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TsingtaoBeerABV 5% • Vol 330 ml • bottle • China • Mid-price • Flavour 6
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This is the flagship beer of the Tsingtao Brewery, of which massive 'brewing'-bad-boys Anheuser-Busch own a small proportion. It's also brewed with rice, which puts it in the same category as A-B's more universally available brands (but not the same quality level - although as you'll see if you compare the comments here, this beer seems to be somewhat variable). It has a nondescript nose - there's a note of starch present, and possibly mild onion. The head is fine, bubbly and reasonably lasting. In the mouth there are oniony notes again (or possibly a more generic raw corm), but this time accompanied by grassy hops. There is also a herby note that can only be described as dill-like. A malty quality could be likened to sugared onions, although that sounds worse than it actually tastes. However, this quality makes it somewhat cloying. Aftertaste is honey-ish, with light grassy hops. Overall a little disappointing, though there is clearly some complexity there and it's streets ahead of the other rice-brewed lagers we can think of. Perhaps we drank it too cold (straight from the fridge), or perhaps there is truth in the rumour of its variability. Whatever the reason, we may have to try this one again. OBBD reviewer: Sparks |
Review updated 23 October 2000
The flagship beer from a brewery established by Germans in 1902 in the town whose name is now spelt Qingdao, with a reputation of being the hoppiest in China. It's a good golden colour pouring with a good head and the initial hop bouquet is certainly intense and almost vegetal. The palate is malty with a hint of lime, with a texture that's full and almost oily - is it fanciful to suggest this recalls the rice 'wines' of the region? It would be quite bland, but is lifted by well-balanced spicy pepper hops that start out restrained but soon bitter in the aftertaste, alternating with bready malt. The beer is probably best known in Europe through featuring on Chinese restaurant menus but it's well-deserving of a life beyond prawn crackers.
Score: 7.5
Des de Moor
The few times I've tried Tsingtao, I haven't detected the spiciness that Des describes, so I've
found it a bit flat and uninteresting. Still, the hoppiness and slight citrusy flavor does make it
worth a try (yes, even beyond the Szechuan chicken).
Matt Azzara
Various sources report that Tsingtao is very variable -- maybe I was just lucky with the spiciness in the bottle I tried.
Des de Moor
After drinking a bottle of this stuff, you will be longing for a skunky bottle of Heinie's. I'll be generous and give it a 2.5.
Mike McWilliams
I'll admit I bought this beer for the sake of its exotic origin - when someone takes the trouble of shipping a beer all the way from China to Europe, it should better be a great beer! This beer isn't. Well it's not bad either - just another not-very-interesting light lager. Heineken-like initial aroma, neutral flavour, heavy carbonation but no lingering head.
Sigmund
Have a skunky Heineken instead. Chung-Hua, Rens, Five Star, Tsingtao...its all the same stuff. And some of you think American Beer is bad? Shame on you for entertaining this beer as being palatable.
Carl Christensen - Minneapolis, MInnesota. USA
Mine was obviously of the poor variety - soapy-sweet selotape.
Silk Tork
To compare Tsingtao to any of those horrendous AB American beers is doing it a great disservice. Tsingtao must be served extremely cold, however and, yes, the quality can be variable. Cans always seem better than bottles for some reason. Still miles more interesting than boring Heineken or Carlsberg.
Jonny, Hong Kong
I don't tend to like lagers, yet I've always enjoyed Tsingtao. I certainly started drinking it because it was on the menu at Chinese restaurants. But it shows up in quite a few places around here now and I'll actually but a bottle at the store here and there. It is nowhere near as rude as typical mass market American lagers.
Randy Flynn, Seattle
I am from Bolivia and i have been studying in China for the last 2 months, i have tried Tsingtao a lot of times, I think is one of the best beers i have ever tried, it is very similar to bolivian beers but Tsingtao has more body and feels good even in summer or in winter.
Daniel Millares
I have seen Tsingtao in 330mL bottles and cans. The Alc/Vol is 4.3%. Colour: Pale gold. Smell: Not much if I can remember. Flavour: Light. Fruityness? I don't know, but after a while I thought I was drinking fruit juice. Was it the beer, or something to do with the beer mixing with the flavours of the top Chinese food I was eating at the time? Strange. Another note on the flavour. Yes, it is quite light. I had a Grolsch Premium Lager (swig top) after it and the hop flavour almost blew my head off (compared to Tsingtao). Final Verdict: Not bad. This is far better than corporate chemical mega-fizzy artificial plastic gummy bear mainstream Australian pop lagers (which argubly are the worst in the world?)! Other (European) beers are more distinct, but I wouldn't mind 1 or 4 of these! Would go down like water on balmy night...
