Staropramen Velvet
Pivovary Staropramen

 

I loved this stuff during my first visit to Prague back in the 80s. Unfortunately, my more recent trips have turned up nothing! I couldn't find it at the pubs. My first visit was 'pre-tourist' and things were a whole lot nicer (cheaper, friendlier, tastier) but the tourists have created a far less interesting place. An army friend of mine once related stories about the beer in former Yugoslavia, before the megabrew conglomerates bought it all up. So much variety and character was reduced to contract brewing for the big guys. Sad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Esthete in me is very thankful to creators, but where;s aroma?? overall - pretty nice beer

 

 

 

 

 

 

I brought a nitro can of Velvet home from a recent trip to Prague. The beer poured a deep golden/amber color with decent creamy head. The smell was good some hints of fruit with some malts and hops. The taste was smooth and easy drinking, good balance of hops and malts. The mouthfeel was medium to light body minimal carbonation as expected from a nitro-can. Overall I thought the beer was a nice change of pace from standard Euro Czech Lagers/Pils.

Poured red-brown out of a 500ml bottle with a white head that fell with a bit of lacing. The nose was fruity, mainly bananas with some malted notes. The taste was descent enough mostly bitter coffee with a bit of fruit but there was little, to almost no, carbonation that really made the beer fall flat for me (no pun intended). With a bit more bubbles it could have been a reasonably descent pilsner, but still nothing exceptional. Also, it cost me 40 crown at the corner store, which is at least 10 more than Pilsner Urquell, and a lot of other good pilsners at the bar.

Served in bottle, totally different from the tap, I'll post my tap version later...

A: Dark red look with 0,5cm head.

S: Malts, brown sugar, coffee.

T: Malty lager with barbecue subtone.

M: Medium body with light carbonation.

D: The bottle version doesn't go near the tap.

Wow, what a different beer. I have never seen a red beer do that. Like guiness but red.

appearance: cascading - deep dark brown-copper and reddish

smell: pleasant, low hoppness

taste: smooth rich, light

mouthfeel: tons of flavor

drinkability: Very easy for a red beer that cascades with the pour. gret beer, different