http://news.yahoo.com/s/prweb/20090109/bs_prweb/prweb1841854
The distinguished tasting panel described Chang as: "Bright golden color. Honeyed raisin toast aromas with a hint of lychee follow through on a crisp, smooth entry to a dryish medium body with a hint of apple, nut, and a solid roasted grain character. Finishes with a crisp, balanced earthy hop and pizza dough fade. A very nice food beer."
Now it is true that Chang tastes okay for a Thai beer and if you are willing to ignore the accompanying God awful "Changover" then it is feasible for the beer to win an award.
But how the hell did they come up with that taste description?
Makes you wonder about the effects formaldehyde can have on the brain...
Anchor Beer: Thailand versus Cambodia
Cambodian expats have been abuzz about the origins of their much favoured tipple, Anchor.
Since late 2008 there have been several versions of the beer available in Cambodia: one version is the "original brew" and made in Kien Svay, another made by a Cambodian company by the name of HBL and a third, decidedly inferior, version made in Thailand.
Comments on a local expat site chart this most annoying of alcoholic inconveniences:
"Some shops are selling dodgy Anchor Beer made in Thailand and tastes nowhere near as good as the Cambodian made stuff"
"Domestic demand for Anchor exceeds the brewery's ability to supply - thus the excess is being sourced from Thai brewers until they can increase capacity. The Thai stuff is lower quality and you can tell by the can - make sure you buy the stuff marked made in Kandal province..."
"Locally produced beer gets shafted on taxes while the crap smuggled over the border manages to evade a lot of that so I figure there is economic incentive too"
Eventually somebody in the know posted some good news:
"The imported, Thai made, version is no longer in the market and was stopped as a supplier several months ago now"
http://www.expat-advisory.com/forums/topic7595.html
http://www.expat-advisory.com/forums/topic7602.html
Since late 2008 there have been several versions of the beer available in Cambodia: one version is the "original brew" and made in Kien Svay, another made by a Cambodian company by the name of HBL and a third, decidedly inferior, version made in Thailand.
Comments on a local expat site chart this most annoying of alcoholic inconveniences:
"Some shops are selling dodgy Anchor Beer made in Thailand and tastes nowhere near as good as the Cambodian made stuff"
"Domestic demand for Anchor exceeds the brewery's ability to supply - thus the excess is being sourced from Thai brewers until they can increase capacity. The Thai stuff is lower quality and you can tell by the can - make sure you buy the stuff marked made in Kandal province..."
"Locally produced beer gets shafted on taxes while the crap smuggled over the border manages to evade a lot of that so I figure there is economic incentive too"
Eventually somebody in the know posted some good news:
"The imported, Thai made, version is no longer in the market and was stopped as a supplier several months ago now"
http://www.expat-advisory.com/forums/topic7595.html
http://www.expat-advisory.com/forums/topic7602.html
Beijing Yan Jing Beer flying over China
Business has been busy so beer blog updates have been slow in recent months but thanks to my travels I managed to sample some new Asian brews.Flying God awful economy somewhere over southern China the air stewardess asked the usual question (what would you like to drink?) and I gave the usual answer (Beer! Beer! Beer!).
I soon found out the only brew available on China Southern airlines is Beijing Yan Jing beer and over the course of several flights I managed to drink about half a case thanks to my finely honed patter with the cabin crew.
Q) Would you like anything else sir?
A) Yes! Beer! Beijing Yan Jing Beer!
The noticeably blue can claimed a quality grade of excellent and certified the brew as a “Green Food” i.e. environmentally friendly. At 4.0% a couple of cans per flight were enough to keep me entertained and taste wise it was okay considering the beer was served warm.
Apparently the Beijing Yanjing Beer Group Corporation is one of the biggest breweries in China with 20,000 employees and an impressive production capacity of 3.11 million tons of beer a year, a significant increase on their first few thousand bottles brewed when they set up in 1980.
Yanjing is actually the ancient name of Beijing and the brew has an 85% share of local market and is also the official beer of all government banquets.
