Stella Artois 4.8 % since when ?

Stella Artois 4.8 % since when ?

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Discussion

Black can man

Original Poster:

31,816 posts

167 months

Monday 13th October 2014
quotequote all
I'm sure a Stella used to come in at 5.2% . What happened ?

Ray Luxury-Yacht

8,910 posts

215 months

Monday 13th October 2014
quotequote all
There were too many wives being beaten wink


Turn7

23,500 posts

220 months

Monday 13th October 2014
quotequote all
Tax saving benefit for the company and incresed sales as need to drink more.....

About 2 years IIRC.

Black can man

Original Poster:

31,816 posts

167 months

Monday 13th October 2014
quotequote all
Turn7 said:
Tax saving benefit for the company and incresed sales as need to drink more.....

About 2 years IIRC.
2 years ! Really , Blimey .

Jonny_

4,108 posts

206 months

Monday 13th October 2014
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Still smells like cabbage, though.

talkssense

1,336 posts

201 months

Monday 13th October 2014
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Dropped from 5 to 4.8 early 2012 for tax reasons. Hasn't been 5.2% since 2008!

rix

2,776 posts

189 months

Monday 13th October 2014
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News to me too! Tbf 2 years ago was probably when I vowed to not drink the stuff after one too many hangover!

Shaolin

2,955 posts

188 months

Monday 13th October 2014
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I still haven't forgiven Ruddles for dropping from 5 to 4.7 (ish) 20 years ago. In fact now I look at it, the Old Speckled Hen I'm drinking is 5, I'm sure that used to be 5.2 scratchchin

jet_noise

5,630 posts

181 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
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Shaolin said:
I still haven't forgiven Ruddles for dropping from 5 to 4.7 (ish) 20 years ago. In fact now I look at it, the Old Speckled Hen I'm drinking is 5, I'm sure that used to be 5.2 scratchchin
Ruddles tastes odd to me. In any form it tastes like it comes out of a plastic bottle. This was one of the few drinks available at student parties almost 40 years ago. It was always in a large plastic bottle. The taste remains seared into memory. In a bad way!

regards,
Jet

Big Pants

505 posts

140 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
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My local offie had vast stocks of the 5/5.1%. I only realised the ABV had changed when I opened a bottle and got an insipid Carling-like taste instead of the sharpness I had loved.

Haven't touched a drop since. Peroni is now my fighting lager of choice.

OllieC

3,816 posts

213 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
quotequote all
4.8% Stella tastes wrong, I wont buy it any more.

If you liked the 'proper' stella at 5 or more % you should try the Asda own brand 'Biere de Belgique' at under £4 for 4 500ml cans. Its brewed in Belgium rather than luton, and tastes lovely, its also 5%.

Carlsberg reduced the strength of export to 4.8% and I am not sure that tastes the same either, like Stella it seems 'thin' somehow. I have nothing against lower % lagers, but these two have been ruined to my taste buds.

Bud has been reduced to 4.8% I think as well, but I don't drink that.

Better off with polish lagers at between 5-6%, they all taste better than the big UK brands in my opinion, haven't found a bad one yet.

selym

9,539 posts

170 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
quotequote all
OllieC said:
4.8% Stella tastes wrong, I wont buy it any more.

If you liked the 'proper' stella at 5 or more % you should try the Asda own brand 'Biere de Belgique' at under £4 for 4 500ml cans. Its brewed in Belgium rather than luton, and tastes lovely, its also 5%.

Carlsberg reduced the strength of export to 4.8% and I am not sure that tastes the same either, like Stella it seems 'thin' somehow. I have nothing against lower % lagers, but these two have been ruined to my taste buds.

Bud has been reduced to 4.8% I think as well, but I don't drink that.

Better off with polish lagers at between 5-6%, they all taste better than the big UK brands in my opinion, haven't found a bad one yet.
'Brewed in Luton'. It just doesn't have that ring to it, does it?

Black can man

Original Poster:

31,816 posts

167 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
quotequote all
I agree , the polish beers taste far nicer than the Stella.

I do like that Zywiec stuff

I've been off of lager for a couple of years or so & have just recently got the taste again. How dare Stella do this to my old favourite tipple.

Bit of a Unit

6,661 posts

196 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
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Have a look for Bavaria in supermarkets. Despite the name it's Dutch, 5% and more importantly imported. so it's not laced with chemicals a la Stella during the brewing process over here. It's a nice crisp clean taste. Good value as well.

Also, round here I've found the local off licences sell lager they have bought across the channel and is far better quality than the whitbread brewed ste in supermarkets. Whitbread ruined your Stella, have a look in your local corner shop, the Stella there, marked brewed in Leuven will be the Stella you remember.

soad

32,825 posts

175 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
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Budweiser and Becks alcohol volume was reduced too...same brewery, I believe? Not that I'd drink those.

Don't forget, there's also this variant:



For the wimmin, shirley? wink

Rosscow

8,723 posts

162 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
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If I want to drink a nice strong lager these days it's normally San Miguel or Kronenbourg.

Also if the pub has it I quite like Estrella. If I'm feeling funky I'll have a Palm or Curious Brew.

Prawnboy

1,326 posts

146 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
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The Stella stopped working years ago, i find myself reaching to the right of the shelf.


Sharted

2,615 posts

142 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
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Our local offy sells the imported Stella, 5% I think.

Apologised the other week because he only had the UK stuff.

The import beer has no plastic ties and are sold singly.

zetec

4,465 posts

250 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
quotequote all
Bit of a Unit said:
Have a look for Bavaria in supermarkets. Despite the name it's Dutch, 5% and more importantly imported. so it's not laced with chemicals a la Stella during the brewing process over here. It's a nice crisp clean taste. Good value as well.
Bavaria is lovely, cheap too, Tesco have it at 95p for a 500ml bottle.

As for the Polish beers, Tyskie is my favourite and at 5.5% it's got a good bite.

Chris Type R

8,018 posts

248 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
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Bavaria is also available in South Africa, brewed under licence I believe:

http://www.beerpal.com/Bavaria-Breweries-(South-Af...