May 2007: I bought this 50cl bottle at the International Green Week in Berlin (2007). The chap gave me a half pint mug and a vase glass with the beers name on, as soveiners, he was a smashing bloke, a real ambassador for his product and country. Those glasses were the ones I poured the beer into. I had already tried it on tap and while chatting to the stall holder he gave me a brochure all about the brewery and their expectations; very interesting stuff. German technical assistance has built the brewery, they only brew one beer at the moment, but more are on the way. This beer is available all over Albania and also in Kosovo and Montenegro. They are intending to export to Italy, Greece and Macedonia in the near future. The pilsner called Stela (Star) is a bright, light grain colour. A true pilsner in taste also, dry and clean. No sweetness at all, the mouthfeel is strong for this style of beer, The aroma, like most pilsners is fairly thin with hops and a light yeast smell. This is a very nice example of a European Pilsner and I will endevour to find it again on my travels.

(bottle, 33cl) Clear, golden colour with a blond and short foamy head. Moderately sweet and minimally grainy malty aroma with notes of marzipan and plastic/rubber. Sweet flavour with a tinge of bitterness, medium bodied with a moderate carbonation. Mildly grainy malty taste, again with hints of plastic and a dry-ish, slightly bitter hoppy finish with a well-hidden alcohol. 25.I.12

Bottle: Golden, medium-sized white head, sweet grainy nose with some alcohol underneath; moderate sweet flavour, only a slight bitterness is detectable, nearly medium bodied; relatively thin and short hoppy-malty finish. Drinkable, though…

bottle, courtesy of Koelschtrinker - danke! Clear golden colour, mid-sized white head. Quite nice hop aroma. Full-bodied, grainy malty flavours with hints of durty and resiny hops.

bottle from Koelschtrinker - many thanks! Clear dark brown colour, mid-sized off-white head. Dry, roasty aroma with hints of rubber. Unusual dry start, light-bodied with a very shy malty background. Dry, shy hints of caramel and "roasted" flavours dominate, shy hoppy finish. They lightness and extreme timidness of the malt was surprising at first, but rather nice after a while.

bottle, courtesy of Koelschtrinker - danke! Clear pale golden colour, mid-sized white head. Hoppy roma. Light-bodied with a doughy-grain malty base with some quite fresh hops. Smooth palate - quite nice!

Bottle (excavated by Koelschtrinker!): Deep ruby-amber coloured, small stable off-white head; burnt malt, burning tyres (or Bigorneaux...) in the nose, some fruity notes underneath; moderate dryish bitter-sweet flavour, light to medium bodied; fruity and phenolic finish, toast-malty aftertaste. Odd aroma, but all in all O.K. .....

Heller hefig-malziger Antrunk, der Mittelteil ist ähnlich aber würziger, trocken. Herb, weiter trocken mit hellmalzigem Hintergrund. Die daraus entstehende Würze ist angenehm, das Bier dennoch süffig. Nett. 9/9/8/8/9/9