops.

T: Upfront there are slightly stronger than moderate flavors of bready + caramel + pale + honey malt with a moderate amount of honey + caramel sweetness. That is followed by just shy of moderate flavors of lager yeast with a light amount of light fruit (apple + pear) sweetness. Finally there are light flavors of citrus/lemon + herbal + floral hops which impart a light amount of bitterness which fades away fairly quickly leaving a relatively clean finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Very light amount of crispness and a relatively clean finish.

O: Easy to drink with well hidden alcohol and a slightly heavier and less crisp mouthfeel than I was expecting for the style. Enjoyable but nothing I would seek out again - just average flavors and aromas but nothing offensive.

Pivovar Steiger, brewery since 1473.

This is a European Lager from Slovakia. From the can: "Best Quality, Superior Freshness, Finest Ingredients, Super Crisp." I don't doubt any of that. It's a crystal clear sparkly lager with a nice foamy head that held up well for more than half an hour. The beer has an enticing but faint aroma of honey malt and a little lemon. The taste is a little sweet and a little tart with smooth medium bitterness. Everything is well balanced. The body is a little heavier than most standard lagers.

Everything about this beer seems comfortably familiar. It's firmly in the category of "beer flavored beer." On the surface, there's nothing earth shaking about it. It's a good solid lager, thirst quenching, nothing overwhelming and 4.3% ABV. I'd happily drink this again.

Pivovar Steiger "Pokojný Medved'"
500 ml can coded "21.01.2025 KRPO382711023". Sampled on 25.02.2024.
$29.99/12-pk European Beer Collection @ Costco, Christiana, DE

Notes via stream of consciousness: It's poured a very hazy golden body beneath a massive head of rocky white foam. I was expecting it to be clear but whatever. The aroma is sweetish, floral, grainy, grassy, and subtly fruity with apple and citrus. The fruitiness is a little bit unusual but Europeans have been utilizing newer hops lately. The taste adds in a little bit of tartness, I'm assuming from all of the residual yeast, a suggestion of caramelized sugar in the maltiness, and some floral, herbal and lightly spicy hop character that helps to balance it and lingers in the finish along with a moderate bitterness. In the mouth it's medium bodied on the lower end, and crisp and bristling. The head held up quite well, and the lacing is fairly thick and covers most of the glass. This is an interesting beer because of the unusual fruitiness, as well as the unusual sugary note within the maltiness. I don't think that's coming from a kilned malt, but rather somewhere during a decoction mash. The haziness is unusual as well but this may very well be a style of beer that's left unfiltered and I have no problem with that. It could be a little more refined but it's otherwise nicely done.
Review #8,928

 

 

 

From the European Collection box from Costco. From the can, it pours a clear golden color with a nice white head. The nose gets a dose of light malt with a little bit of citrusy hops. The mouth follows, an easy drinking brew with a relatively mild flavor and light bit of lemon.

 

 

 

Another pale from the European Collection box herded by Warren Barnes as importers and distributed courtesy of Costco.

Big voluminous head that Looks inviting in my BA Respect Beer glass. A nice foam that sticks around. Smells are modestly malty, moderate hop aroma. Lots of lemon in the swallow that rebalances in the finish. A refreshing lager. Light to medium-mouthed. My mistake was to have this with dinner (the lemon got in the meal's way), when it would be a decent lunch beer.

For my micro-review of Steiger... their founding goes back to before Columbus discovered America. Their website has an interesting way of displaying Steiger's history. But unfortunately, I couldn't find an English button and Slovakian, for me, is way too much work. But I give Steiger good Overall Hugs for its longevity as a micro in a small town not near much.