File this one under, “Too lazy to take a proper picture of the bottle.”  I used my webcam.

It took me a long time to get around to trying this beer.  They actually approached me (I think it was last summer) and sent a poster and other promotional materials.  Unfortunately customs opened the box and then didn’t reseal it very well … that’s my guess, at least … because by the time I got it, half the stuff was missing.

Also, they didn’t send any beer.  Made a lame excuse like, “We can’t, it’s illegal.”  Yeah, whatever.  Besides, they seemed more interested in promoting some expensive made-for-YouTube movie than they were the beer itself.

Fast forward to December, during our recent Christmas party, one of my cohorts ordered one up and out of curiosity I had one as well.  Then I had another.  Then another.

This is some pretty good beer.

So tonight, I have a couple for “official review” and here’s the experience:

Smells hoppy, supported by some crisp citrus tones and light maltiness.

Tastes light, but not watery, with a good carbonation dancing across the palate that fades to a solid flavor of green hops and untoasted grain.  Well balanced and easy to drink, causing me to tentatively sound the gulp alert on this one (not as much as some, but I could easily toss one of these back and reach for another in less than two minutes).  By the time the bottle is done, it finishes clean with a residual bitterness so light that it may be just a ghost.

It leaves me with the desire for more.  Fortunately I have more.  Before I pop another one open, though, I’ll wrap this up by officially proclaiming Stella Artois a groovy brew … but not quite a Holy Beer contender.

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