Warm beer rarely hits the spot but it can be a real giveaway about the quality of the brew. If it is a chemi-brew then it would taste revolting above 10 Celsius but I can say that Yan Jing beer managed to pass the “doesn’t taste like chemical piss when served warm test” with flying colors.
Asahi Black – Munich Type Beer from Japan
Black beers made in Asia have a well deserved reputation for tasting terrible and having alcohol levels so high that even Chang drinkers think twice before opening a can.
But Asahi Black is an exception and for once the description on the can is very accurate: “Asahi’s original brew” has a “rich and smooth taste” that is “fine taste beer” for you to “relax and enjoy”!
Brewed in Osaka by Asahi Breweries Limited it is an original Munich-type beer brewed using their pure cultured yeast and Asahi’s advanced brewing techniques that have made their other beers so popular in Japan and many overseas markets.
Asahi Black is a highly drinkable beer. It truly is a rich and smooth brew and at 5% it’s one of the few black beers in Asia with an alcohol level that doesn’t overpower the taste (or the drinker).
This beer is well recommended.
Kingdom Breweries and their Clouded Leopard Pilsener - A Beer of Rare Quality
Kingdom Breweries is the newest beer producer in Cambodia and is certainly an interesting addition to the market. Backed by an international hedge fund and under the direction of German brewmaster Peter Haupenthal and management of CEO Peter Brongers this is a very professional attempt at establishing a boutique brewery on the banks of the on tonle sap.
They launched their first offering to the Cambodian market at the beginning of October 2010 with Clouded Leopard Pilsener which naturally uses only the best German and Czech hops, premium German malt and top-quality water and so far the beer has been received well amongst the more discerning foreign residents and well-to-do tourists who are willing to pay more for a distinct tipple that stands out from the fierce competition of average "premium quality" lager beers.
While their capacity is miniscule compared to local giants such as CamBrew (Angkor, Bayon) and CBL (Anchor, Crown, ABC) Kingdom Breweries seems determined to stand out based on its consistency rather than volume with gradual expansion expected only as long as quality can be assured.
What the brewery says:
Though its naturally crisp finish does wonders for a bone-dry mouth and a sun-baked body, Kingdom’s Clouded Leopard Pilsener is infinitely more than an exceptional thirst quencher. Think of it as part of your essential travelling kit-its clean, zesty flavor refreshing every corner of your mind and body as you navigate an afternoon in the notorious Cambodian heat.
What I say:
This is a very exciting beer for expats who are so used to consistently average lagers or poor quality soapy piss. While maybe not exactly designed for local tastes I find the crisp, dry and slightly bitter taste most refreshing and it is enjoyable to drink a beer that you know people have dedicated their time and energy to making it just right.
Even Time Magazine was impressed enough to write a glowing article about the brewery: http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,2020970,00.html#ixzz15psoSp1c
Kingdom Beer - A Cambodian International Prize Winning Beer
The hottest beer news in Cambodia right now is that Kingdom Beer has won the Le Monde Selection Gold medal from an international organisation in Belgium. Okay some of these awards have pretty lax process but I am happy to give some positive coverage to an Asian brewery that has really gone beyond the regional mass market beer making standards.
Most people either love it or hate it but their is no doubt that a lot of hard work has been put into making this beer, something the rest of the industry could take a lesson from.
Anyway here is the press blurb provided to you courtesy of the Kampuchean Associated Press (though I am sure they have just taken the original press release verbatim):
Phnom Penh April 25, 2011 AKP –
Kingdom Breweries (Cambodia) Ltd. has announced recently that “Kingdom Beer” won a gold medal from the International Institute for Quality Selection, Le Monde Selection, in Brussels, Belgium.
The announcement was made by Mr. Peter Brongers, CEO of Kingdom Breweries (Cambodia) Ltd., during a press conference held here last Friday.
It is the first time for Cambodia’s brewery to get such a prestige and award, he said, adding that the excited achievement is not only for Kingdom Breweries (Cambodia) Ltd, which has just started its business in the country six months ago, but for the entire Cambodian people.