Boleslaw The Brave
Tsingtao is a mass marketed version of something which occurs all across the Chinese mainland. It seems each largeish town has their own take on the lager type, and they were, to my mind, all somewhat better than the Tsingtao we get over here. I never saw Tsingtao in China, but at train stations and in restaurants you may purchase liter bottles of the local lager for a ridiculously small amount of money, and as one does become tired of drinking water out of plastic bottles, it is a welcome diversion.
Hopalong
Tsingtao is one of my most favorite beer in uk. I don't know why someone said it's flat.
bruce
This is not a beer that I would enjoy drinking on its own for the pleasure of drinking a tasty beer. It generally has a pleasant, if quite light taste, with only a bit of bite, but it certainly is enjoyable with the right food where you don't want the beer to outweigh the flavours of the meal. I'd give it a 7.
Idj
Unlike some of the reviewers here, I find this beer an enjoyable brew. It's not a great beer, but it certainly works well with Asian food. It has a nice light golden colour with a good head, a light hoppy nose and a light malty taste. Everything about it seems 'light', but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm not sure I'd like to drink one warm, but it is quite pleasant cold.
James Wood
This is a very mild beer with almost no aftertaste, except for a mild bitterness that is quite shortlived, but quite pleasant. It has a light pale/golden appearance and has a nice head. It is dry with some slight acidity--which gives it somewhat of a fruity characteristic. Some bottles have a slight malt nose balanced usually by a weak hoppy note. For the neophyte beer drinker, this may appear to be skunk, but you don't know what you are talking about because this is called "character". This is especially true if the beer was not taken immediately out of the fridge. If this beer is too cold, you won't get much out of it. Overall, a very nice beer that requires sensitive taste buds to enjoy it. For those who think this beer is is bad, you probably don't have very sophisticated taste buds necessary to enjoy this beer. Your taste buds require the brute force approach of Guinness or Samuel Adams. If you like delicate flavors, this beer is for you.
Fredericton Lee
This beeris very underrated.I love this beer for its lightness and delicateness.I drank 12,yes 12 bottles of it and I only become really drunk on the 9th or so,I woke up the next morning and I never felt better,I never had any hang-overs or whatever,truth is I even performed Martial arts in the stadium after that(not drunken boxing hehehe)...
For me,the thing that set this beer apart from what I used to drink(san miguel beer and red horse beer)is that the alcohol is natural and the quality of spring water that was used...truly the gentleman of all Asian beers!
Richard
Spent some time working in deepest China-the quaility is certainly variable in the cans I was drinking but I've had no problems with bottles that I've bought from the odd Asda and Tesco when they have stocked it.
Kyle
Locals in Hong Kong have told me that the cans are crap but the bottles are very good. I'm not sure if this applies to the export version or not though.
Aoshima
This is my everyday drinking beer in Hong Kong. When I first tried it in 1975 the quality was very variable, and some bottles were undrinkable. Over the years it has become much more consistent but seems to have lost some of its complexity. This may be because it once proudly proclaimed itself as "brewed with mineral water from the Laoshan spring", but as it has grown the company has now opened other breweries elsewhere in China which use the local water. Still not a bad drink, though, which unlike many Asian beers hints at its German origins by actually tasting as though it has seen a few hops.
The company also makes other beers, including a bottled "draft" which has little flavour at all, a "premium" version which to me seems to have less taste than the regular one, and Tsingtao Dark Beer which is more of a dark lager than a porter and well worth trying. There is also a green-coloured spirulina beer.
Rod Parkes
a fantastic beer to have with chinese food nuff said!!
the big man
I've had "Chingdow" at Chinese restaurants. It isn't outstanding but I like it. It surely doesn't taste American to me, but this beer is perfectly suited with deep fried food.
Rosco Metz
Best beer in the world in my humble opinion, and voted by my beer tasting party.
steve
Drank bucket loads on the legendary JMU roasting squad's tour of Beijing. Can't beat it to keep you fuelled up in Maggie's Bar.
Phil Reilly
I had this beer first in Hong Kong back in 1996 and it was marvellous. My cousin just brought back crate to the UK from HK, and its still just as I remember, clear, crisp & unique.
Ben K
My favorite bottled lager. Rousingly crisp, spicey and yes, an enjoyable skunky nose. A beautiful summer beer. Shame about the variability of the canned Tsingtao. My bottles are far from bland or fruity.
Sterling J. Ramone
I'd second the comments about Tsingtao's wild variability. In the six pack I'm a sip away from finishing I noticed a fair bit of variation among the six bottles. Definitely not one of China's best, or even terribly representative of the country's beer brewing capabilities. China is ruled by the microbrewery, so if you're ever there, give the local stuff a shot (you probably won't be able to get Tsingtao anyway; sadly, though, AB's Budweiser is readily available many places). Some of the best beer I've ever tasted was from a brewery way off the beaten path in Anhui province. Anyway, if you don't like Tsingtao, don't let it sour you on Chinese beer.
