"Pint of wife beater, please..." (Stella Artois)

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Stella Artois
Date:	29/06/09 (57 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smooth taste

Disadvantages: High %, expensive

Stella is frequently lent the term "wife beater", and is seen as something of a drink associated with chavs because of its strong alcohol volume, but it is largely misunderstood, and is in fact a tasty, relaxing beer with a real kick to it.

Most people are intelligent enough to know that even a truckload of Stella won't turn you into a violent psychopath unless there's a sufficient mental element there already, and so I think it is definitely unfair that Stella gets lumbered with such insults, particularly when there are far stronger, cheaper beers out there such as Tennants which would surely be far more effective and potent for those that way inclined.

Stella is 5.2%, a fair mark above most other beers, although Stella have recently released a 4% can range, which I found to be a nice, light alternative to the stronger cans. Regardless, Stella is a smooth tasting lager, and is often favourable compared to cheaper ones such as Fosters and Carlsberg - it's not just more expensive because of its higher alcohol volume, it also tastes better and simply slides down your throat nicer. The only real drawback is that it's quite pricey, but you're paying for a stronger, nicer tasting drink, so it essentially boils down to how much you value taste, or whether you just want the cheapest toilet water available that'll get you drunk!

I won't always drink Stella primarily because it is expensive, but I very often have bought an 8-pack of the 4% stuff, which has the same great taste, but isn't quite as strong, meaning a drinking session isn't prematurely nixed because you're too drunk to speak! I do find that in a pub, with the pub atmosphere, Stella does tend to get me pretty drunk after only a few pints, so I tend to steer clear of it when out. Nevertheless, it gets an unfair title earned by people who should give themselves a once over rather than the drink, because whilst alcohol may bring out the darker side in you, that darker side must already be percolating somewhere near the surface in my opinion!

Summary: A strong but tasty lager