Tsingtao

Brewed by Tsingtao Brewery
Style: Premium Lager
Qinqdao, China

(bottle) Poured golden yellow. Yeast and hops apparent. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this beer.

Pleasant but nothing special. I’ve had this lager a dozen or so times and never seems to impress me. Malty and lacks zing, not really refreshing

Surprisingly impressed with this one. Straw yellow with not much head to speak of, it had a very nice aroma. The taste was sweet and mild. Not sometihng I’d have every day, but not something I won’t have again. I can’t believe how low a percentile rating it gets...

Tsingtao is a well made, golden lager basically styled after a German helles or pale lager. There is good reason for that. When the Chinese and other Asian countries decided to start breweries, they hired Germans as consultants and brew masters to teach them. With their knowledge and brewing skills, came German beer styles. In fact, there is a very rare dunkel or dark lager version of Tsingtao, that these days has proven to be almost mythical. Michael Jackson, the Beer Hunter, swears he has had it in America, in a NYC beer bar years ago. I’ve never seen it, but sure would love to try it some day. You won’t have a problem finding the Tsingtao I am reviewing here today. I dare you to find a Chinese restaurant that does not have it. Tsingtao pours to a beautiful, bright, pale golden color with a tight white head that fades, and a good bit of carbonation. The nose on this beer is very balanced with some crisp pilsner malt aromas paired with subtle herbal and grassy hop aromas. The palate is crisp and clean with just the right amount of grainy pale malt flavors, and just a hint of malt sweetness. The body is very round and smooth on this beer, making it very drinkable. Tsingtao finishes with more crisp malt flavor up front, then ends with a slightly herbal hop bitterness. There is a very nice balance of malt and hop character in this beer, and it is a very food friendly dish. This is the kind of beer you could match with anything from Kung-Pow chicken, sweet and sour pork, to shrimp low mein. It really is a great Chinese beer, and a good beer to have when you go out for Chinese, or to pick up a six pack for Chinese take out.

Cold 12oz bottle: Golden color with small alabaster head. Aroma is faint; grassy with hoppy notes. Taste is smooth and mildly bittersweet. Nice clean ending. This lager goes great with sushi.

I had quite a few of these in Shanghai and Beijing, but I actually found this one at my local brew store. Brought back thoughts of good times w/ my best friend. Awesome... I need more.

Not bad at all for a macro-beer. Not much of a head. Aroma has a neutralness. The taste is not too memorable but I did enjoy its smoothness.

Almost an american premium style. Slight sweet malt with a sweet noble hop finish. A beer well suited for chop suey.