People know that Cambodia is one of the best world’s tourist destinations, but they have never heard about Cambodia’s products and trademark, he said, stressing that this reward will reflect that Cambodian products and trademark can compete with other good products over the world.
The Awards Ceremony will be held in Brussels on May 24 in the presence of various ambassadors and many distinguished guests.
“Kingdom Beer” was among 100 different beers to join the international competition held in Brussels to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Independence Committee of the International Institute for Quality Selection.
Le Monde Selection was founded in 1961. Its mission is to test consumer products – beers, wines, soft drink, etc; – and grant them a bronze, silver, gold or grand gold quality award. –AKP
Most people either love it or hate it but their is no doubt that a lot of hard work has been put into making this beer, something the rest of the industry could take a lesson from.
Anyway here is the press blurb provided to you courtesy of the Kampuchean Associated Press (though I am sure they have just taken the original press release verbatim):
Phnom Penh April 25, 2011 AKP –
Kingdom Breweries (Cambodia) Ltd. has announced recently that “Kingdom Beer” won a gold medal from the International Institute for Quality Selection, Le Monde Selection, in Brussels, Belgium.
The announcement was made by Mr. Peter Brongers, CEO of Kingdom Breweries (Cambodia) Ltd., during a press conference held here last Friday.
It is the first time for Cambodia’s brewery to get such a prestige and award, he said, adding that the excited achievement is not only for Kingdom Breweries (Cambodia) Ltd, which has just started its business in the country six months ago, but for the entire Cambodian people.
People know that Cambodia is one of the best world’s tourist destinations, but they have never heard about Cambodia’s products and trademark, he said, stressing that this reward will reflect that Cambodian products and trademark can compete with other good products over the world.
The Awards Ceremony will be held in Brussels on May 24 in the presence of various ambassadors and many distinguished guests.
“Kingdom Beer” was among 100 different beers to join the international competition held in Brussels to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Independence Committee of the International Institute for Quality Selection.
Le Monde Selection was founded in 1961. Its mission is to test consumer products – beers, wines, soft drink, etc; – and grant them a bronze, silver, gold or grand gold quality award. –AKP
A few final snapshots of Myanmar Beer 's Elegant Calendar Girls; see more of you soon.....????
We can only hope that Myanmar opening up to the world will mean more chance of finding photos less than 5 years old from this country,
Let's hope there is a backlog of soon to be released stockpile of previously sanctioned Myanmar Beer calendars back onto the free market.
This is at least one area where sanctions seem to have been too effective, lets hope they all can get repealed and stay that way!
Mind you I would also love to try a bottle of Mandalay Beer and check out any of their calendars as well, presuming they still exist and they are not imprisoned or exiled somewhere.
Let's hope there is a backlog of soon to be released stockpile of previously sanctioned Myanmar Beer calendars back onto the free market.
This is at least one area where sanctions seem to have been too effective, lets hope they all can get repealed and stay that way!
Mind you I would also love to try a bottle of Mandalay Beer and check out any of their calendars as well, presuming they still exist and they are not imprisoned or exiled somewhere.
If My Evil, Biting Monkey, Asian Hangover was a Movie....
 | ||||||
| My hangover resembles this... |
?
For those who are more interested in the actual movie called "The Hangover Part II" then you would be better off to order or download via this link: The Hangover Part II
Japanese Brewery Plans for Life After Tiger in Southeast Asia
Kirin to push own beer in Southeast Asia after alliance ends
by HARUKA TAKASHIGE, ajw.asahi.com
Kirin’s milk beverage products on sale at a supermarket in Ho Chi Minh City
Photo by: Haruka Takashige
SINGAPORE--Kirin Holdings Co. plans to enter the standard beer market in Singapore, despite the end of its capital alliance with a major beverage producer in the island state.
“Our Southeast Asian strategy will never weaken,” Tetsuhiko Sato at Kirin Holdings Singapore, which oversees Kirin’s operations in Southeast Asia, said in an interview with The Asahi Shimbun.
