Takao Brewery Reviews

ariccy	1.8 Takao Beer Honey Bubble Sunday, November 18, 2018
MaltRates19	2.2 Takao Beer Blue Blonde Ale Friday, July 20, 2018
HighSparkDiesel	1.5 Takao Beer Blue Blonde Ale A bottle from the supermarket in the basement of Shinkong Mitsukoshi opposite TP Main Station. Aroma: vegetables, soap. Appearance: monstrous head, hazy amber. Palate: light-bodied and slick, average carbonation, some malty bitterness at the finish. Taste: lightly sweet, a bit of malt. Better than the witbier, but got to lose the veggies. Friday, April 27, 2018
HighSparkDiesel	0.7 Takao Beer White A bottle from the supermarket in the basement of Shinkong Mitsukoshi opposite TP Main Station. Aroma: overboiled vegetables. Appearance: hazy amber, no head to speak of. Palate: medium-bodied and rather oily, completely flat, no distinguishable finish. Taste: lightly sweet, watery orangeade, horrible. Thursday, April 26, 2018
thorongil2	3.2 Takao Beer Black Porter (Bottle) clear, bright, medium dark brown colour with a small brown head; aroma of roast, dark chocolate, then bit of ink and medicinal; balanced flavour with a long, light bitter finish Sunday, March 18, 2018
GoufCustom	2.3 Takao Beer Blue Blonde Ale 500 ml bottle bought at King of Kings Taiwan Food Mart in Kowloon City. Translucent amber colour with a layer of dirt-like yeast sedimentsTwo finger head with soapy white foam which lasts for 2 minutes; Fair sticky lacing with very fizzy carbonation; Aroma of Ale malt, with apricots, yellow fruits, light caramel, cream soda, floral, sugar, light spices, wood, strong bread, light lemon and light grass; Mid to light sweet taste of fair Ale malt, with apricots, red fruits, soda, mustyness, tartness, floral, fair sugar, strong spices, bread, lemon and medium bitter grassy hops; Mid to light body. Fairly slick palate; Mouth feel is fairly good maltyness in a slightly thinned, soda-ish background. Some odd tartness and mustyness overshadow the otherwise strong apricots and red fruits. Flowery with moderate sweetness, very spicy and bready with lemon to round. Off and weird... Hoppiness is floral, light spices, wood, light lemon and light grass in nose, same in taste but stronger; Bitterness is fairly strong for a lasting, medium astringent bitter sweet fair malty finish; Fairly dry after taste. Musty grassy and fairly bitter to mouth. Comments: This one starts off with darker than usual looks and pretty nice estery cream soda aroma, but the taste is a weird mix of yellow fruits, red fruits, tartness and mustyness. Other reviews suggest off tastes due to bottling but still, not a comfy drinking considering the style, and that's no good. Monday, February 5, 2018
gnoff	1.4 Takao Beer White 500 ml bottle from Takao Tavern in Kaohsiung, on October 5, 2017. From white bottle "TK Beer". MFD: 17/08/14, EXP: 18/08/13. TKW0609. Hazy to cloudy golden color, very small white head, Sweet, yeasty, paper, apricots scent. Acidic, paper, yeasty taste. Paper, yeasty, old aftertaste. Strangely enough some warming alcohol. Thin mouthfeel, low bitterness. Got to be something wrong here, that bottling problem I've heard rumors of? 4/2/2/2/4=1.4 Thursday, October 5, 2017
gnoff	3.9 Takao Beer Coffee Porter Served draught on nitro at 拎酒 Takao tavern (TK Beer) on October 4, 2017. Cost was NT$158 for a plastic glass of it. I was told this beer is only ever available in this place. Hazy dark brown to black color, dense tan to light brown head. Cold coffee, coffee beans, a tad metallic taste. Coffee beans, roasted aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel, medium to medium high dry bitterness. Fruity, coffee scent. 8/5/7/4/15=3.9 Thursday, October 5, 2017