A Jayhawk in Longhorn country
Great complex, malty light lager that should be served cold but not ice cold. It's a lager to drink not sniff and moan about. Infinitely more interesting than 99per cent of lagers.
James45, Leeds
I'll say the obvious but I think its quite true. It all depends on your personal preference for beer. I love my beer "clean", "clear" almost water-like. Maybe its cos I'm from Singapore where its boiling hot most of the year (when its not storming!). Its one of my favourite beers. I love Budweiser too. But people who need more "character" and "flavour" in their beer, like maybe a Carlsberg Special Brew will hate the "flat" taste (actual comment from a friend). Another thing: in cans, there is a strange aftertaste, its fantastic out of a bottle.
T SG
I love this beer. I have had it in UK, and in Hong Kong with fish dishes. Who cares about its variability anyway? If you like it, it's great anytime. If you don't like it, don't buy it!
Roger, Oxfordshire, UK
Wow...that beer is super, totally and undeniably super. Great when cold, but what beer isnt good cold?? HA!
Curt Tinrod
Well... I don`t know if the one I had was real or fake Tsingtao, but it was really flat. Even more- I had bad headache after JUST ONE BOTTLE. I don`t want to have second try. Really.
Ivars Krafts
you are an idiot! Tsingtao is the greatest beer, never flat and you obviously have a problem with drink if it gives you a headache so easily!
dan tse
Dan, I`m surprised how rude can be one beer drinker... Shame on You! I am really expreienced beer drinker and I know how much is O.K. for me to drink. If I had headache then it means- beer was not good. And that`s it! You can stay with Your confession, but I`m pretty shure that it`s just because of Your small experience with this wonderful drink called beer nowadays. Cheers, pal!
Ivars Krafts
yeh ok Ivars Krafts, were you drunk when you spelt your name? maybe you should cut back on the beer ???
Dan Tse
this in my opinion is the greatest beer in the world.
its sooo damn good and doesnt taste fake.
martin
Tsingtao is the no. 1 brewery in China, as for the production output, many thanks to Germany. But yes it's hard to find it in local stores in China, since local protectism makes China the country with most different breweries in the world, and Tsingtao the most famous one.
The variability of the taste maybe caused by the storage time. Beer taste is strongly impacted by that.
The best beer I've tried was in a local brewery close to Beijing, where I worked on a computer project. The factory girl brought me the beer directly from the brewery tower tap while I was punching the keyboard, not mention lunch and dinner times.
Bob
i think its ok to have tsingtao listed - somewhere on range 20 to 25. its not my favorite - but i surely prefer it when i m in a chinese restaurant - dont ask me why - i suppose it somehow in a complicated way harmonises to the atmosphere there or any complicated gustatoric sensations in the brain that still happen far away from methods of scientific analysis or verbal descriptions we have. I cant imagine to have a tsingtao in a british pub or an bavarian restaurant. It doesnt taste the same there.
Harry Haegar
You guys obviously haven't tasted the best beer in the world - TIGER BEER !
Mr Smith
What's all this about beer? Isn't it after all rather a working-class drink? Think now, do beer drinkers really have anything cogent to add to one's estetic appreciation of anything?... just a thought.
Tulgey Wood
Be careful - Tsing Tao beer in China is different: When visiting Canton I was offered a choice of Heineken (I think) or Tsing Tao. I wanted to drink local, but what a mistake: the domestic version is much weaker (as far as I can remember about 3.2%) and lacking in character. Almost watery, and slightly metallic. By contrast, our local Chinese restaurant has the export version which is usually a good drink - I've only had one poor bottle in the last 3 years.
Christine Parkinson
Whilst I also enjoy Singha and Tiger, I find an ice cold can of Tsing tao a perfect accompaniment to chinese food. It seems more refreshing than the bottled versions...although I usually find bottled beer much better than canned, it's not the case here. Speaking of cases where can I get a case of the Tsing Tao cans?
Bob Cooper
Tsing Tao is an acronym:
This Stuff Is No Good - Try Another One
Tsing Tao Toper
First tried in Jersey in Chinese food week circa 1994, I'd have been 14. Had it in a tin and any beer you drink at that age tastes good right!
Decided to give it a try 10 years later in a Chinese restaraunt, this time bottled. Had to say I wasn't dissapointed. Food kills my beer but this beer wasn't killed, even by the spiciest of Satays! Love it!