Sato, who is responsible for sales strategy, said Kirin plans to increase sales of Ichiban Shibori beer, sold as a premium product in Singapore, and later introduce lower-priced beer to the country.
“We want to eventually compete in the larger market,” he said.
Denmark’s Carlsberg currently holds a large share in the standard beer market in Singapore.
Kirin obtained a 15-percent stake in Singapore’s Fraser and Neave Ltd. in July 2010 to increase sales in Southeast Asia. But Thai Beverage Public Co. has purchased a majority of shares in the company, making it difficult for Kirin to maintain the alliance.
Kirin said Feb. 1 it will sell its holdings in Fraser and Neave to Thai Beverage for 150 billion yen ($1.6 billion).
“We acquired know-how in local operations such as product development and advertising (through the alliance),” Sato said, adding that Kirin hopes to find a new partner in Singapore or Malaysia.
Kirin will gain a profit of 47 billion yen from the sales of Fraser and Neave shares.
“In hindsight, (ending the alliance) was good,” Sato said. “It would have taken a lot of time to earn this much from the beverage business.”
by HARUKA TAKASHIGE, ajw.asahi.com
Kirin’s milk beverage products on sale at a supermarket in Ho Chi Minh City
Photo by: Haruka Takashige
SINGAPORE--Kirin Holdings Co. plans to enter the standard beer market in Singapore, despite the end of its capital alliance with a major beverage producer in the island state.
“Our Southeast Asian strategy will never weaken,” Tetsuhiko Sato at Kirin Holdings Singapore, which oversees Kirin’s operations in Southeast Asia, said in an interview with The Asahi Shimbun.
Sato, who is responsible for sales strategy, said Kirin plans to increase sales of Ichiban Shibori beer, sold as a premium product in Singapore, and later introduce lower-priced beer to the country.
“We want to eventually compete in the larger market,” he said.
Denmark’s Carlsberg currently holds a large share in the standard beer market in Singapore.
Kirin obtained a 15-percent stake in Singapore’s Fraser and Neave Ltd. in July 2010 to increase sales in Southeast Asia. But Thai Beverage Public Co. has purchased a majority of shares in the company, making it difficult for Kirin to maintain the alliance.
Kirin said Feb. 1 it will sell its holdings in Fraser and Neave to Thai Beverage for 150 billion yen ($1.6 billion).
“We acquired know-how in local operations such as product development and advertising (through the alliance),” Sato said, adding that Kirin hopes to find a new partner in Singapore or Malaysia.
Kirin will gain a profit of 47 billion yen from the sales of Fraser and Neave shares.
“In hindsight, (ending the alliance) was good,” Sato said. “It would have taken a lot of time to earn this much from the beverage business.”
South Korea Reaches Hite Point of Success with Noble Ice Maiden
Several years ago I was informed by various foreigners that South Korean beer is awful and when I researched this information I found many others with similar complaints.
But now I have found strong evidence supporting the Korean Beer improvements after much diligent research and analysis of new materials that show my original statements were not totally balanced and that indeed the Korean people are reaching a new Hite Point of Success.
Never mind the Gangngam style because the Hite Ice Point style is much more attractive and enticing thanks to the endorsement of noble ice maiden and world famous Queen of Ice, Yuna Kim!
In the official company announcement it was explained that this is Yuna’s first ever alcohol endorsement and she was selected as her Olympic Winning Ice Skating image matches the brand dynamics of being "fresh and cool like Hite Beer!”
Hite Ice Point is using a new and increasingly popular process of creating the beer at zero degrees Celsius using an Ice Point Filtration System.
This is something other well known Asia market brands like Tiger Beer and Carlsberg Chill are also experimenting with since the system helps provide certain level of quality with fresh and crisp elements that create a cooler taste.
It seems that Hite is willing to push itself to a higher level of beer making for a premium drinking market target.
Korean Beer drinkers, your honour and taste is certainly an improving sight to be proud of and I hope to try this beer soon to find if the taste fully matches the amazing looks!
Another interesting Beer in Asia...
Same again? Yes please!
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