Gold Medal Taiwan Beer
I hadn't heard of this one before, but the idea of a beer brewed with rice had me quite intrigued. Is there anything you can't do with rice?
Details
- Lager, 5% ABV
- 330ml can
From the website:
Taiwan Beer is an amber lager beer with a distinct taste from the Formosa Rice as a special ingredient. It has won international awards, including the International Monde Selection in 1997 and the Brewing Industry International Awards in 2002. That’s why it is called Gold Medal, and that’s how the beer is appreciated worldwide.
The flavor of beer brewed from 100% malt is usually described as strong and heavy.
But Gold Medal Taiwan Beer, brewed from the very best of Taiwanese local rice, is crisp yet maintains all the rich flavor of the malt. The Formosa Rice was once the tribute to the emperor and now a luxurious ingredient for a quality beer.
Expectations
An amber lager with rice? I don't really know what to expect, but I'm hoping for something light and refreshing.
Experience
It looks like cider - it's yellow, with quite large bubbles and not much of a head on it.
There's not much of a smell either, certainly not enough to identify anything malty. Plain rice doesn't have much of a smell either, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.
The taste is quite mild, but hard to pin down. It's a bit sweet, slightly bitter, and reminds me of wheat beer. It's pleasant enough, quite smooth, and I don't really get any aftertaste, good or bad.
After drinking the whole of this beer I can sum it up like this: it went down well enough, but it didn't make me want to reach for another can.
Verdict
3/5 : It's fine. Not very interesting, but there's nothing bad to say about it either.