gnoff	3.8 Takao Beer Chamomile Served draught on nitro at 拎酒 Takao tavern (TK Beer) on October 4, 2017. Cost was NT$180 for a plastic glass of it. Hazy golden color, dense off-white head. Floral, sweet, fruity, chamomile, tea taste. Tea, fruity, chamomile aftertaste. Medium to smooth mouthfeel, very low bitterness. Tea, chamomile, strawberry, fruity scent. Odd but taste. I was told this beer is only ever available in this place 7/4/8/4/15=3.8 Thursday, October 5, 2017
gnoff	3.9 Takao Beer Hibiscus Served draught on nitro at 拎酒 Takao tavern (TK Beer) on October 4, 2017. Cost was NT$180 for a plastic glass of it. Hazy to cloudy red color, dense pink to red head. Fruit, berries, smooth, cream, smoothie, floral taste. Light fruit acidic, smooth, some faint berry pips aftertaste. Smooth think smoothie like mouthfeel, very low bitterness. Fruity, a bit acidic, fresh scent. I was told this beer is only ever available in this place. 8/5/7/4/15=3.9 Thursday, October 5, 2017
gnoff	3.4 Takao Beer Black Porter Served draught on nitro at 拎酒 Takao tavern (TK Beer) on October 4, 2017. Cost was NT$150 for a plastic glass of it. Hazy dark brown to black color, dense tan to light brown head. Sweet, fruity, smooth, a hint fruity acidic, roasted taste. Roasted, fruity aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel, medium low bitterness. Roasted, a bit fruity, hint acidic scent. Available on nitro at this tap room, or on bottle (CO2) to take away. Bottle also supposed to be able to find at other places. 6/4/7/4/13=3.4 Thursday, October 5, 2017
gnoff	2.7 Takao Beer Blue Blonde Ale 500 ml blue bottle from Takao Tavern, sampled on October 5, 2017. MFD: 17/07/26, EXP: 18/03/25, TKB0502. Also states "TK Beer". Hazy dark amber color, off-white head. Malty, toasted, grainy, some alcohol scent. Malty, grainy, crackers, toasted, caramel taste. Grainy, caramel aftertaste. Very fizzy mouthfeel, disturbing. Medium to medium low bitterness. Available on nitro at this tap room, or on bottle (CO2) to take away. Bottle also supposed to be able to find at other places. 5/3/6/2/11=2.7 Thursday, October 5, 2017
gnoff	2.9 Takao Beer Coral Session Ale 500 ml orange bottle from Takau Tavern, sampled on October 5, 2017. MFD: 17/08/22, EXP: 18/08/21. TKC0516. Hazy deep golden to amber color, off-white head with lacing. Sweet, citrus, fruity, brett scent. Acidic, brett like taste. Fruity, a tad metallic aftertaste. Rather fizzy CO2 mouthfeel, else medium body. Low bitterness. The beers I had on tap were all fine, but heard at least in the past they've had problems after bottling, guessing this is the case here also. Not bad, just don't think it is supposed to be bretty. I was told this beer is at least currently only available in this place and only on bottle, since it was very new. 6/4/5/3/11=2.9 Thursday, October 5, 2017
jgb9348	2.9 Takao Beer White Slightly hazy golden coloured body with a thinnish, two centimetre tall pure white head. Aroma of canned corn, light coriander seed, curacao, a touch of citrus and yeast and a dose of mellow sweetness. Light to Medium-bodied; Strong rich wheatie and sweet citrus flavour - just like curacao, along with a dose of bread, alcohol, tart lemons and a touch of grain as well. Aftertaste shows some good qualities and rich flavours, but is a bit mellow and understated. Not a bad beer, and in this heat - a fairly good option, actually. I sampled this 50 cL pure white bottle purchased as ’TK Witbier WHITE’ produced perhaps on 26-December-2016 (the cap shows 20171226) purchased a few minutes ago at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi in central Taipei, Taiwan on 26-July-2017 for NT$120 sampled in my hotel room here next door in central Taipei, Taiwan on 26-July-2017. Wednesday, July 26, 2017