Rob on the Merrie City Boys Run
I used to like Tsing Tao a lot, I ordered it at restaraunts, I recomended it to friends, they liked it too, but lately I have not had a drinkable Tsing Tao in months. I bought two six packs and one loose bottle over the course of the last year, and every single one was intollerably skunky. What is going on? Are the Chinese trying to poison us?
Tim Branin
Not a bad beer but try the other Chinese Yanjing premium beer - this is good stuff. Its the best selling beer in China!
Tim, Manchester.
After ignoring it on Chinese menus for years I finally tried it when in Hong Kong last year. I loved it with meals and without. It's ideal for very hot places and its not so good during a British winter. Still I find the most enjoyable beers are drunk outside in the Summer so this is my favourite beer. As for the flavour, I love subtle beers, and if you're after flavour intense beers how about trying Super Tennants and leaving the Tsing Tao for me!
Joe, London
Well, that's an old picture of my beer. Actually, the beer comes from my city, which call QingDao. it's certainly one of my favourite one, but just because of the taste. i personally think that, there are some fake beers exist. what i wanna say is, come to China, to feel what a real TsingTao beer tastes. Maybe in 2008, as my city is hosting the next Olympics.
laza
use to drink this all the time, until I found a restaurant that sold Singha Thai beer and now I am hooked on SINGHA!!!
Jimmy, manchester
It's a non distinct pilsner beer that just happens to come from China.Surely not one fo the best from China but alsways the most recognizable.Prefer other lagers from China like Zhujiang Beer or Yanjing Beer.
Jeffery L. UK
Tsingtao is the KING OF ALL BEERS. I have drink it for 30 years and it is good. Maybe export version different, but here in HK is the best taste. Come to China taste the real taste of Tsingtao Beer!
T.V.Leung, Hong Kong
I am from Qingdao(Tsingtao), which is a seashore city or east China. Before I came to the US for my graduate education, I have been drinking it for 7 years. I understand why comments at here are so different. Let me explain this to you. The origional brewery was built by German during colony time. The reason was that many German sodiers could not find beers when first landed in the area -- there was no beers in China 100 years ago. The first brewery now is called "branch 1" of Tsingtao Beer Brewery. I am pretty sure that in most cases, the "good" Tsingtao is from this only branch. However, after 1990s, the corporation began expanding business and then purchased many (dozens all over China) small brewery, among them, 5 are in the city of Tsingtao (Qingdao). If you do not know how to read its cap, you are not able to tell which bottle is from which branch of the 6. That's why some of you guys got very skunky bottles. The "true" Tsingtao (from branch 1) has very small production, and they kept the old craft of German. I visited the brewery once, and the engineers there told me that one of their work flow (traditional German something, I cannot remember the terminology) is unique in the world, all the other producer gave it up for low cost, but Tsingtao did not. Usually, the true Tsingtao beer only supply export and local consumption -- Tsingtao city has 2 million population in Urban area.
Sean
An average pilsner styled lager.There are many many other choices when purchasing a Chinese beer product,for example, Zhujiang Draft,Kingway,Harbin,Zhujiang White Ale.
Pierre K. Quebec,Canada
A good Beer but hard to find here in Tennessee Nashville area, and the cost is a bit high when I special order via a local store.
Dennis60@bellsouth.net
Qingdao is okay, but Zhujiang beer is actually far nicer, with a crisper but strong flavour - I fing QD a little insipid, if I'm honest.
Jonathan Sandwich
Tsingtao is the long offered Chinese beer to most beer drinkers in North America and Europe.Basic German pilsner style,nothing special.
Other choices mentioned for Chinese beers are worth checking out,Harbin,Zhujiang Beer,and Kingway to name a few.
Lawarence Kilner,NY,NY,USA
Truly clever , Tsing Tao Toper!!!hahahaa...clever
Petey
Try Singha Thai beer instead! A bit more expensive, but worth every penny!
beer chimp
Didn't do it for me. Maybe it travelled too much. Still, I have to admit, it was better than expected
Apoteka
I like it... Refreshing, but not on the too bitter side of things. Does need to be cold!
Eating asian food I usually go for this one if they have it. Not the best beer in the world, but absolutley worth a try should you stumble upon one in an Asian restaurant.
hraf
Been drinking this since I moved to Hong Kong in 1993 and still drink it now I live in Dubai. Quite right about the variability, so thanks for the explanation Sean, but great stuff when you get a good 'un..... I always get newly cut grass on the nose....anyone else??
Gary Haslam.
I wonder what a Geiger counter would have to say about this beer? Probably "crackle crackle tick tick tick". Someone mentioned a slightly metallic taste? I say it's as bad as Red China's cigarettes.
Dlux
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