Taiwan Beer

Brewed by Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp
Style: Pale Lager
Taipei, Taiwan

This is probably the first beer I got drunk on. I had forgotten what it tasted like so when I found it at a local grocery store, I snatched up a 6-pack without even thinking twice. My fond memories were to be rewarded with the gentle reminder of light citrus wheat goodness that is Taiwan Beer. Many will knock this beer for its generic labelling, generic name, and "generic" taste - but don’t be fooled. To me, taste is secondary to its effect on my body. I’m a nutrionalist so I spend alot of time analyzing which beverages and foods do what to my body. I rate Taiwan beer with the best of them for one reason alone. While the taste I appreciate may solely be nostalgiac, the effect it has on my body is no less than miraculous. This is one of the few beers out of the HUNDREDS I’ve gotten drunk off of that I can drink with no hangover ceiling. That means, I can drink until I pass out with no noticeable signs of a hangover the next morning. After all, what good is beer if you feel like a sick animal the next morning? I’ve had enough of those mornings. Some beers consistently do it to me, and some, like this one, never do. So those beers will get the recognition they deserve. Try it, you may like it.

Bottle. This beer impressed me because (1) It did not suck and (2) It was three months past the expiration date as far as I could tell from the Mandarin on the bottle, and it still did not suck. This is going to be 100% against the grain, but I thought it was a decent pilsener. Crisp, fresh, and yes, it was a bit watery but I couldn't get a trace of skunk or any other kinds of nastiness in the taste. I'd have guessed that it was something much higher regarded if I were blindfolded, like an attempt at cloning Pilsner Urquell. 4-5 of these went well with my $400 meal, which included a pigeon, shark fin soup, deep fried fish heads, a one foot wide New Zeland crab that was alive 30 minutes before we ate it, lots of other stuff that I have no idea what it was, this wonderful almond-cream pastry desert, and the owner of the restaurant coming to our table like every 5 minutes. Going out with Taiwanese vendors is great...

I totally agree with Jeremy. This is a really good American Standard. Intersting golden yellow our with a medium sized head. Some chunks were floating in the beer, I thought that was odd. Faint hops, apples, and some citrus. Great taste for a Standard!! Nice finish...Kind of a dry bitterness at the end, but still, I was impressed. Bought this 12 oz can at Beers of the World in Rochester, NY!

Rating #2 (16-November-2003):
Alright, I took a bunch of crap from Per and everyone else about this beer, so here goes another CAN. I bought it from the same store, most likely from the same batch, so we'll see how it goes. Cloudy orange tinted golden colour which really does look like a witbier and contains a dense white head. A little worse aroma than the first can, showing some green apples, slight citrus, but also some off aromas. Light-bodied; Mild flavour of apples, mixed with metal and stale hops. Aftertaste missing some of the twang in the aroma, but left fairly clean and refreshed. Overall, this is a bit worse than the first can, but I still feel that it is above average for the style. The appearance and aroma definately make it better than 99% of the other American Standards. I bought this twelve ounce can from Beers of the World in Rochester, New York again. Scores for this rating: 7,5,5,2,11

Rating #1 (24-September-2003):
Kind of a joke for me, I found the can of it and it looks exactly how it is pictured on the left. Funny to see, but let's see how it is: The pour is wierd...especially out of a can. Very hazy orangey golden colour with a thin white head. I can't believe i'm saying this, but a GREAT smelling beer. Smells like Unibroue Ephemere only better: Green apples and lemons are the big factors, but it is actually really nice. Light to Medium-bodied; The taste is fairly mild, but some of the fruityness gets in the taste. A bit of the malt is tasted, but not too much. Aftertaste is also fairly mute with a bit of the sweetness and fruityness showing, but not much. This beer was very fresh, and I can't believe i'm saying this, but it was pretty decent beer. By far the best American Standard i've ever had. I am going to buy a six pack of this and give it to all my friends so they can laugh at me, but when they taste it...they'll realise that it's better than any BMC/MolBatt prodcut! I bought this twelve ounce CAN from Beers of the World in Rochester, New York. Scores for this rating: 8,5,6,2,12

A pleasant aroma upon opening but after that its all down hill.A strange mouthfeel with a lingering dryness.It claims to have won gold medals but were? Reminds me of Heineken-yes its that poor.

Bottle. Nice golden colour with champagne-like bubbles. Very thin white head that dissipated almost immediately. Musty smell, like apples in the cellar. Tastes of fermented apples, with a sweet lingering after-taste. Very cider-like taste. Heavy carbonation gives quite a sharp bite; again, palate is very cider-like. Overall, the beer was quite a pleasant surprise. I expected a flavourless Asian lager, but got something with very unique character.

Golden orange color witha small white head, some cloudiness...resembles a belgian white. Smells clean, light and fruity. Starts lemony with peach and soda water on palate. Not much else, finishes crisply. Tasty beer that far exceeds its metal can pedigree. Purchased in a 12 oz can at Beers of the World in Rochester, NY.