jkwood04	1.3 Takao Beer Blue Blonde Ale 500ml bottle in a glass. Pours amber with a white head. Aroma of pale malts, funkiness of a skunked beer that I haven’t experienced in years, and weird hops and other problems. Flavor the same. Average texture. Not good. Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Delirium	3.4 Takao Beer Litchi Beer Bottle at ccParty 2007 in Taipei. Pours reddish with a moderate reddish-white head. Aroma is, as promised, of lychee, with a hint of lager malt in the background. Flavor is the same. Quite well done, I think: the fruit flavor is slightly sweet but tart enough to keep from being cloying, and the beer flavor is present enough to keep this from being alcoholic fruit juice. Tuesday, August 7, 2007
omhper	3.1 Takao Beer Vanilla Red Ale Canned, thanks asedzie! Hazy amber, small head. Aroma of raspberries and vanilla. Sweet roasty malt blends with vanilla. Some very light resiny hops stay in the bcakground. Reminiscent of blueberry pie, with some light burnt dough, blueberries and custard. Low bitterness. Very interesting beer, but only halfway successful. Friday, May 4, 2007
omhper	3.4 Takao Beer Golden Ale Canned, thanks asedzie! Hazy amber, brief head. Concentrated tangerine aroma. Sweet and fairly light bodied with soft mouthfeel. Some grass and pine needles, but most of all tangerine. Drier salty finish. Like tangerine juice! Well balanced. Friday, May 4, 2007
omhper	3.3 Takao Beer Black Canned, thanks asedzie! Very dark brown, brief head. Chocolate sauce features in both aroma and flavour. Sweet and light bodied with soft mouthfeel. The low hop rate gives all attention to the chocolatey malt, and there are some toffee. Finishes with fairly low bitterness. Interesting beer! Friday, May 4, 2007
asedzie	1 Takao Beer White Nearly flat, with fingernail-width white head that is quickly gone. Sweetish, slightly sickening aroma of orange and vanilla. Dull mouthfeel. Flavor is bland orange and a little yeastiness. Extremely watery. Not good at all. Points soley for being a creative beer that is not brewed by a macrobrewery. Thursday, April 19, 2007
asedzie	3.6 Takao Beer Black Can 350 ml. Pours opaque brownish-black with tan head. Roasty, nutty aroma. Smokey, carmel, roasted flavor with lightly bitter hoppy undertones. Mouthfeel is a little fuller, chewier than the other Takau brews, but could still be a little fuller in the palate. Pretty good. Well-balanced. Sunday, April 15, 2007
asedzie	3.7 Takao Beer Pils Can. Pours a very nice-looking, slightly dark amber, with an incredibly fat head. Lots of lacing. Smell of wholesome malt and a little prickly freshness of noble hops. Good, well-rounded pils. Doesn’t have the wateriness of the other Takau beers. Good floral hops provide a pleasing bitterness throughout. A very fresh, slightly bitter aftertaste. Very much to the pilsner style. Good job Takau! I hope this sells well in Taiwan, it would be nice to have first-class beer like this on the market here. Sunday, April 15, 2007
asedzie	3.5 Takao Beer Vanilla Red Ale Pours mahagony-color with a large fluffy off-white head that quickly dissapates. Aroma is cane sugar, vanilla. Quite good. I was expecting not to like it from the sweetish aroma, but there is no sweetness in the flavor. The vanilla is present yet delicate. Slight bitterness, and a little bit of pineyness from the hops. That’s a nice combination, actually - piney hops and vanilla. These flavors are a little bit too weak, though. As with the Golden Ale, the palate could be bolder, it’s a little thin and watery. Good beer, but I wish those flavors would come out a little bit more. Also, I again noticed some inconsistency in the palate (i.e. some cans of this beer were well carbonated, some were not). Sunday, April 15, 2007
