Lao Bia

Brewed by Batieng Brewery
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Champassak, Laos

Serve in Lager glass, Tumbler

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Dark brown color, sweet caramel flavor and fragrance as well as sour hints. Relatively low effervescence, with bottom sediment. Only have ever seen it in Laos, though I suspect it might be exported to France as well as specialty free/fair trade stores and cafes/bars.

Had this at my favorite restaurant in Luang Prabang. From the streetside table if you crane your neck you can see the Mekong River. This was in a 20 oz bomber along with a killer curry and a serving of sticky rice with peanut sauce. It hit my throat like a cold, golden waterfall. I won’t say it’s the best beer I ever drank but it was pretty good. Had it again in Vientiane the night before we crossed the border to Thailand, this time with some of the best Indian food I have ever had. Once again, it was great.

Bottle conditioned. Cloudy amber-chestnut colour with a thin head. Aroma of demerara sugar, canned tomatoes, good rye whisky, sultanas and caramel. The body has the fizzy spritziness typical of many bottle-conditioned beers. The flavour is like a simplified version of the aroma with heavy caramel-like sugars (I presume to be either unfermentable sugars from the palm sap or the cane syrup), dried apricots, sultanas and a lively yeasty note. This yeast note brings a slight tartness to the finish, which plays off of the slightly cloying residual sugars. Unique.