Jing Jing....DOH!
Written: Sep 12 '02 (Updated Aug 04 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Crisp and refreshing, goes well with Chinese food
Cons: You'll want another one an hour later
The Bottom Line: A refreshing beer to accompany a Chinese meal
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| proxam's Full Review: Tsingtao Brewing Co Pale Lager |
China does not have a long history of brewing beer and foreign influence has been responsible for the modern day development of the industry. At the beginning of the 1900's, Tsingtao was a German port - in the same way that Hong Kong was British and Macao was Portuguese. The Germans founded the brewery there in 1903. It is now the most popular of all Chinese beers and is exported all around the world.
Tsingtao is produced with spring water from the mountain area of Laoshan, yeast and barley imported from Australia and Canada, and domestically-grown hops. In fact China is the World's third largest grower of hops after Germany and the USA.
Abridged from:
http://www.bartoninc.com/tsingtao
_______________________INTERMISSION________________________
A guy stumbles up to the only other patron in a bar and asks if he could buy him a drink.
"Why of course", came the reply.
The first man then asked: "Where are you from?"
"I'm from Scotland", replies the second man.
The first man responded: "You don't say, I'm from Scotland too! Let's have another round to Scotland."
"An honour", replied the second man.
The first man then asked: "Where in Scotland are you from?"
"Edinburgh", came the reply.
"Amazing", said the first man. "I'm from Edinburgh too!
Let's have another drink to Edinburgh."
"It'll be a pleasure", replied the second man.
After a while, the first man asked: "What school did you go to?"
"Portobello - I left in 1972."
"Unbelievable!", the first man exclaimed. "I went to Porty and left in 1972 as well! Let's have another drink."
About that time, a customer enters and sits down at the bar. "What's going on?", he asked the barman.
"Nothing much, just the MacGregor twins drunk again."
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Back to the beer.....
THE POUR
Tsingtao pours to a clear and bright, pale yellow colour with a good amount of carbonation and a tight white head that fades fairly quickly leaving minimum lacing. The nose on this beer is very balanced with some slightly fruity, pale malt aromas and a little graininess, coupled with the scent of freshly cut grass and some gentle herbal hop aromas.
THE TASTE
The body is on the light side of medium and the mouthfeel is firm and smooth(ish). The palate is crisp and clean with some grainy pale malt flavours, a hint of sweetness a certain tanginess and a noticeable vanilla flavour. There's a subtle sulphurous note and also a yeasty, bready quality, but overall it's well balanced with a nice hop presence that adds a touch of bitterness.
The finish has a grainy, slightly sweet malt flavour up front and ends with a floral hop bitterness.
THE VERDICT
At 4.8% ABV, this beer is not unlike many mass produced lagers, but it is better than a lot of them. Having said that, I find it has no outstanding characteristics, good or bad. It is a safe beer.
This is NOT a big beer, but it works well with a Chinese meal that has a wide variety flavours and textures. This is because it isn't going to outdo or overwhelm any of the food.
It's light, refreshing and a good thirst quencher and I'd drink it again, but I wouldn't climb a Great Wall to do it!
Thanks for reading,
Sláinte
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
proxam
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Location: De Leving's Toun
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About Me:
Alcohol & calculus don't mix. Don't drink & derive
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