asedzie	3.5 Takao Beer Golden Ale 350 ml can. Pours a very attractive dark amber with a slight off-white head. Citric, piney hop aroma. Wow! Powerful hop flavors really surprised me. Flavor is hop bitterness, grapefruit and pine needles on top of a well-rounded maltiness. Very little carbonation. Palate is a little bit thin, but the spiciness of the hops more than makes up for it. Nice bitter, citrusy aftertaste. Definitely a british-style Amber, very close to an APA...Re-rate (4/20/07) These Takau beers seem to have a problem with carbonation. It’s all very inconsistent. One beer willl have an ordinary amount of carbonation, and the next will be almost completely flat. Maybe a canning problem. Anyway, it completely compromises the palate. Sunday, April 15, 2007
ESBman	2.7 Takao Beer Porter Brought from my motherland Taiwan by a friend. "Takau" (meaning "hitting a dog") actually is a local Taiwanese slang word for "Kaohsiung", a city in Southern Taiwan where this newly founded micro-brewery is based. Coming in a 350ml can, “can-conditioned”. Canned date 31/08/2006, “best enjoyed within 60 days”. Served cool in a jug. Look: very dark mahogany hue, nearly black; the foamy tan beer head comes thick yet fluffy in texture, gradually settling to a thin cap with a huge hissing sound, while the carbonation remains lively throughout the drink. Nose: smoothly sweet dark chocolate-milk mixed very well American flowery hops, a peachy note and bits of roasted walnuts. Medium-bodied, harmonious, not too complex. Alas, the aroma doesn’t hold too long. Taste: thin-textured bitter black malts and slightly sour roasted malts upfront, with a tinge of treacles, chocolate fudge and roast nuts closely behind; the pale malts lend a lighter edge to the roastiness, as do ripe black plums impart a subtly sour fruitiness to balance the moderate malts... dryish+bitter licorice and hops quietly develop towards the medium-length finish. Palate: it feels slightly thin on the palate and the fluffy fizziness is not optimum. Overall this porter is slightly off-balance, with a sour fruity tinge as a balancer like a porter should have, but lacks a sound weight of maltiness to make a delicious porter. But for the first porter brewed in Taiwan, this is not a bad start! Thursday, September 7, 2006
ESBman	2.9 Takao Beer Hefeweizen Brought from my motherland Taiwan by a friend. "Takau" actually is a local Taiwanese slang word for "Kaohsiung", the 2nd largest city in Southern Taiwan, where this newly founded micro-brewery is based. Coming in a 350ml can, “can-conditioned”. Canned date 31/08/2006, “best enjoyed within 60 days”. Served chilled in a small weizen glass. Look: murky dark yellow-orange honey hue; the white creamy beer head builds up slowly but surely, to 1cm thick then slowly dissipates with patience… gentle streams of fizziness decorated with large bubbles ejecting from the bottom of the glass. Pretty solid. Nose: typically weizen-yeastiness: sweet lemons, green bananas with a touch of green apple peel, combined with a touch of vanilla, clove, while a swirl brings out some apple-ish fruity perfume. The wheatish maltiness is just about enough to render a rough balance, while the dense sugary edge of wheat-malts bears a little resemblance of oxidised honey as well as caramel. Flavour: a light palate is full of doughy wheat-ish and lesser caramely malts, on top of the sour-sweet fruitiness of lemonade, green banana and bubble-gum, while the spicy yeastiness gradually gathers pace and demonstrates a rich flow of ground clove in parallel with a prevalent flow of savoury-sweet, exotic shellfish-ness(like steamed clams!!), and a slightly tangy, dryish-bitter aftertaste like dried lime-peel, light but lingering finish. Palate: fine fizziness on the mouthfeel, medium-bodied, with an initial good balance falling off and not holding well as the carbonation evaporates. Considering it’s a canned weizen, I’m quite surprised by the quality and texture it has shown. Well down, Takau! This is not some easy beer to start one’s business with, mind you. The only downside is the yeastiness does bring me some headache which hasn’t happened to me before with any HEFE-weizen… Thursday, September 7, 2006