Harbin Beer

Brewed by Harbin Beer Company (Anheuser-Busch)
Style: Pale Lager
Harbin, China

Serve in Dimpled mug, English pint, Lager glass, Shaker

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This lighter bodied brew is noticeably grainy. pours a golden-orange colour with a pretty weak head. Taste is lighter, sort of chewy, but skunked in aroma.

Green 600ml bottle, no sock type wrappings for us Brits, plus the ABV is only 4.8% according to my bottle. It was not until I got the bottle home that I read the small print and discovered the beer is distributd in Europe by AB. I have been cutting my grass and it is still warm and sunny, which is very unusual for England, so I am now on the patio and about to open the beer, it is best before 22 Feb 2008, it is going to be drank on a Sunday in May 2007. I have Leerdamer, a strong chedder, some radishes cut up and a bowl of lemon flavoured green olives to have as I review (I won’t eat anything until I am half way though the beer). Poured into my Hoegaarden Grand Cru glass, it looks OK, clear, golden light yellow, with a good white head. The aroma is very Italian lager, not a lot to smell, but there is that half beery, yeasty, hoppy hint that lets you know there is some alcohol in the liquid. The taste is also Southern European, again not a lot of flavours, it is softer than a German Pilsner, nothing to get excited about, but no unpleasant either. Because there isn’t much going on, there is very little mouthfeel, no body to cling in your mouth, no huge alcohol kick that lingers, just a drink that has made me burp! This is a beach holiday beer. In an already saturated Lager market (in the UK), this is not strong enough in any department to make an impact. This review is now over, I am looking forward to having the cheese and stuff with the second half of the bottle, it might enhance the beers good points and bring out some extra flavours. PS. It didn’t.

Small offwhite coarseish head doesn’t last. Clear yellow body. Light malt and nice aroma. Dryish mealy malty taste with faint sugary notes. Mid-bodied. Faintly sharp mouthfeel. Dryish rice candy (dango) aftertaste with malty notes. Incredibly bland, but inoffensive. (0.6l bottle, Wellcome, Lohas Park, Hong Kong. 5%, according to label.)

Bottle. Pours light gold with a slight haze. Average white head. Aroma of malt and grain. Taste is malt, corn, and grass. A bit sweet. Ugh.

500ml bottle pours a pale golden color with a finger of white head that settles down and leaves only spotted lacing on the glass. Aroma is light grains and faint hops. There are more hops in the taste and nicely balanced with a light malty sweetness. Light bodied and decent carbonation. A pretty good beer for the style.

600ml bottle. Pale straw, white head. Extremely neutral aromas, faint citrus, a whiff of cardboard. Dry, light bodied, low bitterness, balanced CO2. Neutral taste, rice, cardboard, citrus. (2012-01-03)

Bouteille claire de 500 ml apportée de Chine par mon père. Arôme: Très légère odeur de céréales. Apparence: La couleur est blonde très pâle avec une très faible densité de bulle. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Très léger goût de céréales avec une pointe fruitée. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est mince avec une texture légèrement onctueuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Arrièr goût légèrement fruité. (Rating #3 635)

Bottle from Morrisons Supermarket. Pours very light yellow, not much of a head. In fact not much carbonation. Flat light and weak tasting lager.

Bottled Chinese sewer water, beware, smell of farts, taste of water/bile. Ewie.

11th August 2007
Warning! Early amateur rating! Moderate carbonation. Tasteless lager - insipid and dry. Bleh!

UPDATED: OCT 14, 2010 The Chinese attempt at making a Pale Lager. Tsingtao didn’t get it right, so maybe Harbin can. Clever labeling.